Is this normal? Maybe something has precipitated out? Is the black stuff OK to put in the pool? It is in both gallon containers of MA bought recently from Home Depot.
stev32k said:The only thing I can think of that would be black is carbon particles. I don't know if it's OK to put in the pool or not, but if it were me I would return them to HD and find some jugs that didn't have the black stuff - maybe at Lowes.
Really? I think most of the MA I have bought around here is yellow(ish)! Could the black particles have been iron??? They remained in suspension when mixed...I can't help wondering if I was just the "lucky" one or if the entire pallet at HD was contaminated...stev32k said:I haven't and I've handled a lot of muriatic and hydrochloric acid (muriatic is just a poor grade of hydrochloric). You will frequently see yellow muriatic which is caused by iron contamination, but I don't believe I've ever encountered black particles.
stev32k said:The MA will completely dissolve iron, or rust and turn the solution yellow so iron is not a likely candidate. Your black particles could have been any one of several things like carbon or some organic carbon containing compound or it could have been some sort of plastic particle - there really is no way of knowing.
Thanks for taking the time to respond!stev32k said:The MA will completely dissolve iron, or rust and turn the solution yellow so iron is not a likely candidate. Your black particles could have been any one of several things like carbon or some organic carbon containing compound or it could have been some sort of plastic particle - there really is no way of knowing.
anonapersona said:So, is using "yellow" MA a source of metal staining on pools?
That's the trick though isn't it? Most of what I've bought is in an opaque white container, although the stuff I just bought at Lowe's did come in a clear jug. But they are still packed in a cardboard container that you would have to open first...then what if you found yellow(ish)? Drive to another store?stev32k said:I make it a practice to never buy the yellow stuff if I can tell the color from outside the jug.