Need some advice for using Muriatic Acid

[rterickson]

I inherited 3 jugs of MA when I bought my house 3 years ago, and they looked pretty old and dusty back then. I didn't use them since I had a pool service.

Since I took over my own pool two months ago, I have now used 2-1/2 of the jugs to lower my pH, and they have worked according to the PoolMath recommendations. No loss of potency at all.

These were stored in a metal shed, outdoors, in an area that gets no sun. Ambient temperatures from 30F to 105F.

 

[ramtrol]

If you have tools in your garage I WOULD NOT store MA in the garage. I had a jug of MA in the garage at our old house, before I had a pool. I used it in my cleaning business for cleaning severely neglected bathrooms. I don't know how or why but it exploded, now all of my husbands tools are corroded and he is MAD.

The container itself may burst or leak due to extreme temperatures if stored outdoors where temperatures may get extremely high. I live in Las Vegas, I used to store MA in a plastic patio storage bench until I found the containers leaking and bulging from the extreme heat swings.

 

[chem geek]

Muriatic Acid bottles are supposed to have venting caps so they aren't supposed to bulge or explode, though even with venting you'd end up with acidic fumes corroding whatever metal is nearby.

 

[Agent99]

I usually take a 5 gallon bucket and fill it 3/4 with water then add my chemicals to the water in the bucket (I just pour them into the bucket slowly from my measuring cup) and walk the perimeter of the pool pouring the water/chemical mix into the pool slowly...

This is precisely what I do although my water is 'pool' water (just dip the bucket right in). I dunno...never thought much about it but I've never had any issues. Occasionally I'll get a whiff of the fumes but no biggie...thus far. Chemistry class teaches you: Acid to Water (and not the other way). I've always remembered my favorite burger joint when I was a kid: A&W (okay, mostly for the root beer floats...burgers weren't anything special).