Muriatic acid color

[JC707]

@JoyfulNoise

Been grabbing MA from Leslie's and it's pale yellow and can see small fume clouds.

Tried another pool store closer to my house and it's the HASA stuff, clear liquid which had me searching the forums!

Are you still using the HASA brand clear MA? How do you like it? I was expecting fumes when pouring as I get from Leslie's yellow colored MA, but none showed up.

I am wondering if it's as good/strong as Leslie's MA.

 

[JC707]

Side note, Leslie's is individually labeled for each gallon and this HASA brand came in a refundable deposited carrying tote/jugs. It seems the pool store refills the gallon jugs while leslies comes shipped ready to sell in each invidual gallon.

 

[proavia]

Side note, Leslie's is individually labeled for each gallon and this HASA brand came in a refundable deposited carrying tote/jugs. It seems the pool store refills the gallon jugs while leslies comes shipped ready to sell in each invidual gallon.

In AZ, the HASA products (muriatic acid and liquid chlorine are refilled by HASA, not the pool store.
It gets delivered by truck to the pool store, ready to sell.
I've used the HASA muriatic acid for years. It provides the expected result when add to the pool.
The HASA muriatic acid will fume (ask me how I know).

 

[JamesW]

The HASA muriatic acid will fume (ask me how I know).

How do you know that it will fume?

 

[wireform]

I've been using this stuff all season and it's probably the strongest I've ever seen, completely claer water like color, hits the intended mark every time. When I open the cap it smokes more then anything I've used to date.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

The yellow color of MA comes from very minute quantities of iron dissolved into the product which forms ferric chloride. Ferric chloride solutions are pale yellow to yellow-brown depending on concentration. The iron is an impurity that comes from the manufacturing process typically when the acid is transported from one process to another using steel tubes and hardware. It can also come from storage tanks that have exposed steel in them. When you see very clear high concentration MA, that is typically from a more advanced manufacturing facility that minimizes iron contamination. In some industrial applications, the presence of trace iron doesn’t matter. But other application might require much higher purity (reagent grade chemicals) and so manufacturers will typically have multiple product streams to satisfy the specific needs.

I use Hasa refillable MA. Sadly it’s gotten ridiculously expensive at almost $50 for a 4-up carrier of 1 gallon jugs. Not much you can do about it.

 

[JC707]

The yellow color of MA comes from very minute quantities of iron dissolved into the product which forms ferric chloride. Ferric chloride solutions are pale yellow to yellow-brown depending on concentration. The iron is an impurity that comes from the manufacturing process typically when the acid is transported from one process to another using steel tubes and hardware. It can also come from storage tanks that have exposed steel in them. When you see very clear high concentration MA, that is typically from a more advanced manufacturing facility that minimizes iron contamination. In some industrial applications, the presence of trace iron doesn’t matter. But other application might require much higher purity (reagent grade chemicals) and so manufacturers will typically have multiple product streams to satisfy the specific needs.

I use Hasa refillable MA. Sadly it’s gotten ridiculously expensive at almost $50 for a 4-up carrier of 1 gallon jugs. Not much you can do about it.

Got my Hasa MA for $44, for a carrier that included two 1-gallon jugs.

This included a deposit for the carrier crate and deposit for the gallon jugs.

 

[JC707]

I should edit my original post and say the Leslie's MA I get is 31.5%.

Also I added the Hasa MA today and noted no fume clouds and crystal clear color BUT for whatever reason, this stuff lowered my PH so much better than Leslie's yellow colored MA. I was pleasantly surprised.

Leslie's is 2 gallons for $21 with no jug/crate deposit....the Hasa MA at the other local pool store is double the price but maybe I won't have to use as much or as often.

That 2nd pool store was my first time going in there and dude was a little rude. I asked for calcium he said just add some water from the hose and CH will rise. I nodded OK but in my head I was like dude I tested my fill water and it's only 125, it's lowering my calcium every time the auto fill is on.

 

[proavia]

I asked for calcium he said just add some water from the hose and CH will rise.

Well, he's not wrong. With water added back after evaporation, the CH will rise. The CH doesn't leave the pool with evaporating water, it continues to accumulate.

