Looking for some direction as far as adding chemicals. What to be cautious about etc...
Mask necessary when adding chlorine or shock?
- Thread starter ja123
- Start date
- May 3, 2014
- 58,711
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
ja,
Do you wear a mask when you do laundry? As long as you don't drink it, you will be fine..
Thanks,
Jim R.
Do you wear a mask when you do laundry? As long as you don't drink it, you will be fine..
Thanks,
Jim R.
Well... If asked, I will say to use PPE when handling chemicals..
I am a hypocrite..
I am a hypocrite..
When handling bleach/Liquid Chlorine, I DO recommend either some kind of a smock or apron, OR wearing some old painting clothes, etc..... certainly something that you wouldn’t mind ruining. I’ve recently lost quite a bit of weight, I saved several of my old t-shirts and instead of donating them am using them for bleach handling
If you are sensitive to fumes and they make you cough or gag, then wear a mask. If for some reason you are broadcasting granulated products into the pool, have the wind at your back. You probably won't have your face that close the the chemicals while pouring them into the pool.
Be upwind when pouring in MA. I hold my breath when opening the bottle, the fumes can be intense.
I don’t wear a mask.
Eye protection yes.
When filling acid tank, I try to hold my breath as I tip the bottle into tank. Fumes are annoying.
The 10% bleach is pretty strong stuff so I do recommend junk clothes when handling as inevitably a little will splash on you.
Eye protection yes.
When filling acid tank, I try to hold my breath as I tip the bottle into tank. Fumes are annoying.
The 10% bleach is pretty strong stuff so I do recommend junk clothes when handling as inevitably a little will splash on you.
I have never used any sort of PPE or old clothes while adding bleach. I have a handful of ruined shirts to prove that fact.
I use eye protection when adding acid. Technically they are not the correct eye protection (they are goggles, but not splashproof goggles)
I use eye protection when adding acid. Technically they are not the correct eye protection (they are goggles, but not splashproof goggles)
I only wear a dust mask when using Muratic Acid to protect from fumes when I go to lower the PH. Stuff will singe your nose hairs off and is not very healthy to get a whiff of.
If you add Muratic acid (liquid) to bring your PH down you typically will want a mask and rubber gloves and probably goggles to protect from splashes as it will burn you if you get it on your skin and is very harmful to inhale. I don't really use any safety gear for anything else.
Oh and never add water to the Acid always add the Acid to the water.
If you add Muratic acid (liquid) to bring your PH down you typically will want a mask and rubber gloves and probably goggles to protect from splashes as it will burn you if you get it on your skin and is very harmful to inhale. I don't really use any safety gear for anything else.
Oh and never add water to the Acid always add the Acid to the water.
I would always recommend wearing eye protection when handling chemicals and breathing protection when handling chemicals indoors or where there isn’t much air exchange. I too have several shirts and pants with white splatters. Now, do i follow my own recommendations? Unfortunately sometimes no. But a splash of chlorine or acid in the eye or breathing concentrated fumes could be quite damaging to your body.
Dust mask and goggles when handling DE you don’t want to breathe that stuff or get it in your eyes.
I prefer a hockey mask when adding chemicals. The neighbors don't come around much and never ask if they can swim.
In all seriousness, I just wear glasses when adding acid and a mask when handling DE.
- - - Updated - - -
I prefer a hockey mask when adding chemicals. The neighbors don't come around much and never ask if they can swim.
In all seriousness, I just wear glasses when adding acid and a mask when handling DE.
ETA: not sure why it duplicated my post....
In all seriousness, I just wear glasses when adding acid and a mask when handling DE.
- - - Updated - - -
I prefer a hockey mask when adding chemicals. The neighbors don't come around much and never ask if they can swim.
In all seriousness, I just wear glasses when adding acid and a mask when handling DE.
ETA: not sure why it duplicated my post....
Last edited:
So ... I kind of disagree with the mask / holding breath when dealing with the MA.
The nose is extremely sensitive to the acid and is an early warning sign to move out of the fumes. If you are holding your breath, and stay in the fumes for long enough, your eyes could actually be damaged. I feel like I recall a member who used some special mask to avoid the fumes and ended up with issues with their eyes. You need to use the proper PPE if you intend to stay in the fumes and that means a properly fitting full face mask. Alternatively, just staydown upwind.
