Borates in pools are innovative chemical additives used to lock in pH stability and give your pool water an incredibly sparkling, soft feel. They work alongside your standard sanitizers to reduce chlorine demand and inhibit algae growth. Adding borates is a modern secret to effortless, brilliant water clarity.
For decades, pool owners have relied solely on Total Alkalinity to keep their pH from fluctuating. However, upgrading your water chemistry routine by introducing borates creates an almost bulletproof buffer system. Understanding how this optional but highly effective chemical works can drastically reduce your weekly maintenance and transform the way your water feels.
How Borates Lock in pH Stability
Standard pool chemistry relies on Total Alkalinity to act as a buffer for your pH. However, alkalinity is primarily designed to stop your pH from dropping too low. It does a poor job of stopping your pH from drifting upward. This upward drift is a massive problem for pools with saltwater generators or heavy aeration features.
Borates act as a secondary, specialized buffer. Once added to the water at the correct concentration, they actively fight against upward pH spikes. By locking your pH firmly into the ideal 7.4 to 7.6 range, borates ensure your chlorine remains highly active and prevents the formation of calcium scale. For a deeper dive into this chemical relationship, read our comprehensive guide on understanding the role of pH in swimming pool water treatment.
The Massive Benefits of a Borate-Treated Pool
Adding borates requires an initial upfront investment, but the long-term benefits to your water quality and equipment lifespan are immense.
- Silky, Soft Water Feel: Borates naturally reduce the surface tension of the water. This gives the pool a remarkably silky, soft feel on the skin and drastically reduces the red-eye irritation usually associated with swimming.
- Algae Prevention: Borates are an algaestat, meaning they inhibit algae from reproducing. They disrupt the cellular metabolism of algae spores, acting as a constant, invisible shield against green water.
- Reduced Chlorine Demand: Because your pH is locked into the optimal range and the borates are actively suppressing algae spores, your free chlorine does not have to work nearly as hard. You will find yourself using significantly less chlorine throughout the season. To understand the target ranges you are protecting, review our complete guide on what is the ideal chlorine level for a pool.
How to Add Borates to Your Swimming Pool
The ideal borate level for a residential swimming pool is between 30 and 50 parts per million (ppm). Because borates do not evaporate or degrade, you typically only need to add them once, supplementing only when you lose water to splash-out or backwashing.
You can introduce borates using one of two methods:
- Boric Acid: This is the easiest and most preferred method. Boric acid is relatively pH neutral, meaning you can simply calculate the required dose, broadcast the powder across the deep end, and let it dissolve without aggressively skewing your other chemical levels.
- Sodium Tetraborate (Borax): Standard Borax is highly alkaline. If you use this method, you must add massive amounts of muriatic acid simultaneously to counteract the extreme pH spike the Borax creates.
Before adding any new chemicals, always ensure your baseline chemistry is perfect. Explore the ultimate pool chemistry guide to lock in your numbers first.
Maximize Your Sparkling Water with DualPool
While borates are incredible for reducing surface tension and creating a sparkling look, they do not physically remove solid contaminants. Microscopic suspended solids, heavy metals, and phosphates will still blow into your pool and bypass your filter.
To achieve absolute, high-definition water clarity, pair your borate-treated water with the DualPool 2-in-1 Pool Clarifier. By dropping DualPool directly into your skimmer basket, its advanced, self-dosing formula actively groups those microscopic impurities together. By physically pulling these dulling contaminants out of the water column so your filter can effortlessly trap them, DualPool ensures your soft, borate-balanced pool stays flawlessly clear all season long.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Do pool borates evaporate or get used up over time? No. Unlike chlorine, which breaks down rapidly under UV light, borates do not degrade or evaporate. The only way borate levels decrease is through physical water loss, such as heavy splash-out, frequent filter backwashing, or partially draining your pool for the winter.
Are borates in a swimming pool safe for swimmers and pets? Yes. At the recommended concentration of 30 to 50 ppm, borates are incredibly safe for human skin and eyes. In fact, boric acid is the primary ingredient used in many commercial eye drop solutions. However, just like any chemically treated pool water, pets and humans should not consume large volumes of it.
Can I use grocery store Borax to add borates to my pool? Yes, 20 Mule Team Borax from the grocery store is sodium tetraborate and will successfully add borates to your pool. However, because it is extremely alkaline, you must carefully calculate and add significant amounts of liquid muriatic acid at the exact same time to prevent a dangerous spike in your pool’s pH and Total Alkalinity.