How Open a Pool Using the BBB method...

[chem geek]

That is OK, though usually people just add them separately to the pool, usually adding half (or 1/4th) the required amount and alternating -- usually adding the acid first, then the 20 Mule Team Borax, to avoid the risk of scaling or calcium carbonate cloudiness. Whenever adding any of these to the pool, you do so slowly over a return flow in the deep end with the pump running. One procedure is described here.

If you are mixing these in a bucket, add the Borax first, then add the acid to it (remember the old adage, "if you're doing what you oughta, add the acid to the water").

You can buy boric acid itself, but is somewhat more expensive than buying Muriatic Acid and 20 Mule Team Borax in quantities that produce the same equivalent result in water (except that the latter 2-chemical approach results in more salt -- perhaps around 130 ppm when adding 50 ppm Borates measured as ppm Boron). See this post for some pricing from a couple of sources for Boric Acid in bulk.

[Douglas375]

Thanks, Richard, my pool is 20,000 gallons. I calculate that I need 75 pounds of Borax and 4.5 gallons of acid.

I was thinking about using a 5 gallon bucket, filling it with 4 gallons of water (80 degrees F), adding 2 pounds of Borax, adding 16 ounces of muriatic acid and then adding it to the pool. Does that sound like a good method?

Would adding the acid to the bucket before adding the Borax work better?

I have a concrete pool and I would be concerned about adding so much acid at one time, that is why I was thinking about premixing the acid and Borax in a bucket first.

[chem geek]

What you wrote sounds fine. As for the order adding to the bucket of pool water, that doesn't matter so much -- you can add the acid first if you like.

As for the concrete pool, the concern is valid, but if you split the dosage in half or in 1/4s, the pH of the pool won't drop by too much for too long. Most important is to pour slowly over a return flow in the deep end with the pump running and then to lightly brush the side and bottom area where you poured.