I do agree that wearing some kind of eye protection is a good idea to avoid any accidental splashing.
Mask for DE is kind of over rated, IMO. I just hold my breath. The danger comes with near daily and prolonged exposure, which is not what occurs when dealing with our pools.
The nose is extremely sensitive to the acid and is an early warning sign to move out of the fumes. If you are holding your breath, and stay in the fumes for long enough, your eyes could actually be damaged. I feel like I recall a member who used some special mask to avoid the fumes and ended up with issues with their eyes. You need to use the proper PPE if you intend to stay in the fumes and that means a properly fitting full face mask. Alternatively, just stay
I do agree that wearing some kind of eye protection is a good idea to avoid any accidental splashing.
Mask for DE is kind of over rated, IMO. I just hold my breath. The danger comes with near daily and prolonged exposure, which is not what occurs when dealing with our pools.
- Feb 6, 2015
- 6,235
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Jason, I believe you meant to say "... just stay upwind".
Oh look, you're about to hit 40,000 posts
So for once, I can offer some help back to this board. I am a certified Industrial Hygienist. I hope this helps.
When working with standard bleach products that you will put in your pool you will not need a respirator. In fact, most people would wear a filtering facepiece respirator, or dust mask, which unfortunately is useless when trying to protect yourself from chlorine or muriatic acid (MA) vapor. Pouring these chemicals away from your body and staying upwind (although if no wind then this doesn't help) should be enough for you to get the job done before any kind of significant exposure and or symptoms.
If you were to go to a cartridge type elastomeric tight-fitting respirator (3m, North, Scott) then you would want the correct cartridges. Make sure the cartridge says CL2 and Acid gas. This will protect from both of those. A full-face respirator would protect your eyes as well. You can also use it for Haloween!
One of the side effects of wearing a tight-fitting elastomeric respirator is that it will cause stress on your respiratory system. This can trigger asthma or other health issues. I suggest you talk to your family physician before wearing these for any kind of serious time. Dust masks on the other hand (non N95 or better) will keep grass out of your nose and that is about it.
For MA I highly suggest that you get a hold of the SDS for each individual chemical and look at the personal protective equipment recommendations when handling that chemical. I know that sounds like a "non-helpful solution" but at the end of the day there are many different concentrations out there and I am not sure what you are working with. However, protective foot gear (no open-toed shoes) and protective gloves will minimize most contact with something like this when you are pouring it into your pool. The benefit of pool ownership is when it comes to first aid, if you do spill it on you a little or a lot, take a swim and get it off your skin.
Please always remember to pour these into the water and not water into these chemicals. A large amount of heat is released when strong acids like sulfuric acid and HCl are mixed with water. First, adding more acid releases more heat, as it is exothermic. What can happen is If you add water to acid it forms an extremely concentrated solution of acid initially. So much heat is released (an exothermic reaction) that the solution may boil very violently, splashing concentrated acid out of the container. Adding acid to water, the solution that forms is very dilute and the small amount of heat released is not enough to cause the above effect. So it is always safer to add acid to water, and not water to acid.
If you haven't had enough of my wall of text here are a few portions of the SDS for MA 20 DEG.
Product Identifier: MURIATIC ACID 20 DEG.
Other Identifiers: Hydrochloric Acid; Hydrogen Chloride
CAS Number: MIXTURE
Recommended Use: Acidification (activation) of petroleum wells, scale removal,ore reduction, metal cleaning, industrial acidification.
Individual Protection Measures: Eye/Face Protection: Wear chemical safety goggles and a full face shield while handling this product. Do not wear contact lenses.
Skin Protection: Prevent contact with this product. Wear gloves and protective clothing depending on the condition of use.
Protective gloves: Acid-proof. Gauntlet-type. Neoprene. Polyvinyl chloride. Butyl rubber. Nitrile. Teflon (R). Responder (R). Viton (R).
4. FIRST-AID MEASURES Description of Necessary Measures:
Eye Contact: If in eyes: Immediately flush eyes with plenty of water for at least 15 minutes while holding eyelids open. Tilt head to avoid contaminating unaffected eye. Get immediate medical attention. Do not attempt to neutralize with chemical agents.
