Do I need to worry about sulfates?

[ajw22]

Since you seem to be very worried about it, you could easily just wear some inexpensive & widley available PPE to protect against spilling MA on yourself. A pair of rubber gloves, safety glasses or shield, Done.

I suggest you read about wearing PPE at Chemical Storage and Safety - Further Reading

 

[Rich807]

I specifically didn’t mention or recommend he wear a respirator, which is the main culprit in the example referenced in the TFP page of a specific ppe item that can cause more problem than protect against when untrained people employ them.

I’m in an industrial setting at my job. Improper respirator selection, lack of basic training with them, &/or lack of being fit-tested are all too common safety issues surrounding respirator use.

 

[ajw22]

I specifically didn’t mention or recommend he wear a respirator, which is the main culprit in the example referenced in the TFP page of a specific ppe item that can cause more problem than protect against when untrained people employ them.

I’m in an industrial setting at my job. Improper respirator selection, lack of basic training with them, &/or lack of being fit-tested are all too common safety issues surrounding respirator use.

Just want to make sure the OP does not get carried away with PPE.

 

[Mdragger88]

I understand. Tough choice. Do I want to risk getting sulfates in my salt cell, or risk getting hydrochloric acid on my hands.

In your size pool you will likely be using larger amounts at a time (say roughly a 1/4 of the gallon) so u can do as others here do - this way you handle the acid as little as possible. Wearing glasses is sufficient ppe.
Example:
mark your new jug in 1/4 gal increments (aka quarts),
when dosing don’t open the jug until u are at the pool edge (you can “float” the jug to help with control if it’s full),
pour roughly the desired amount of acid slowly in front of the return with your self upwind,
recap the bottle,
rinse the outside of the bottle w/ pool water & hands if necessary.
Place container back in proper storage.
As stated previously- it rinses quite easily from your skin. Letting it dwell would obviously be a problem.
I don’t need to adjust my pool’s ph very often either so the 2 pack lasts me forever.
For my spa i have to use it more frequently & in tiny quantities so i have a small adjustable plastic measuring spoon - i hold the ma bottle over the spa w/ my right hand, pour into the spoon that’s in my left hand, rinse the spoon & set it aside, re cap the bottle & rinse it off with spa water. The bottle is never open over my body or pool deck, rail etc. This way if there’s a spill it’s in the pool/spa.

 

[EnoughToBeDangerous]

So you guys prefer to do this than risk sulfates? I'm not saying I cannot do it, or that I'm afraid to do it. But adding muriatic means:

-Buy and safely store muriatic acid.
-Buy and store safety gear.
-Get someone to supervise kids while using the muriatic acid, as I can't risk them coming near me.
-Some sources suggest diluting multiple 5 gallon buckets before adding it.
-Safely dispose of used containers or unwanted acid that could hurt somebody.
-Properly clean and remove safety gear.
-Be prepared to deal with spills that could etch the patio.

That compared to grabbing the dry acid from my shed and putting a couple scoops in the deep end.

 

[ajw22]

-Some sources suggest diluting multiple 5 gallon buckets before adding it.

That is not what TFP recommends. We recommend handling MA as little as possible. Pour it directly from the jug into the pool estimating the amount.

-Safely dispose of used containers or unwanted acid that could hurt somebody.

Dispose of an empty container in your plastic recycle. You can dunk the empty container in the pool and rinse it out with pool water if you want.

Why would you have unwanted acid? Pour it in your pool.

In my view handling MA is no more hazardous then handling liquid chlorine or other pool chemicals.

Dry acid is still acid. Spill it on your patio without realizing it and cleaning it up and it can etch your patio.

You need to follow safe handling practices for MA. Uncap the jug by the edge of the pool. Pour it directly into the water. Then put the cap back on the jug. If you do it that way there is only the pool water where the acid can end up.

Don't take any steps with an open jug of acid.

Don't transfer the acid into cups or dilute it.

 

[Mdragger88]

So you guys prefer to do this than risk sulfates? I'm not saying I cannot do it, or that I'm afraid to do it. But adding muriatic means:

-Buy and safely store muriatic acid. You would/should do this with dry acid as well as other pool chems anyway = acids & chlorine should always be stored separately.
-Buy and store safety gear. Most people already wear sunglasses when working on their pool. Gloves aren’t necessary.
-Get someone to supervise kids while using the muriatic acid, as I can't risk them coming near me. This is somewhat overkill but could be said of all pool chemicals- even dry acid.
-Some sources suggest diluting multiple 5 gallon buckets before adding it. Just NO
-Safely dispose of used containers or unwanted acid that could hurt somebody. This also applies to all/most pool chemicals. Safe disposal entails rinsing the container & putting it in the trash or recycling.
-Properly clean and remove safety gear. Its not ebola - its a viscous acidic liquid w/ the possibility of some fumes that’s not super splashy if poured slowly. If it gets on your shades rinse them in the pool.
-Be prepared to deal with spills that could etch the patio.
Also could be said of other pool chems. Rinsing spills immediately with water should suffice.
That compared to grabbing the dry acid from my shed and putting a couple scoops in the deep end. You should do all that’s listed above w/ dry acid as well if safety is a concern. (Minus the dilution of course - don’t dilute either one)

 

[Rich807]

So you guys prefer to do this than risk sulfates?

That's an emphatic *YES*/ No-Brainer.

 

[EnoughToBeDangerous]

I guess I'll have to get some mad science gear. Luckily my pH tends to run on the low side, so I'm not adding too much acid, but obviously when you need it you need it. Thanks!