Chemical storage?

[lvrpl]

Some comments on another thread made me realize I may not be storing chemicals in the best places. Where should one store the following chemicals? Assume no separate pool equipment shed.

• Opened bleach - in the house (utility room) the best spot?

• Unopened bleach - I keep this in the garage currently. Will the heat (I live in Texas so the garage easily gets 95+ degrees) cause any decomposition of the bleach? Someone suggested that even unopened bleach can cause rusting problems if stored in the garage - is that right?

• Opened muriatic acid - I keep this in the garage. Someone suggested this may cause rust issues for metal (garage door springs, car underbody) in the garage - is that right? Where else do you store this?

• Unopened muriatic acid - I also keep this in the garage, but someone suggested that even the unopened acid could cause rusting issues in the garage. Is that right? Where else do you store this?

Thanks!

 

[jblizzle]

1. Sounds good
2. The heat will certainly degrade the bleach ... best to keep it climate controlled.
3. I just leave mine sitting outside near the pool equipment (just make sure you do not have kids messing with it)
4. Outside in a plastic storage shed.

The MA opened or not can certainly cause damage to metal.

 

[pooldv]

Bleach in laundry room or pantry. Heat does degrade it. Does not cause rust issues. *correction* bleach can cause rust issues, but much less than muriatic acid.*

Muriatic acid outside in a shady place. Open and ventilated. Like under a deck. Muriatic acid will outgas and cause rust and corrosion issues.

 

[Sparkle]

3. I just leave mine sitting outside near the pool equipment (just make sure you do not have kids messing with it)
4. Outside in a plastic storage shed.

What does a plastic storage shed like that look like ?
Why don't you store the opened jug in it ?

 

[pooldv]

plastic storage sheds

 

[Sparkle]

Let me rephrase the question: it seems that I have to keep one or possibly two one gallon jugs of MA around. I don't want to keep it with anything else. Given that I don't have a nearby deck to store it under, what do I do ?

 

[chem geek]

The Muriatic Acid will not degrade from higher temperatures so is OK to store outside. So put it anywhere outside (preferably in the shade just so it doesn't outgas as much) away from any metal. I keep mine in a pool storage box/bench, but it can be kept outside a box so long as you don't have any young children that would play with it. You could store it in a box with a lock if that were the case.

 

[rdshackleford]

Will unopened (sealed) muriatic acid outgas if kept in a cool basement?

 

[Agent99]

My plastic shed with all my pool equipment inside. I store my muriatic acid in there inside the cardboard box it comes in. I suppose there are a few metal items in there so I should probably move it into one of my wooden sheds.

All liquid chlorine gets stored in the house in a central closet so it gets the lowest temp swings and is in the dark.

 

[chem geek]

Will unopened (sealed) muriatic acid outgas if kept in a cool basement?

Usually both acid and chlorine have tops that "vent". If your new unopened acid has a gas-tight seal on it and the basement is cool, then it may not outgas. However, I know both the chlorine and the acid that I get is not sealed and will outgas from the vented caps, but then what I get is in reusable jugs so that may be why they don't bother sealing them.

 

[rdshackleford]

excelent, thank you.

Usually both acid and chlorine have tops that "vent". If your new unopened acid has a gas-tight seal on it and the basement is cool, then it may not outgas. However, I know both the chlorine and the acid that I get is not sealed and will outgas from the vented caps, but then what I get is in reusable jugs so that may be why they don't bother sealing them.

 

[lvrpl]

If stored in a box, does the muriatic acid need to be in a vented box? I'm wondering if I can just get a plastic box (something like this: http://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-27-Gal-Storage-Tote-in-Black-HDX27GONLINE-5/205978361) to store my muriatic acid in outside by my pool somewhere. Just wondering if the gases would build up in a box like this and cause a problem.

Also great to know that bleach doesn't cause any rusting or corrosion problems. We just had our garage door motor replaced and the guy from the garage door company said that the previous home owners had clearly been storing chlorine pucks in the garage due to the high amount of rust on the garage door springs. Good to know liquid chlorine (bleach) doesn't do the same thing.

 

[chem geek]

I would not say that chlorine does not cause rust. It doesn't cause nearly as much compared to acid. The Trichlor was worse because it's acidic and outgases more chlorine gas and nitrogen trichloride. Nevertheless, chlorinating liquid or bleach will also affect metal, but more slowly.

As for the plastic box, you can always add some holes to it for venting. If you keep it closed, you just need to be careful if you open it in terms of fumes.

 

[Agent99]

Usually both acid and chlorine have tops that "vent". If your new unopened acid has a gas-tight seal on it and the basement is cool, then it may not outgas. However, I know both the chlorine and the acid that I get is not sealed and will outgas from the vented caps, but then what I get is in reusable jugs so that may be why they don't bother sealing them.

I dunno. None of the (non-Hasa) chlorine or acid I get is vented as far as I can tell. The caps are just regular caps. Further, they always have an extra seal under the cap that needs pealed off or punctured. Now the Hasa chlorine crates I get are not sealed so they do outgas a bit...I can smell it when close to them.

 

[lvrpl]

I my bleach in your regular 120 oz bottles from Walmart or Costco. The Walmart ones have a seal but the Clorox ones from Costco don't. Maybe that means the Clorox ones can outgas more?

And I get my acid from Home Depot in one-gallon jugs. They're sealed also but it sounds like I can still get outgassing and rust issues if stored in a garage.