Skin Contact: If on skin: Immediately flush skin with plenty of water for at least 15 minutes while removing contaminated clothing and shoes. Get medical attention immediately. Do not apply oils or ointments unless ordered by the physician.
Inhalation: If inhaled: Remove to fresh air. If breathing is difficult, administer oxygen. If not breathing, give artificial respiration, preferably mouth-to-mouth. GET MEDICAL ATTENTION IMMEDIATELY.
Ingestion: If swallowed: If fully conscious, drink a quart of water. DO NOT induce vomiting. CALL A PHYSICIAN IMMEDIATELY. If unconscious or in convulsions, take immediately to a hospital or a physician. NEVER induce vomiting or give anything by mouth to an unconscious victim. If vomiting occurs spontaneously, keep head below hips to prevent aspiration of liquid into the lungs.
Most Important Symptoms/Effects, Acute and Delayed:
Eye Contact: CORROSIVE-Causes severe irritation and burns. Liquid or vapor may cause: severe irritation. pain. redness. watering. corneal opacity. burns. tissue destruction. permanent eye damage. blindness.
Skin Contact: CORROSIVE-Causes severe irritation and burns. Causes: pain. redness. blistering. swelling. skin damage. scarring. permanent skin damage. death. Mists may cause: irritation. burns. Skin Absorption: No absorption hazard expected under normal use. Lessexposuremaycause: dermatitis and photosensitization. Usually penetrates the full thickness of the skin.
Inhalation: CORROSIVE-Causes severe irritation and burns. Harmful or fatal if inhaled. Vapors or mists irritate or burn the: nose. throat. upper respiratory tract. May cause: respiratory irritation. bleeding of the nose and gums. sore throat. coughing. choking. laryngeal spasms. difficulty breathing. shortness of breath. pulmonary edema. Prolonged exposure may cause: burns and ulcers to the nose and throat. Symptoms of exposure may be delayed by several hours.
Ingestion: CORROSIVE-Causes severe irritation and burns. Harmful or fatal if swallowed. Causes burns of the: mouth. throat. esophagus. stomach. Symptoms may include: difficulty swallowing. intense thirst. nausea. vomiting. diarrhea. stomach pain. circulatory collapse. Severe exposures may cause: collapse. death. Aspiration can result in severe lung damage or death. Indication of Immediate Medical Attention and Special Treatment Needed: There is no specific antidote. Treatment of overexposure should be directed at the control of symptoms and the clinical condition of the patient.
When working with standard bleach products that you will put in your pool you will not need a respirator. In fact, most people would wear a filtering facepiece respirator, or dust mask, which unfortunately is useless when trying to protect yourself from chlorine or muriatic acid (MA) vapor. Pouring these chemicals away from your body and staying upwind (although if no wind then this doesn't help) should be enough for you to get the job done before any kind of significant exposure and or symptoms.
If you were to go to a cartridge type elastomeric tight-fitting respirator (3m, North, Scott) then you would want the correct cartridges. Make sure the cartridge says CL2 and Acid gas. This will protect from both of those. A full-face respirator would protect your eyes as well. You can also use it for Haloween!
One of the side effects of wearing a tight-fitting elastomeric respirator is that it will cause stress on your respiratory system. This can trigger asthma or other health issues. I suggest you talk to your family physician before wearing these for any kind of serious time. Dust masks on the other hand (non N95 or better) will keep grass out of your nose and that is about it.
For MA I highly suggest that you get a hold of the SDS for each individual chemical and look at the personal protective equipment recommendations when handling that chemical. I know that sounds like a "non-helpful solution" but at the end of the day there are many different concentrations out there and I am not sure what you are working with. However, protective foot gear (no open-toed shoes) and protective gloves will minimize most contact with something like this when you are pouring it into your pool. The benefit of pool ownership is when it comes to first aid, if you do spill it on you a little or a lot, take a swim and get it off your skin.
