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Is This Ok To Use To Add Borates?


sewerrat

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I wouldn't use the roach killer, just go to Echards drug store and get boric acid, ask the pharmacist. Just keep looking at the drug stores till you find it. Its the best stuff to use, no side affects.

Once I added the boric acid, all my numbers have stayed the same, very good item to use.

The pool calculator says to use, Add 16 0z by weight or 17oz by volume on 425 gal water

Rick

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Orthoboric acid is the same as boric acid. As for killing roaches or other insects, that is because it is at far higher concentrations relative to body mass and such insects (including ants) are unable to excrete boron through urine as we do. The safety of borates is discussed in this thread.

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Orthoboric acid is the same as boric acid. As for killing roaches or other insects, that is because it is at far higher concentrations relative to body mass and such insects (including ants) are unable to excrete boron through urine as we do. The safety of borates is discussed in this thread.

So, that means "yes" I can use it, correct?

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Yes. I assume that 1% isn't anything dangerous and is probably just minor impurities. If you want to play it safer, then you could get more direct pure boric acid products as indicated. Does the bottle say what is in the other 1%? If it says "inert ingredients", then you're fine.

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Yes. I assume that 1% isn't anything dangerous and is probably just minor impurities. If you want to play it safer, then you could get more direct pure boric acid products as indicated. Does the bottle say what is in the other 1%? If it says "inert ingredients", then you're fine.

Yep, "insert ingredients".

Thanks for all your help! :D

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I wouldn't use the roach killer, just go to Echards drug store and get boric acid, ask the pharmacist. Just keep looking at the drug stores till you find it. Its the best stuff to use, no side affects.

Once I added the boric acid, all my numbers have stayed the same, very good item to use.

The pool calculator says to use, Add 16 0z by weight or 17oz by volume on 425 gal water

Rick

Another easy way to add borites is BORAX. You can pick-up a box at Wallmart, Home Hardware etc. It's used to augment laundry soap. I've been using it to raise pH/TA and find it makes the water softer.

Greg

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Yes, 20 Mule Team Borax along with Muriatic Acid (added separately, of course) is the least expensive way to increase the borates level in the pool. You need the acid because 20 Mule Team Borax raises the pH (unlike boric acid which is more pH neutral; slightly lowering the pH).

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I am unsure how to test for borate ppm? Could someone plese advise? thanks

You usually don't need to because you add a specific amount and you're done until the next water change, but if you want to test for it you can use LaMotte Borate Test Strips. Though they are test strips, and therefore not as accurate as drop-based tests, they are find to use for this purpose since you don't have to be very accurate with borates -- 30, 50 or 70 are all OK. Also, there isn't a drop-based Borate test available (unless it's very high end -- i.e. there's nothing made by Taylor, for example).

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For those of you who haven't used Borates, all I can is wow!!

It adds such a nice silky feeling to the water . . .it really makes a big difference

For $3 per fill, it is well worth it from a chemical standpoint and water feeling standpoint.

Thanks to Chemgeek and others on here.

I've switched to the Dichlor-Bleach method and my tub has never been better.

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  • 10 months later...

Does the bottle say what is in the other 1%? If it says "inert ingredients", then you're fine.

I guess all "inert ingredients" are not created equal. This time around I used Hot Shot brand (99% orthoboric acid, 1% inert ingredients) and got a nice blue scum line around the pool. It came off easy enough, but I guess this brand used part of that 1% for dye :-(

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I guess all "inert ingredients" are not created equal. This time around I used Hot Shot brand (99% orthoboric acid, 1% inert ingredients) and got a nice blue scum line around the pool. It came off easy enough, but I guess this brand used part of that 1% for dye :-(

Yikes! Well thanks for letting us know. Lesson learned and I'm sorry for my giving you bad advice. I get my boric acid from The Chemistry Store while in some parts of the country, due to shipping, it's cheaper from AAA Chemicals.

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