💧 BORATES — No Miracle Cure… But This Is Pretty Close 💧
There are no true “miracle cures” in the pool world.
But if there’s one product that consistently overdelivers…
the wonder of borates comes close.
At Poolwerx Deep End Team (North Richland Hills), we put all of our service pools on borates unless a client specifically asks us not to.
Why?
Because after years of field testing in brutal DFW heat, storms, pollen, parties, and 100°+ summers… the results are undeniable.
đź’° 1. They Pay for Themselves
We have found the savings in sanitizer and acid demand more than recoup the cost of adding borates.
- Less chlorine required
- Less acid required
- Fewer algae recoveries
- Easier chemistry control
The pool simply becomes more stable.
🌪 2. Storms & Pool Parties? No Problem.
Without borates, a big party or severe storm can leave a pool showing distress.
With borates?
Often the pool just looks… normal.
Recovery is faster.
Chemistry swings are smaller.
Algae pressure is reduced.
✨ 3. Water Clarity Goes to the Next Level
This is one of the most common comments we hear:
“My pool was clear before… but now it sparkles.”
Borates give water that crisp, polished look.
It refracts light differently.
It looks deeper.
It looks cleaner.
It sparkles.
🧴 4. Softer Feel (Similar to Salt)
Many clients notice the water feels softer — similar to saltwater.
Eyes feel better.
Skin feels better.
Overall swim experience improves.
Borates work beautifully in:
- Traditional chlorine pools
- Salt water chlorine generation pools
They do not discriminate.
In fact, salt pools benefit even more because borates help buffer against pH rise.
🧠5. The Bob Lowry Rule (This Is Huge)
Here’s something I learned from the late great Bob Lowry, a legend in our industry:
In warm water (above 65°):
Without borates, you must maintain
👉 7.5% of your CYA as free chlorine to kill algae faster than it multiplies.
With borates in the pool (40–50 ppm), you only need
👉 5% of your CYA
Example:
CYA = 40 ppm
Without borates:
7.5% of 40 = 3 ppm FC required
With borates:
5% of 40 = 2 ppm FC required
That’s a 50% increase in chlorine demand to accomplish the same algae-fighting ability when borates are NOT present.
Less chlorine needed =
- Lower cost
- Less wear on salt cells
- Slower CYA rise if using stabilized chlorine
If CYA climbing is a constant battle for you… this matters.
đź“Š How We Dose & Maintain
We recommend 50 ppm of borates.
Initial dose:
- About 3 lbs per 1,000 gallons
- Typical cost: $200–$300 depending on pool size
Yes — it’s a large upfront dose.
But here’s the key:
👉 Borates do NOT evaporate.
👉 They do NOT get used up.
They only drop from:
- Backwashing
- Heavy rain overflow
- Splash-out
We test monthly.
On average, pools need 2–3 small top-offs per year (5–10 lbs).
Once water temps drop below 65°, algae goes mostly dormant, so we pause dosing until spring.
🧪 Why We Use Boric Acid (Not Cheap High-pH Borates)
We only use pH-balanced boric acid.
Why?
Because:
- It’s pH neutral
- Dissolves easily
- Does not require large acid corrections
- Simple to apply
Other products (like sodium tetraborate pentahydrate):
- Very high pH (~9.2)
- Require a lot of acid to balance
- Can clump like concrete
- Must be added slowly
In DFW, we already fight high pH.
Boric acid fits our environment perfectly.
And once borates are in the water, most pools require significantly less acid long-term.
⚖️ Long-Term Cost Reality
Initial dose: $200–$300
After that: minor top-offs
When you factor in:
- Reduced chlorine use
- Reduced acid use
- Reduced algae recoveries
- Extended salt cell life
- Reduced CYA buildup
Borates consistently prove to be worth it.
We have seen no evidence of negative effects from borates in properly maintained pools — unlike many other supplemental products.
🏷 Available at Poolwerx Deep End Team
We buy boric acid by the multiple pallet load.
We’re happy to pass our bulk savings on to our:
- Retail customers
- DIY pool owners
Available in:
- Bags (less expensive)
- Buckets (easier to store and handle)
If you want to know whether borates make sense for your specific pool, drop your:
- Pool size
- CYA
- Current FC
- pH
- Salt (if applicable)
And I’ll tell you if you’re a good candidate.
No miracles in pool care…
But borates are about as close as we’ve found. 💧✨