Adding Borates (via Boric acid)

[rmcderm313]

Hi All,

I'm using the dichlor/bleach method, and I'm in a pretty good place with my chemicals.  I waaaaayyy overshot with Dichlor after last Saturday night.  My wife and I soaked for 60 minutes in the morning and then another 60 minutes in the evening, and my son and 2 friends soaked for 60 minutes.  Total 7 person hours.  After everyone was done I added 4.1 oz of Dichlor, based on my understanding of 3.5ppm per person/hour (24.5ppm) in a 700 gallon tub.  We make sure everyone showers prior to entering, this is a fresh fill and we don't normally go above 100 degrees so the guidelines are probably on the high side anyway, but 24 hours later TC was still around 14ppm.  The baseline chlorine demand I calculated was .55. It was 21ppm the morning after I added the 4.1oz.  Today (Tuesday) TC is still at 10ppm.  It was a good lesson to start slower and learn how things will react.  I'll start to dial it in better with the next use.  Hopefully TC will be in a good place for Christmas Eve in 2 more days. 

This essentially brought my CYA to the limit (and possibly a bit over).  My calculations had me going to 32ppm with that Dichlor addition, but using the Taylor K2006 it's showing almost 40ppm.  I could barely see the dot when I stopped adding the solution so it's somewhere between 30-40ppm.  Bleach it is until we empty again.

In any event, that's not really my question (this was just for background).  When I started this method I did not have Borates on hand.  I just received my Boric acid.  My numbers are pH=7.6, TA=70ppm, CH=120ppm and as mentioned TC=10ppm. To add 50ppm of Borates I need to add 27oz of Boric acid.  Where I'm in a good place with most of my numbers, is there a good way to add in these Borates? The pool calculator indicates that pH may fall by .29 with the addition.  Should I add these slow over time?  Where I missed the addition at the start, should I skip them until the next refill?

Any thoughts or guidance would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Rob