Muriatic Acid and Confidence

[LaMraVrga]

I left 5 gallons of un-stabilized chlorine shock in my garage for 2 days now in in their closed containers but we have extreme heat here in Houston, TX. Is it still good? It's in the dark but it's hot in there. We are hitting about 95 degrees Fahrenheit here. Also, and I say this shamefully after reading the last two comments.... those 5 gallons are sitting right next to a new 1 gallon bottle of muriatic acid .

 

[Dirk]

I left 5 gallons of un-stabilized chlorine shock in my garage for 2 days now in in their closed containers but we have extreme heat here in Houston, TX. Is it still good? It's in the dark but it's hot in there. We are hitting about 95 degrees Fahrenheit here. Also, and I say this shamefully after reading the last two comments.... those 5 gallons are sitting right next to a new 1 gallon bottle of muriatic acid .

Well, we trust you've already moved the acid outside somewhere. Try for a shady spot, away from anything metal, but still out of reach of small children. Just to drive that last point home, imagine how much a gallon of acid looks like a gallon of lemonade! If you have small children running around, and all-plastic storage box that can be locked is one way to go.

Heat and sunlight degrade chlorine. There is no way of knowing how much yours has degraded, and while it's possible to test its condition (if you had the right test MO), the surest way is to just try it in your pool the next time your FC is low. Use Pool Math to determine how much your FC should rise with X amount of your shock added. Add that amount after the sun goes does, while the pump is running. An hour later test your water to see if the FC went up the expected amount. lf it did, your shock is OK. If not, you can "reverse engineer" the math to see what "strength" remains in your shock. If the FC didn't go up at all, then your shock is salt water (throw it out). This is assuming you don't have algae present in your pool water, otherwise the test is invalid.

You might need to store your chlorine elsewhere, or don't stock up on it anymore.

PS. Yet another reason we all love our SWGs. My chlorine just got made this morning, 100% fresh. Hey, it just happened again! And I didn't have to store it anywhere, nor lug it home from the store. Oops, there went another fresh batch right into the pool, while I was typing! Oh, and my chlorine was cheaper than your shock. Just sayin'...

 

[Newdude]

Oops, there went another fresh batch right into the pool, while I was typing!

I'm not even home and I haven't touched it since Saturday. And same.

 

[Dirk]

PPS. It probably didn't degrade all that much in two days, but here's another factor to consider. How was it stored where you bought it? How long has it been sitting in the store, and at what temperature? Was it also in 95° heat there? And for how many days/weeks/months? You might have mishandled it for only two days, but how long was it mishandled before it got to you? And if it was Lowes or Home Depot, chances are fair that it's been sitting in their hot garden department for a while.

If you test your chlorine and it's bad, or weak, that might have been the store, not your two day garage getaway...

 

[LaMraVrga]

PPS. It probably didn't degrade all that much in two days, but here's another factor to consider. How was it stored where you bought it? How long has it been sitting in the store, and at what temperature? Was it also in 95° heat there? And for how many days/weeks/months? You might have mishandled it for only two days, but how long was it mishandled before it got to you? And if it was Lowes or Home Depot, chances are fair that it's been sitting in their hot garden department for a while.

If you test your chlorine and it's bad, or weak, that might have been the store, not your two day garage getaway...

I got it from Pinch-a-Penny Pool Supply and it's two 2.5 refillable jugs. Never opened.

 

[LaMraVrga]

Well, we trust you've already moved the acid outside somewhere. Try for a shady spot, away from anything metal, but still out of reach of small children. Just to drive that last point home, imagine how much a gallon of acid looks like a gallon of lemonade! If you have small children running around, and all-plastic storage box that can be locked is one way to go.

Heat and sunlight degrade chlorine. There is no way of knowing how much yours has degraded, and while it's possible to test its condition (if you had the right test MO), the surest way is to just try it in your pool the next time your FC is low. Use Pool Math to determine how much your FC should rise with X amount of your shock added. Add that amount after the sun goes does, while the pump is running. An hour later test your water to see if the FC went up the expected amount. lf it did, your shock is OK. If not, you can "reverse engineer" the math to see what "strength" remains in your shock. If the FC didn't go up at all, then your shock is salt water (throw it out). This is assuming you don't have algae present in your pool water, otherwise the test is invalid.