What is the CH, pH and TA of your fill water?

$44 for two gallons of HASA 31.45%?
WOW, that's high. Here four gallons of the same MA is about that price.

 

[JC707]

Well, he's not wrong. With water added back after evaporation, the CH will rise. The CH doesn't leave the pool with evaporating water, it continues to accumulate.

What is the CH, pH and TA of your fill water?

$44 for two gallons of HASA 31.45%?
WOW, that's high. Here four gallons of the same MA is about that price.

I feel like a dummy then lol.

I measured my fill water and CH was 125 so was assuming the fill water just dilutes my CH and lowers it. Still so much to learn with my new & first pool.

I am sitting around 175-200 CH right now and pebble start up says to be 200-250 so I went in to buy some calcium but was shut down. I guess I need to figure out some math and just add in some hose water to raise calcium like pool store guy said.

Fill water PH is 8.2 and TA 150.

 

[proavia]

I feel like a dummy then lol.

We've all been there with our pools before. Then we found TFP.
You're here now - so you are WAY ahead of most pool owners.

When you did the CH test, did you continue to add drops until the color didn't change any further- and then subtract the last drop that didn't change the color?

I'll let someone else comment on if you should add calcium or not.
My fill water is 200-250 ppm CH out of the tap, so I never need to add calcium.

With your fill water pH of 8.2 and TA of 150, you will need to add acid and also work the TA down pretty frequently - especially during long hot and dry periods.

Have you pulled the mineral cartridge from your SWG system yet? Be sure to edit your signarure when you do.

 

[JC707]

We've all been there with our pools before. Then we found TFP.
You're here now - so you are WAY ahead of most pool owners.

When you did the CH test, did you continue to add drops until the color didn't change any further- and then subtract the last drop that didn't change the color?

I'll let someone else comment on if you should add calcium or not.
My fill water is 200-250 ppm CH out of the tap, so I never need to add calcium.

With your fill water pH of 8.2 and TA of 150, you will need to add acid and also work the TA down pretty frequently - especially during long hot and dry periods.

Have you pulled the mineral cartridge from your SWG system yet? Be sure to edit your signarure when you do.

Yeah removing the mineral cartridge is actually on my to do list ASAP. I took over the chemicals 2 weeks early than normal from the PBs start up chem guy who was suppose to do 30 days but he was BARELY showing up and pool had 0.2-0.5 chlorine in it constantly and was looking a little cloudy.

So I basically fired him and text him and PB I am taking over my pool lol. Didn't get any push back but today at noon is my pool school orientation. I will have him do his thing then yank the mineral cartridge after he leaves. I am playing it safe in case he runs to PB to tell him anything and void my warranty

 

[JC707]

For the CH test...you know what I was actually going to maybe post about this in my other thread as for whatever silly reason (newbie struggles) , I am having a hard time with how many extra drops to add for it to get to its final blue color.

I have it nailed down to within 1 drop but it's that final drop where I am like OK did it change color or not lol.

I have the speed stir and keep it on while adding drops, should I turn it off to get a better idea on color change or are you guys just noting the color change while speed stir is on?

Thanks all!

 

[wireform]

All happens while it's spinning.

 

[proavia]

Leave the SpeedStir on during the entire test.

Try the test a white paper plate or other white background behind it. This sometimes helps see the color change more clearly.

 

[mknauss]

One drop either way for the CH test is immaterial.

 

[JC707]

Dosed some Hasa MA just now ....7am local time and 50-ish degrees outside.

This time the MA was fuming constantly, whether pouring slowly into pool or sitting on coping.

Newbie question but is MA more likely to fume when Temps are lower? There was basically 0 wind as well so maybe the other times I just wasn't seeing the fumes because it was windy during dosing

 

[JamesW]

Muriatic acid (Hydrochloric acid) is hydrogen chloride gas dissolved in water.

Higher temperatures cause more of the gas to come out of solution as does any type of agitation.

Higher humidity causes more of the gas to get caught in the water vapor in the air and you get a mist of hydrochloric acid.

The gas disperses faster as a gas rather than as a mist of hydrochloric acid.

The gas disperses faster in higher wind conditions.