What pool chemicals should not be stored together?

[IslandPool]

I want to carry some chemicals in a utility box on the back of my truck.

I know liquids don't mix with oxidizers so I went out and bought dry acid instead of muriatic acid. can this dry acid be in the same box as granular chlorine and chlorine tablets? they are in closed buckets.

These are the chemicals I want to keep in the utility box. I also will keep them in small buckets.

Chlorine Tablets (25lbs)
Calcium Hypochlorite 65% (25lbs)
Granular Chlorine (desert brand...10lbs)
Soda Ash
Dry Acid
and conditioner/stabilizer powder (10lbs)
D.E. Powder
Alkalinity increaser powder

Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[waste]

Welcome to TFP!!

Chlorine and acid, in any form, should not be stored together!

If they must be in the same area, separate them with the pH up and T/A up to neutralize the acid, if they have reason to mix

You sound like your a 'pool dude' I love it when pool dudes come here to learn more about what they're doing! (it's how I got here :lol:

As it's ~ winter here in the northern parts of North America, most pools that get closed already are, but we're here all winter to give advice and help with questions

Have you read through Pool School? If not... you should :-D

 

[IslandPool]

Welcome to TFP!!

Chlorine and acid, in any form, should not be stored together!

If they must be in the same area, separate them with the pH up and T/A up to neutralize the acid, if they have reason to mix

You sound like your a 'pool dude' I love it when pool dudes come here to learn more about what they're doing! (it's how I got here :lol:

As it's ~ winter here in the northern parts of North America, most pools that get closed already are, but we're here all winter to give advice and help with questions

Have you read through Pool School? If not... you should :-D

Thanks. good to be here. :-D

yes I used to work for a large pool company 20 years ago. used to do the balancing for them but I can't remember much. I got a pool truck and figured since I need to pay bills I should clean some pools. so here I am. yes I've been reading and really dig pool school. lots of good info.

so thats good news cause I have a small truck and it has a steel utility box on the back. I want to keep all chemicals in it and keep the pole and hose on the bed. the brushes, vacuum and skimmer net I keep in the cab.

I will keep the dry acid separated by the TA up and pH up.

probably best to not use muriatic acid and go with the dry acid right? I want to keep the utility box dry and the wet stuff like hose and pole on the bed.

 

[polyvue]

I have a small truck and it has a steel utility box on the back. I want to keep all chemicals in it and keep the pole and hose on the bed. the brushes, vacuum and skimmer net I keep in the cab. I will keep the dry acid separated by the TA up and pH up.

probably best to not use muriatic acid and go with the dry acid right? I want to keep the utility box dry and the wet stuff like hose and pole on the bed.

Hello IslandPool, Welcome to the forum

Sure can appreciate the convenience offered by only using dry chemicals in your business, especially the ease of transportation and storage. All of the pool maintenance companies in my area that i'm familiar with use both liquid and dry chemicals on site, but I've never paid attention to how they arrange these items in the small pick-up trucks used on their routes.

I wondered how you would service pools in your area without having at least a few gallons of liquid chlorine and muriatic acid. Are all of the dry sanitizer products some form of stablized chlorine? You might need to shock to an overstablized pool, maintain an indoor chlorine pool, or one that has high levels of both stabilizer (CYA) and calcium, and water replacement is too costly or prohibited.

The use of dry acid for pH control may be problematic in some pools. In this forum and others I've read concerns that when used regularly it contributes to excessive sulfates; at some point the sulfates are implicated in damage to plaster and to the cell plates in salt water chlorine generators. It's said that SWG manufacturers recommend muriatic acid over dry acid for the purpose of adjusting pH in pools chlorinated by the SWG cell. (I don't know this to be true for all SWGs, but I found a statement to that effect in the Goldline Aqua Logic manual.) Finally, you will need muriatic acid if you clean one of the salt cells or need to conduct an acid-startup on a new pebble pool. Here are a couple of links to the forum discussions that relate to this subject.

adding-acid-regularly-questions-about-dry-vs-muriatic-t4793.html
muriatic-acid-vs-ph-minus-t6793.html
posting.php?mode=quote&f=10&p=115612


Just some things to chew on!

 

[IslandPool]

I have a small truck and it has a steel utility box on the back. I want to keep all chemicals in it and keep the pole and hose on the bed. the brushes, vacuum and skimmer net I keep in the cab. I will keep the dry acid separated by the TA up and pH up.

probably best to not use muriatic acid and go with the dry acid right? I want to keep the utility box dry and the wet stuff like hose and pole on the bed.

