chem geek Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 But if Borax is a laundry detergent booster does that not mean it will add foam to your tub? Also, adding salt, does this not effect the corrosion of the pumps etc? Don't mix up 20 Mule Team Borax with the laundry detergent. 20 Mule Team Borax is over 99% sodium tetraborate decahydrate. It does not foam. The laundry detergent does foam/suds, but that's a different product. The "booster" aspect of borax is described more fully in this link where high levels of boric acid act as a metal sequestrant, but the concentrations used in the laundry are far higher than used in pools or spas (i.e. the sequestring ability is low in pools and spas). 50 ppm Borates (Boron) with 300 ppm CH reduce calcium ion levels by only 0.3%. As for salt, yes increased salt levels can increase corrosion rates both from the increased conductivity and from higher chloride levels which interfere with the passivity layer formation of stainless steel. As to whether this is a problem depends on the quality of the components used in the pool or spa. Most are designed to handle reasonable salt levels. Saltwater chlorine generator pools are at 3000 ppm salt, for example. If there are inexpensive zinc-coated (i.e. galvanized) or inferior low-quality stainless steel components, then one might start seeing problems in the 1500-2000 ppm and higher range, but again this depends a lot on the quality of components used. Most people don't find a problem using salt in their spas or pools, but you are right to at least bring up the concern since it is certainly valid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
partyboy Posted April 1, 2011 Report Share Posted April 1, 2011 Just wanted to say I manufactured some boric acid in my bucket tonight, dumped it in, spend about 1/2 hr getting the TA/PH dialed in, and took a soak. Wow, what a difference! In the water it feels silkier, softer, wetter, and even hotter. Out of the water my skin feels smooth and less dried out. Thanks guys for all your help and great advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatlip Posted April 17, 2011 Report Share Posted April 17, 2011 You can get boric at most drug stores, Walgreen's etc. I like using this because it doesn't change the PH, etc and keeps the numbers stable. Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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