Chlorine & Acid Supply Shortage???

[drummerman951]

I didn't see a post about this recently but wondering what everybody is doing when they can't get muriatic acid? I've been told told two major plants shut down, and the ones that are open are short handed and alternating between chlorine and acid production. In the absence of muriatic acid, is the only solution to high pH and calcium only partial drainage? Thankfully I have a SWG, so I'm good on that front but I'm worried about calcium buildup in piping and whatnot. Any advice appreciated!

 

[YippeeSkippy]

I have such a hard time imaging one plant making both those chemicals????

Don't forget you can find Muriatic Acid in paint departments or at paint stores like Sherwin Williams.

 

[Sunnydaze]

That's the first I've heard of a muriatic acid shortage. Have you not been able to find any or is that just what you heard?

Both muriatic acid and all forms of chlorine have remained in supply in my area of AZ.

 

[jmastron]

I didn't see a post about this recently but wondering what everybody is doing when they can't get muriatic acid? I've been told told two major plants shut down, and the ones that are open are short handed and alternating between chlorine and acid production. In the absence of muriatic acid, is the only solution to high pH and calcium only partial drainage? Thankfully I have a SWG, so I'm good on that front but I'm worried about calcium buildup in piping and whatnot. Any advice appreciated!

I haven't heard about a muriatic acid shortage. The Home Depot nearest me has 182 2-gallon packs of 14.5% MA, and 109 2-gallon packs of 31.45%. And the pricing seems to be in line with past years ($10.98 for 2 gal of 14.5%, $12.98 for 2 gal of 31.45%). The Home Depots near you in Riverside don't seem to carry the 31.45%, but most seem to have 100+ packs of the 14.5% so that'd be my recommendation.

MA goes a long way for me; I use about a quart a week of 31.45%, so the 2 packs I bought a month ago will last the summer. I too just installed an SWCG so haven't looked for chlorine lately, but have seen palettes of it in various stores (generally at higher prices than past years although Ace had it for $2.50/gallon last month).

 

[SoCal_Pool_Owner]

I was just at my local Lowe's and they had pallets of both Kemtek Chlorine and Muriatic Acid 2-packs. They did mention that the chlorine shipment had just come in but I haven't seen/heard of a MA shortage.

 

[iadams]

I’m going through the same thing with liquid chlorine. Our Walmart stops getting more in and is sold out already (even with 3 months left in pool season). Ollies is another place I get it but they’re out. Home Depot and Lowe’s are the same. Everybody’s trying to find pucks and I assume they discovered liquid chlorine is an alternative. I may have to close the pool mid July if I can’t start sourcing chlorine.

I am in north central Maryland.

(Ace has it for almost $7/gal for 10% and Weis has it for about the same and it’s stored outside in the sun)

 

[PullJunkie]

Look for local chemical supply shops, they may have better stock then big box or pool stores. My local chemical place has 12.5% sodium hypo (liquid chlorine) in 1gal, 5gal, 15gal, 55gal and totes. I am sure they also have muriatic acid in similar quantities but I have not needed any yet and did not ask.

 

[markayash]

I can never find it in our home depot store so buy it online and they stick it in a locker.
It’s pool acid but not in the pool or paint section.

 

[AK-]

There are definitively issues with the supply chain.
Near me I only could find MA on an Ace about 20 miles away and they had a lot of it while all nearby Lowe’s and Homedepot stores are out.
Early in May LC was a bit difficult to find, with some store restring number of jugs, but now they seem available in most places. Again all nearby Lowe’s and Homedepot stores are out, but Walmart had a lot of fresh LC at a good price.
My local Leslie’s only have pre packaged cal-hypo shock.

 

[iadams]

So I’m getting desperate for liquid chlorine. I ended up driving around for 2 hours today. Walmarts all around are not carrying (not saying they’re out due to supply, I think they just quit ordering), Home Depot was a bust. I got 9 bottles at Lowe’s with a January date code that was stored outside for $4.28/gal (10%).
Really struggling to keep the pool open this year.

central Marylander here.

 

[markayash]

So I’m getting desperate for liquid chlorine. I ended up driving around for 2 hours today. Walmarts all around are not carrying (not saying they’re out due to supply, I think they just quit ordering), Home Depot was a bust. I got 9 bottles at Lowe’s with a January date code that was stored outside for $4.28/gal (10%).
Really struggling to keep the pool open this year.

central Marylander here.

Crazy, do you have a plaster our liner? If it’s plaster and your calcium isn’t too high can buy powdered “shock”. Just check the label and see if it’s Calcium based.
Might work until things get back to normal if ever

 

[magiteck]

So I’m getting desperate for liquid chlorine. I ended up driving around for 2 hours today. Walmarts all around are not carrying (not saying they’re out due to supply, I think they just quit ordering), Home Depot was a bust. I got 9 bottles at Lowe’s with a January date code that was stored outside for $4.28/gal (10%).
Really struggling to keep the pool open this year.

central Marylander here.

