Best way to add muriatic acid

[tredos1]

Hi all, I just had my plaster redone with a nice Wet Edge polished material and I want to be very careful with it. It's been started up for a few months and was handled by the installer so that's fine, but it has me wondering about the best way to add acid to the pool. Here's the particulars:
19.5k gallons, gunnite/plaster, 9ish feet deep on one end for the diving board. 2HP single speed pump. 2 return jets, no spa or anything fancy. I have a pool cleaner that I drop in on the weekend and run for a few hours. I live in Texas, temp 82, FC ~3, CC 0, CYA ~30, pH runs 7.8-8.0, TA 90, CH 200. I use a lot of acid, maybe 4 cups a week. I notice the bottle is only fuming when I add the acid the first once or twice and then it settles down. I think it's losing strength after I open the bottle. I normally add the acid after the pH has hit 8.0 for a few days or the acid demand shows 4C instead of 2C to reach 7.6. I pour the 4C into about 3 gallons of pool water in a 5 gallon Lowes bucket, let it mix up for a bit and then pour it very slowly in front of a return jet. Is there a better way to handle this? I searched the fora a little bit here and couldn't find a thread on this. Thanks, Tony

 

[mknauss]

Muriatic Acid does not lose strength over time.

Never double handle acid. Pour the acid directly into the return stream in the pool with the pump running.

Use Poolmath instead of the Acid Demand.

 

[Jimrahbe]

T,

If you slowly pour your MA in front of a operating pool return, there is no reason to dilute it at all..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[tim5055]

Safety first.

Wear old clothes and eye protection.

I like to get in front of a return on my hands & knees and splash a little water on the pool deck.

Then open the acid bottle and partially submerge it in the water. Tilt the bottle to pour the acid in at close to water level, but don't let the bottle get submerged. I don't measure because it's an additional step for me to spill the stuff.

Remove the bottle from the water and set it down in the puddle on the pool deck while you replace the cap. Try not to breathe the fumes.. Guess a little low on amount you need, then test again after it circulates well.

You can always add more.

 

[FlaPoolGuy]

I'm new around here, but I may be able to add something. In addition to what most everyone else has said, I also have a spray bottle (about 24oz, you can buy at the dollar store) filled with a solution of baking soda and water. I spray the muriatic acid bottle with it after I'm done. You'll likely see a bit of bubbling where any leftover acid reacts with the baking soda. I do the same for wherever I put it down on the pool deck to ensure no untreated acid remains. For bonus points you can then rinse the baking soda solution off with water, but a splash with pool water works too.

I really have it just in case there is a muriatc acid spill, but mostly what I end up using it for is what I just described above.

With your "wet edge" or other factors this may not be a good idea, so I'll let the experts take it from here!