You might need to store your chlorine elsewhere, or don't stock up on it anymore.

PS. Yet another reason we all love our SWGs. My chlorine just got made this morning, 100% fresh. Hey, it just happened again! And I didn't have to store it anywhere, nor lug it home from the store. Oops, there went another fresh batch right into the pool, while I was typing! Oh, and my chlorine was cheaper than your shock. Just sayin'...

Hey, after installing a salt generator system is it cheaper than a chlorine pool?

 

[TinFoilHat]

Yes, a SWG is cheaper than buying chlorine in the long run. Due to the upfront cost of putting SWG on a pool it's a long term investment but each year will get you a better return on that investment. Better, it allows you to not worry about forgetting to add chlorine, what strength the chlorine is, whether it has degraded, can you leave the pool for a few days unattended, etc. It runs when it's programmed to run and requires minimum maintenance of the salt cell. You get chlorine every time it runs, pending the pool being balanced. The drawback is that a new cell is needed every 5 years or so on top of the initial investment. It's a judgment call for you. I've had mine for 22 years so barring the occasional new salt cell and less often other parts repairs, it has more than paid off for me.

 

[Dirk]

^^^^ +1

 

[Dirk]

I got it from Pinch-a-Penny Pool Supply and it's two 2.5 refillable jugs. Never opened.

Some chlorine containers sport a date code that gives you an idea of the chlorine's age. But refillables don't even offer that. You really have no idea how old the chlorine is. This time of year, when stores are blowing through it, you have a good chance of getting fresh. Off season... who knows.

Hey, after installing a salt generator system is it cheaper than a chlorine pool?

Yes. Running a liquid chlorine pool and an SWG pool used to cost about the same for chlorine (over time). Now, with the increase in costs of chlorine, the SWG is an even better deal.

 

[Saturn94]

Metal, ugh. I learned that lesson the hard way.

Lol, you and me both!

Fortunately, since many years ago when I learned about keeping TA a bit lower (60-70), pH in our pool remains stable so I haven’t had to add MA in years.

 

[Actersabe]

hold my breath, open it and pour it into my measuring cup and then spread in the pool in front of me. Rinse the cup, cap the bottle and then walk into the wind before I breath again

I thought I was the only one using the hold-my-breath method.

I watched a crew resurface the plaster pool with diamond brite finish and it requires scrubbing/pouring muriatic acid. They had dozens of gallons flinging it all over the place. I think some of them had masks but I was still amazed it didn't affect them because I get one whiff of MA and I'm coughing like a freshman taking a bong hit.

OP: I usually wear disposable gloves and then use one had to pull the seal of the top and the other hand to cover the top so it catches/blocks any drops of acid. I've had drops hit me before and rinsed it off. nothing to panic over. For me, it's the fumes that get in my way the most. I used to take the MA jug, hold it over the pool, pour the MA into a red plastic solo cup to get about 12oz, then pour the solo cup into the pool. Now I do like pjt said and pour it directly into the pool and estimate it.

 

[RSay]

Beat me to it. I treat unopened jugs of acid the same as opened ones. I don't trust the seal, and have opened many jugs of acid to find the seal barely in place. As per my thread, I store acid in an all-plastic Suncast storage box, that I can lock if needed. They never go inside a building. And my storage box is as far away from anything metal I can put it.

By the way, DO NOT store acid and chlorine together. Their fumes can mix to form a dangerous gas. Acid can withstand the heat of the day without losing potency, and chlorine cannot. I keep chlorine in the garage, where it is cooler, and acid outside, where it is safest. This scheme keeps them safely apart.

Guess what I will be doing immediately when I get home? Taking the unopened bottle out of the garage storage area (where it's next to a container of chlorine tabs) and moving it outside. I guess I took the unopened seal on the jig for granted. I knew to keep the two separated and thought I was doing good with keeping the opened one away.

 

[Texas Splash]

I guess I took the unopened seal on the jig for granted.

I did that once. Once.

 

[Lineman7]

Thank you all!!! It appears Muriatic Acid may not have been what I envisioned. I saw visions of my skin being melted away to bone (think cartoons) or some great disfigurement. LOL.

I'm gonna peel that plastic piece off and pour!!! I still may get me some gloves to be safe LOL