muriatic acid

[delfargo]

hey pool gurus....just got a quick question. this is the first year i'm using the b-b-b method and it's working great. the pool has never looked this good so soon after opening. as this is my first year, i've never dealt with muriatic acid before. i was wondering if it is normal to see a cloud of fumes coming out of the jug. just curious. thanx.

 

[JohnT]

Yes, it is normal. I hold my breath while the jug is open. Nasty stuff if you get a whiff.

 

[delfargo]

thanx john. i thought maybe i was storing it wrong or something. glad to hear it's normal. and by the way, i did accidently get a quick whiff, and i won't be doing that again. wow! nasty stuff indeed!

 

[EskimoPie]

I keep reading about this, but I've been using MA for a year now and have yet to see or notice these fumes. I only can get the 15% stuff in my nearby store though... guess it doesn't vaporize as easily.

 

[Guest]

I keep reading about this, but I've been using MA for a year now and have yet to see or notice these fumes. I only can get the 15% stuff in my nearby store though... guess it doesn't vaporize as easily.

Exactly.

 

[Rangerman]

Yes, it is normal. I hold my breath while the jug is open. Nasty stuff if you get a whiff.

You dang right it's nasty stuff!! I got a good whiff last season, so I only use the dry now.

 

[Matt]

Muriatic acid is standardized generally to 31.45%. I always see noticeable fumes. I did get a whiff of it once and regretted that. Now I hold my breath when I work with it (I should really have known better, as I've used HCl a lot in the lab, but I work under a fume hood there). I dilute mine in water before adding it to the pool or spa, as it's a bit easier on the pool liner, and I never see fumes after that. (Remember, if you do this, always add the acid to the water, not the water to the acid.)

It's fun to add to a bromine spa as it briefly will produce liquid bromine (dark brown) which quickly disappears back into the water. (Don't do this indoors...)