For many service professionals, maintaining crystal clear water can feel like a continuous balancing act. Between pH swings, algae prevention, and sanitizer demand, it’s easy to get overwhelmed.
One tool that has gained popularity for creating more stable, balanced and sparkling pool water is the use of borates. When used properly, borates can dramatically improve water quality, reduce maintenance, and enhance the overall swimming experience.
Houston, Texas-based Manning Pool Service uses borates on all the pools it services. “We love the fact that borates work even when
chlorine is low for a few days,” says Ana Manning, chief operations manager for the company. “It’s also amazing for swimmers with long hair because borates make ‘clingy-water-hair’ a thing of the past. Water with borates keeps hair from getting matted, which is a big selling point for women and guys with long hair who swim often.”
Pool professionals often say that customers believe their pool water is clearer and their skin feels smoother with the use of borates.
Her team finds that borates help ease the maintenance process, are human- and pet-friendly, and allow swimming to resume 30 minutes after application.
Despite their benefits, borates are often misunderstood. This article will outline several tips for using borates, along with important do’s and don’ts, clarification of common misconceptions, and some climate-specific considerations.
Tip 1: Use borates to stabilize pH.
One of the most valuable advantages of borates is their ability to stabilize pH. While borates do not replace all forms of pH control, they significantly help pool service techs reduce rapid pH fluctuations. Borates act as a pH buffer, helping to maintain the water in the ideal 7.2–7.6 range with fewer chemical additions.
As many in our industry are aware, fluctuating pH can lead to corrosion, scaling, cloudy water, and swimmer discomfort. Borates help limit these swings, resulting in more predictable chemical usage, less time spent fine-tuning chemical levels, and a more comfortable swimming experience.
However, there is a common misconception that borates stop pH from changing. In reality, borates slow pH drift, but they do not stop it entirely. Service professionals and pool owners still must test and adjust, but likely can do so far less often when using borates.
There also is the misconception that all borates require a large amount of acid during application. However, many of the pool water borate products on the market only require a minor acid addition to adjust 10-20 ppm of alkalinity increase. Reducing alkalinity to the low end of the spectrum before application is ideal.
Pro Tips:
- Maintain borate levels in the 30–50 ppm range for most pools. Levels below 30 ppm fail to produce the benefits borates can provide, while anything higher than 50 ppm exceeds EPA allowances.
- Continue monitoring pH regularly, even with borates present. Low pH can irritate skin and harm swimmers and equipment. High pH, especially above 8.0 can greatly slow chlorination.
- Use borates as a supplement, not a replacement, for pH adjusters
- Don’t assume borates eliminate the need for alkalinity or pH management.
- Don’t add borates when your pH is already out of range — correct the pH first.
Tip 2: Always balance water chemistry before adding borates.
Borates should never be the first step in your pool treatment plan. They work best after the water is properly balanced. Test and adjust pH, total alkalinity, and calcium hardness first. Making sure the pool has balanced water ensures a proper foundation and, therefore, should be the first step to all water-treatment programs.
Once borates are added, making large pH and alkalinity adjustments becomes more complicated, because borates buffer the water. This is important because when borates are present, lowering or raising pH or alkalinity can require more chemicals and more time. Starting with balanced water ensures a smooth transition and optimal performance.
Also remember that borates are a maintenance chemical, not a sanitizer. They won’t disinfect like chlorine.
Never forget that borates enhance well-maintained water but do not correct underlying chemistry issues or clear dirty water. Borates do show up as part of total dissolved solids but are not harmful at standard pool levels.
Pro Tips:
- Remove any organic contamination (dirt, algae, leaves, etc.) before treating with borates. Borates do not react with organics but, just as with water balance, we should start with a clean slate — in other words, clean, balanced water.
- Use a reliable test method such as a borate test strip.
- Don’t add borates to cloudy or algae-laden water. Borates can slightly raise alkalinity. If the water is cloudy or contains algae, the addition of borates can further cloud the water temporarily thus hindering efforts to clear water by reducing clarity. Also keep in mind that borates do not destroy algae, but rather will help prevent future algae.
- Borates have a max dosage of 50 ppm. If borates are already at limit, do not add more.
- Don’t add all 50 ppm at one time. Adding borates in two, three, or four applications is best to avoid any additional major adjustments. Borates also can increase pH and alkalinity, so adding small doses and small pH adjustments create small swings in water balance rather than large ones. Three pounds per 1,000 gallons of water is a great rule of thumb to reach 50 ppm. Borates dissolve at a medium rate, so 3 lbs. per 1,000 gallons of borates can take time and extra brushing to dissolve.
- Don’t add borates to the skimmer. Large amounts of any dry chemical have the potential to clog pipes or pumps, especially when added to the small pipes of circulation lines. Borates, like all dry additives, could also simply settle onto filter media rather than dissolving into solution.
Tip 3: Use borates as a secondary algae inhibitor.
Borates have mild algaestatic properties, meaning they help inhibit algae growth. They do not kill algae outright but make the environment less hospitable, which reduces overall sanitizer demand. In high-sun environments, pools are prone to algae blooms when chlorine dips even briefly. “Many people think borates are an algaecide, but they are actually an algaestat — they prevent algae growth rather than kill it,” says Manning. “What we have found is that once borates are added, previously algae-prone pools stay algae-free.”
Additionally, borates help maintain clarity and allow chlorine to work more efficiently. “Borates clarify water very effectively, sometimes revealing plaster imperfections — so be aware,” says Manning. “You can often read the writing on a quarter at the bottom of the pool that is using borates!” Manning says sometimes the water is so clear that clients will call to discuss pool stains or plaster imperfections they hadn’t noticed when the water wasn’t as clear.
Pro Tips:
- Don’t use borates to clean up an existing algae bloom. Borates prevent algae, they do not kill existing algae.
Tip 4: Adjust your borate strategy based on climate and equipment.
Borates can be used in all temperatures and climates. However, climate does play a role in determining their best use. For instance, many agree that borates can be especially helpful in warmer climates.
Warm, sunny regions benefit greatly from borates. The higher UV exposure in warmer climates increases chlorine demand, and borates help lower that demand. Warm water encourages algae growth, and borates work well at inhibiting algae spikes.
Pools in warmer climates tend to be open for more days of the year and, as a result, the pool likely will likely experience increased filter backwashing, resulting in more water loss and splash-out. This is the only way pools will experience a loss of borates — through physical removal of water from the pool. Borates are not lost through evaporation, which is a common misperception.
In cooler climates, borates are still helpful. While pools are often closed for winter in cooler regions, borate levels remain stable. Borates also pose no risk of staining or bleaching even if undissolved. However, it is important to ensure borate levels are known and properly documented before closing the pool for the winter.
Pro Tip:
- Don’t store opened containers in high temperatures nor in high humidity to avoid product hardening.
Final thoughts
Borates are one of the most effective supplemental chemicals you can use to improve water quality, enhance swimmer comfort, and stabilize the pool’s water chemistry. When used properly, borates offer long-lasting benefits with minimal upkeep. However, their effectiveness depends heavily on understanding how they work, what they can (and cannot) do, and how climate conditions influence their performance.
Many in the industry see borates as a game changing addition to modern pool care — not only for their effectiveness, but also for their long-term cost savings. By improving water balance and reducing the need for additional chemicals, borates make maintenance easier for service technicians and give pool owners a better swimming experience. Pool service companies that include borates in their offering find that they can stand out from big-box competitors, and avoid competing solely on price. Including a borate program for the 2026 season is a smart strategy to enhance both profitability and long-term customer loyalty.