Please always remember to pour these into the water and not water into these chemicals. A large amount of heat is released when strong acids like sulfuric acid and HCl are mixed with water. First, adding more acid releases more heat, as it is exothermic. What can happen is If you add water to acid it forms an extremely concentrated solution of acid initially. So much heat is released (an exothermic reaction) that the solution may boil very violently, splashing concentrated acid out of the container. Adding acid to water, the solution that forms is very dilute and the small amount of heat released is not enough to cause the above effect. So it is always safer to add acid to water, and not water to acid.
If you haven't had enough of my wall of text here are a few portions of the SDS for MA 20 DEG.
Product Identifier: MURIATIC ACID 20 DEG.
Other Identifiers: Hydrochloric Acid; Hydrogen Chloride
CAS Number: MIXTURE
Recommended Use: Acidification (activation) of petroleum wells, scale removal,ore reduction, metal cleaning, industrial acidification.
Individual Protection Measures: Eye/Face Protection: Wear chemical safety goggles and a full face shield while handling this product. Do not wear contact lenses.
Skin Protection: Prevent contact with this product. Wear gloves and protective clothing depending on the condition of use.
Protective gloves: Acid-proof. Gauntlet-type. Neoprene. Polyvinyl chloride. Butyl rubber. Nitrile. Teflon (R). Responder (R). Viton (R).
4. FIRST-AID MEASURES Description of Necessary Measures:
Eye Contact: If in eyes: Immediately flush eyes with plenty of water for at least 15 minutes while holding eyelids open. Tilt head to avoid contaminating unaffected eye. Get immediate medical attention. Do not attempt to neutralize with chemical agents.
Skin Contact: If on skin: Immediately flush skin with plenty of water for at least 15 minutes while removing contaminated clothing and shoes. Get medical attention immediately. Do not apply oils or ointments unless ordered by the physician.
Inhalation: If inhaled: Remove to fresh air. If breathing is difficult, administer oxygen. If not breathing, give artificial respiration, preferably mouth-to-mouth. GET MEDICAL ATTENTION IMMEDIATELY.
Ingestion: If swallowed: If fully conscious, drink a quart of water. DO NOT induce vomiting. CALL A PHYSICIAN IMMEDIATELY. If unconscious or in convulsions, take immediately to a hospital or a physician. NEVER induce vomiting or give anything by mouth to an unconscious victim. If vomiting occurs spontaneously, keep head below hips to prevent aspiration of liquid into the lungs.
Most Important Symptoms/Effects, Acute and Delayed:
Eye Contact: CORROSIVE-Causes severe irritation and burns. Liquid or vapor may cause: severe irritation. pain. redness. watering. corneal opacity. burns. tissue destruction. permanent eye damage. blindness.
Skin Contact: CORROSIVE-Causes severe irritation and burns. Causes: pain. redness. blistering. swelling. skin damage. scarring. permanent skin damage. death. Mists may cause: irritation. burns. Skin Absorption: No absorption hazard expected under normal use. Lessexposuremaycause: dermatitis and photosensitization. Usually penetrates the full thickness of the skin.
Inhalation: CORROSIVE-Causes severe irritation and burns. Harmful or fatal if inhaled. Vapors or mists irritate or burn the: nose. throat. upper respiratory tract. May cause: respiratory irritation. bleeding of the nose and gums. sore throat. coughing. choking. laryngeal spasms. difficulty breathing. shortness of breath. pulmonary edema. Prolonged exposure may cause: burns and ulcers to the nose and throat. Symptoms of exposure may be delayed by several hours.
Ingestion: CORROSIVE-Causes severe irritation and burns. Harmful or fatal if swallowed. Causes burns of the: mouth. throat. esophagus. stomach. Symptoms may include: difficulty swallowing. intense thirst. nausea. vomiting. diarrhea. stomach pain. circulatory collapse. Severe exposures may cause: collapse. death. Aspiration can result in severe lung damage or death. Indication of Immediate Medical Attention and Special Treatment Needed: There is no specific antidote. Treatment of overexposure should be directed at the control of symptoms and the clinical condition of the patient.
An OSHA speaker once said something to the point of, if you wouldn’t pour it on a baby wear PPE.
McKinney—thanks so much for taking the time to educate us all!
I also like the baby comment...It hits home.
I also like the baby comment...It hits home.
- Nov 12, 2017
- 11,929
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Ha, my high school chem teacher's was "Acid inta watta, 'cause that's the way ya oughta!"
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