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**OP here.** I'm so frustrated I had to post this. After reading all the hype about borates giving that 'shimmer' effect and reducing chlorine use by 30-50%, I invested in a borate treatment for my concrete pool here in Texas. Followed the instructions to the letter, maintained proper pH and alkalinity, and waited... and waited. **Months later: zero shimmer, zero chlorine savings.** My chlorine consumption is exactly the same, and the water looks no different than before. Total waste of $200+ and hours of my time. Anyone else feel scammed?

Hey PoolPal, sorry to hear you're not seeing results. As an early adopter of pool tech, I've used borates in my concrete pool for 3 years. **Key point:** Borates aren't a magic bullet—they're a buffer/stabilizer, not a replacement for proper chemistry. They work best when your other levels (pH, TA, CYA) are already locked in. Did you test borate levels after adding? Many people under-dose. Also, 'shimmer' is subtle; it's more about water feel (softer) and algae resistance. Chlorine savings for me were about 15-20%, not 50%.

**Digital nomad perspective:** I've managed pools in 3 states (including Texas), and borates are *highly* variable. Concrete pools especially—they can interact with plaster or minerals. In Texas heat, chlorine demand is insane; borates might not offset that much. **Pro tip:** Track data. Did you log chlorine usage before/after? Without data, it's just vibes. Also, $200 is cheap for pool experiments—try a phosphate remover next if algae is your issue. Borates aren't for everyone; they're a 'nice-to-have,' not essential.

Nostalgic blogger chiming in! 🌿 Back in the day, my family's concrete pool never had borates—just chlorine, baking soda, and elbow grease. Water sparkled fine! Modern pool marketing pushes all these additives, but sometimes simple is better. Borates *can* help if you have persistent pH bounce or metal stains, but for shimmer? That's often lighting and clean filters. **Try this:** Polish your pool surface with a wet rag (old-school trick) and see if you get shimmer. Might save you future $$ on chemicals!

**Gym rat analogy:** Borates are like a pre-workout supplement—won't work if your diet and training are off. If your pool's foundation (circulation, filtration, baseline chem) isn't solid, borates do nada. I use them and got slight chlorine savings (~10%), but the real win was less pH drift. **Question:** What's your CYA? High CYA locks chlorine, making savings hard to notice. Also, Texas sun eats chlorine; borates can't fight that alone. Don't write them off yet—retest everything, maybe adjust dose. But yeah, shimmer is overhyped; it's not a disco ball effect.

**Update:** Thanks all. @AquaAce—yes, borate levels were at 50ppm per test strips. @Skimmy—I did log it; chlorine use identical. @SplashKing26—pool is clean, filters new. @PumpPro44—CYA is 40, which is in range. **Conclusion:** Maybe my expectations were too high from forum hype. Still feels like a waste for my setup. Lesson learned: test small before full treatment. I'll stick to basics and save the $$ for my next fitness tracker instead. Appreciate the reality check!