It’s ridiculous that you should need to do this, but worst case - Menards in Westover, WV appears to be about 3 hours from you and has over 2,000 gallons of 12.5% in stock.

A day trip, grab like 16-20 gallons or whatever you think you’ll need and be done fighting it for the season.

 

[Kellyp]

So I’m getting desperate for liquid chlorine. I ended up driving around for 2 hours today. Walmarts all around are not carrying (not saying they’re out due to supply, I think they just quit ordering), Home Depot was a bust. I got 9 bottles at Lowe’s with a January date code that was stored outside for $4.28/gal (10%).
Really struggling to keep the pool open this year.

central Marylander here.

Do you have Leslie's in MD? Chlorine is the only thing I buy there and it always seems to be in stock. Around here Lowes and Home Depot have plenty of astoundingly fresh chlorine.

 

[Pauls234]

I know this is no help to those dealing with shortages, but wow it seems to be so highly localized! Pool store near me has several paletts of LC with June production dates. $14 per box of 4, 12.5%.

I made a joke about the shortage when I saw that and they did say that the solid is hard to come by and when they get it, they limit 1 per customer.

When I moved into this house w a pool in 2012 I bought a huge bucket of pucks, then found TFP a week later and still have some left in that bucket. They are good to have around for vacation or late in season when I need a few ppm of cya, but maybe I should put them on ebay.

 

[Palpatine]

Not sure if anyone has suggested this... and I don't have this issue where I'm at, but why not flag down a local pool man who's servicing one of your neighbor's pools and offer them some cash to drop off some chlorine and acid. Maybe offer $5 a bottle for each and ask if they can deliver like 25 bottles per delivery. They're only paying like $2 a bottle and I'm sure would be happy to make the extra cash. Just a thought.

 

[BowserB]

The chlorine problem, like chlorine prices have been forever, a localized phenomenon. For whatever reason here in the Houston, Texas area we pay premium price for chlorine compared to the midwest and northeast. The shortage hit here pretty early, too. I think it could be under control except for panicking people to buy all they can see, exacerbating the shortage.

As to muriatic acid, I see it everywhere, and in fact a local place Texsun Pools had it on sale a couple weeks ago. And don't forget, muriatic acid is the same as hydrochloric acid, just with more impurities. Hydrochloric acid is a very common industrial product. I you can carry a 55 gallon drum, you could get it from any number of industrial chemical distributors. Some will even sell 5 gallon containers.

Re pucks. I'm not sure asking a pool route guy would work. A local pool company, Gartin Pool & Spa, sent an email to customers telling of the shortage and asking customers if they have some that their pool guy might ask to use them instead of providing his own.

 

[drummerman951]

I haven't heard about a muriatic acid shortage. The Home Depot nearest me has 182 2-gallon packs of 14.5% MA, and 109 2-gallon packs of 31.45%. And the pricing seems to be in line with past years ($10.98 for 2 gal of 14.5%, $12.98 for 2 gal of 31.45%). The Home Depots near you in Riverside don't seem to carry the 31.45%, but most seem to have 100+ packs of the 14.5% so that'd be my recommendation.

MA goes a long way for me; I use about a quart a week of 31.45%, so the 2 packs I bought a month ago will last the summer. I too just installed an SWCG so haven't looked for chlorine lately, but have seen palettes of it in various stores (generally at higher prices than past years although Ace had it for $2.50/gallon last month).

Good to know. I went to two local pool supply houses and Home Depot. No inventory here in Riverside, CA and no ETA on restock. Of course that was almost a week ago…. I found a supply house a little further away and got a case, because that was their limit. Hoping that this is just a blip but only time will tell. Thanks again.

 

[drummerman951]

I’m going through the same thing with liquid chlorine. Our Walmart stops getting more in and is sold out already (even with 3 months left in pool season). Ollies is another place I get it but they’re out. Home Depot and Lowe’s are the same. Everybody’s trying to find pucks and I assume they discovered liquid chlorine is an alternative. I may have to close the pool mid July if I can’t start sourcing chlorine.

I am in north central Maryland.

(Ace has it for almost $7/gal for 10% and Weis has it for about the same and it’s stored outside in the sun)

Thanks for the info! Hopefully not becoming a national shortage.

 

[mknauss]

No inventory here in Riverside, CA

Check for a HASA dealer in your area. @Richard320 has always mentioned he gets his chlorine and acid from local HASA dealers.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

I keep saying this- muriatic acid is used for cement work. Try contractor stores and paint stores.

Janitorial supply houses also sell liquid chlorine.

Did anyone try a Farm and Feed store??