Hello IslandPool, Welcome to the forum

Sure can appreciate the convenience offered by only using dry chemicals in your business, especially the ease of transportation and storage. All of the pool maintenance companies in my area that i'm familiar with use both liquid and dry chemicals on site, but I've never paid attention to how they arrange these items in the small pick-up trucks used on their routes.

I wondered how you would service pools in your area without having at least a few gallons of liquid chlorine and muriatic acid. Are all of the dry sanitizer products some form of stablized chlorine? You might need to shock to an overstablized pool, maintain an indoor chlorine pool, or one that has high levels of both stabilizer (CYA) and calcium, and water replacement is too costly or prohibited.

The use of dry acid for pH control may be problematic in some pools. In this forum and others I've read concerns that when used regularly it contributes to excessive sulfates; at some point the sulfates are implicated in damage to plaster and to the cell plates in salt water chlorine generators. It's said that SWG manufacturers recommend muriatic acid over dry acid for the purpose of adjusting pH in pools chlorinated by the SWG cell. (I don't know this to be true for all SWGs, but I found a statement to that effect in the Goldline Aqua Logic manual.) Finally, you will need muriatic acid if you clean one of the salt cells or need to conduct an acid-startup on a new pebble pool. Here are a couple of links to the forum discussions that relate to this subject.

adding-acid-regularly-questions-about-dry-vs-muriatic-t4793.html
muriatic-acid-vs-ph-minus-t6793.html
posting.php?mode=quote&f=10&p=115612


Just some things to chew on!

Thanks.

I used to do the chemicals for over a hundred pools here on the island for a large pool company but that was 15-20yrs ago. I remember some stuff but its taking a while to come back to me.

Never did an indoor pool. They are rare here. Can't remember seeing any above ground or plastic pools either. Most pools are marcite. very few are painted. I have a painted one I'm doing and I think it will be the last.

We used to use muriatic acid and used to shock and raise chlorine levels with calcium hypochlorite granular. I hear some calcium is good for marcite.

The painted pool I service was very green and I shocked with 3 scoops of calcium hypochlorite (65%) granular. this brought the chlorine up and got rid of the green. it moved the pH went to 7.4 and the pool is looking real nice now. I used to do this with a lot of green pools on the island. its a real problem solver.

but I never used dry acid. maybe it would be safer to stick with muriatic acid and just figure where on my truck to put it.

 

[waste]

I just saw the pic of your truck I wouldn't store chlorine in the metal box - the chlorine (whatever kind you use) will gas off and destroy it! :!: I think a couple of plastic storage bins, with lids, is a better choice (you want to keep different types of chlorine separate, if they mix they could cause a fire

Sorry I overlooked that the storage box is metal

 

[IslandPool]

I just saw the pic of your truck I wouldn't store chlorine in the metal box - the chlorine (whatever kind you use) will gas off and destroy it! :!: I think a couple of plastic storage bins, with lids, is a better choice (you want to keep different types of chlorine separate, if they mix they could cause a fire

Sorry I overlooked that the storage box is metal

Thanks. I was looking for plastic utility box here on the island but could not find any. This utility box is aluminum. I think there are some stainless steel boxes for sale on the island but they are very expensive. However I might have to end up getting one eventually. I bolted the box down with stainless steel bolts.

Most pool trucks I see here go around with buckets in the back of the truck. I guess held in place by the pool cleaning equipment. I used to use a bus and carried all my chemicals in the back. I was always breathing in the fumes. one of the reasons I left the job.

I've heard of trucks here on the island blowing up. I bolted the utility box away from and not over the gas tank or the engine in case of leaks caused by corrosion. I also plan on spraying the bottom of the box with a rubber spray.

I store my chemicals in a warehouse storage facility. (store-it-all place) my storage room is 5ftx10ft.

I keep the chemicals in buckets with closed lids.

I might be able to find some plastic maybe rubbermaid storage bins. I have some stainless steel bolts left and could bolt a few down on the other side of the truck. Hmmmm....

 

[IslandPool]

no such luck. the storage bins I found were flimsy.

I bought some corrosion resistant spray paint and will spray the inside of the box. I was told this is the same stuff the electrical companies use inside their utility boxes.

I'll be taking these chemicals in the box today...

(in closed pool chemical buckets)

Nu Clo 7 day chlorine tablets
Cal Hypo granules
dry acid
pH up

hope I don't blow up!