Pool with SWG and sulfuric acid question

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BarbaGeorge

Member
May 6, 2024
7
Greece
I live in Europe/Greece. I have installed a fibreglass pool. There is a SWG installed but it is not active yet since installation of the pool is not complete. I use some chlorine tablets currently.
There is a hayward PH peristaltic pump installed with electrode to control the PH. According to the manual It recommends only sulfuric acid and that HCL is banned.
The installer says that sulfuric acid 30% is fine.
But I dont like to use sulfuric acid and at this forum according to the WIKI you dont recomend SWG with sulfuric acid.
Any idea what I can do ? Can I just not use the hayward ph regulator and manually control the PH with muriatic?
 
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PoolStored said:
Yes...
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Installer said that I will need about 30kg per month of sulfuric acid. But that seems too much to me and I would reach high sulfates within a month or two.
I wonder why Hayward makes sulfuric pump for pH and says it is great for swg.
I will probably don't use it.

For some reason at italian, german and most european discussion boards and pool related websites say HCL is far more dangerous and corrosive and thing of the past and should not be used and say sulfuric is far better.

This pump was designed to inject an acid solution for correcting the pH.The nature of the peristaltic hose and other components constituting the hydraulics are planned to dose sulfuricacid (H2SO4) or liquid chlorine. All other products, such as hydrochloric acid for example, are banned from usebecause they can damage the pump. No guarantee can be provided on a pump containing a differing product fromsulphuric acid and liquid chlorine
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If you regularly exchange large amounts of pool water with fresh water, then it can work. Such as if you have a sand filter that is back flushed on a schedule, not necessarily when needed. Or lots of rain with overflow.
 
There are several ways to manage pool water chemistry.........some better than others.

TFP over the years has found HCl works VERY well for us so we tend to stay with what works.

Some might think that's narrow minded but we have little interest in alternative ideas since what we teach we KNOW works. :)
 
From a human safety perspective, HCl is much safer to use than sulfuric acid. The human skin can tolerate direct contact with HCl for many minutes without issue giving you plenty of time to wash it off while sulfuric acid will immediately cause chemical burns and damage skin. HCl vapors can cause ones eyes and nose to tear up rapidly but the odor threshold is so low that exposure is minimal especially if it happens outdoors. Eyes should never be exposed to any acid and we always suggest wearing a good pair of safety glasses when working with any acid.

The only issue with a chemical pump would be the tubing used. Any tubing that is compatible with sulfuric acid should work with HCl but if you can determine what type of tubing is used, it’s easy to check with any online compatibility chart.
 
mknauss said:
If you regularly exchange large amounts of pool water with fresh water, then it can work. Such as if you have a sand filter that is back flushed on a schedule, not necessarily when needed. Or lots of rain with overflow.
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Yes I have a sand filter and needs to be backwashed according to instructions weekly/biweekly. But I am sure if disposing sulfates to garden is harmful.
JoyfulNoise said:
From a human safety perspective, HCl is much safer to use than sulfuric acid. The human skin can tolerate direct contact with HCl for many minutes without issue giving you plenty of time to wash it off while sulfuric acid will immediately cause chemical burns and damage skin. HCl vapors can cause ones eyes and nose to tear up rapidly but the odor threshold is so low that exposure is minimal especially if it happens outdoors. Eyes should never be exposed to any acid and we always suggest wearing a good pair of safety glasses when working with any acid.

The only issue with a chemical pump would be the tubing used. Any tubing that is compatible with sulfuric acid should work with HCl but if you can determine what type of tubing is used, it’s easy to check with any online compatibility chart.
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Also the machine room is compact burried in the ground. So I worry about fumes from HCL if they cause any damage. There are two hoses. One pvc one pa used for suction or feed
 
BarbaGeorge said:
Yes I have a sand filter and needs to be backwashed according to instructions weekly/biweekly. But I am sure if disposing sulfates to garden is harmful.

Also the machine room is compact burried in the ground. So I worry about fumes from HCL if they cause any damage. There are two hoses. One pvc one pa used for suction or feed
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Sulfates don’t hurt gardens. Sulfates are a soil nutrient needed by all plants. Only excessively high levels would cause problems.

If the equipment is below grade and in a confined space, then you shouldn’t use HCl as the vapors will accumulate and cause issues. You either have to continue using sulfuric acid OR move the acid dosing tank somewhere else where it can be properly ventilated.
 

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I bought a 32% HCL container about 30kg .
I should read how to safely add it. I put some and it drop the ph within a few minutes from 8.2 to 7.7 and I am waiting. However i put it in a bucket outdoors and saw fumes. It seems simple though. I connected the pump just to read the ph and bought a drop test for ph. It is far better than strips that I cannot tell what is going on.
 
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