Mutraic acid or Dry Acid

[DjGill]

I’ve been adding Dry Acid to lower my pH, which has been minimally effective. I need to lower it more, but is it ok to switch to muriatic acid at this point? I of course would apply with all proper precautions.

 

[tim5055]

I’ve been adding Dry Acid to lower my pH, which has been minimally effective. I need to lower it more, but is it ok to switch to muriatic acid at this point? I of course would apply with all proper precautions.

Yes, you can switch without problems. We actually prefer muratic acid over dry acid as dry acid add sulfides to teh water which can build up over time.

Recommended Pool Chemicals

Which should I buy? TFP's recommended pool chemicals are cheap, easy, and won't unbalance your pool water.

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[setsailsoon]

I've used MA for years. I get the 2 gal packages at HD or Lowes for about $11. Just do be careful with it. Make sure you hold it down wind and wear protective eye wear.

Chris

 

[Justdrew424]

I've used MA for years. I get the 2 gal packages at HD or Lowes for about $11. Just do be careful with it. Make sure you hold it down wind and wear protective eye wear.

Chris

Just note that the acid sold at Lowes or Home Depot is 14.5% and the acid from your pool store is 29%. You can find 32% in some “pro” pool stores. The cost for the 29% runs about $16 so much better value than big box. I get a 4 pack of 29% from Leslies for $30. This in Vegas.

 

[setsailsoon]

Just note that the acid sold at Lowes or Home Depot is 14.5% and the acid from your pool store is 29%. You can find 32% in some “pro” pool stores. The cost for the 29% runs about $16 so much better value than big box. I get a 4 pack of 29% from Leslies for $30. This in Vegas.

Depends on what store you go to and where you live.. Mine has 31.45% at $11 for two gallons. I've been buying this for over 6 years at the same two big box stores. Pool stores in my area carry it also and a much higher price last time i checked.

 

[Newdude]

And any of the ‘Green / Eco’ or ‘low fume’ jugs are just watered down yet still full price.

 

[thefloatqueen]

MA is preferred on TFP but I use dry acid since I’m afraid of MA lol. This is my second season and no problems with it at all other than it costs a bit more. Keeping my TA in the 60-70 range helps keep my pH in check so I don’t have to add the pH Down very often at all. Maybe once a week. But since it’s not helping you, I would try the muriatic acid route.

 

[Kellyp]

Hey floatqueen, I was afraid of muriatic acid too when I first joined tfp. I was afraid of the fumes, yet didn't want to be adding sulfates. After much resistance, I found it wasn't nearly as bad as I feared. I wait for a calm day, then just hold my breath while I pour. Floating the bottle keeps it steady for pouring. No splashes and no problem with fumes. Do wear rubber gloves and goggles!

 

[Donldson]

Gloves are unnecessary, muriatic acid is surprisingly nonreactive to skin. It could actually sit on the skin for several minutes without causing any lasting damage, however since you will be next to water this should never be the case. I would agree eye protection is a good idea, but not sealing goggles. Glasses or sunglasses are enough to protect the eyes from an errant drop splashing, but keeping the air flow around your eyes is a good thing. First, if there are fumes then any stinging will be an early warning. Second, if you are using water goggles then they need water pressure to hold them shut. With an ill fitting pair of goggles one could actually trap MA fumes inside the goggles, causing far more exposure than otherwise would be.

MA is much more bark than bite. It isn't nearly as dangerous to organic matter as its pH and fuming would have you believe. Now sulfuric acid (which some pool stores quizzically push instead of MA), that stuff can be nasty. Don't treat MA as a non-issue by any means, but we casually work with more dangerous substances every day. A little respect for all pool chemicals goes a long way.

Except baking soda. Baking soda is fine.

 

[Rattus Suffocatus]

MA is preferred on TFP but I use dry acid since I’m afraid of MA lol. This is my second season and no problems with it at all other than it costs a bit more. Keeping my TA in the 60-70 range helps keep my pH in check so I don’t have to add the pH Down very often at all. Maybe once a week. But since it’s not helping you, I would try the muriatic acid route.

Try the 14.5% stuff. I accidentally picked up two gallons of it, and it seems much more benign, especially with fumes. I think I am going to stock both going forward because it's much more reasonable for use in my detached hot tub. In that, you add teaspoons at a time, and having it at half strength is actually a bonus. It does work in the pool but you have to add twice as much of course.

But even though it's probably double the cost per percentage of HCl, it's still relatively cheap, $4.50 a gallon or so.

 

[Kellyp]

Thank you Donaldson, non reactive to skin is new info for me and good to know. I actually wear a lightweight pair of safety glasses, not goggles.

 

[Newdude]

But even though it's probably double the cost per percentage of HCl, it's still relatively cheap, $4.50 a gallon or so.

Ours is $10 each here. They sell the watered down stuff as low fume and green/eco. I guess that justifies it to the masses.

 

[geko29]

Just note that the acid sold at Lowes or Home Depot is 14.5% and the acid from your pool store is 29%. You can find 32% in some “pro” pool stores. The cost for the 29% runs about $16 so much better value than big box. I get a 4 pack of 29% from Leslies for $30. This in Vegas.

Must be a Nevada thing. Here in the midwest:

Home Depot: HDX Muriatic Acid Balancer (Brown box), 31.45% Hydrogen Chloride, 2 Gallon for $11
Home Depot: HDX Muriatic Acid (White box), 31.45% Hydrogen Chloride, 2 Gallon for $11
Menards: Sunnyside Muriatic Acid, 31% Hydrogen Chloride, $3.55/gallon on sale, regularly $3.99/gallon
Lowes: Jasco Muriatic Acid (Blue label), 31.45% Hydrogen Chloride, $10/gallon

If I look for stock of the two HDX products in the LV area, Home Depot directs me to a store in Bullhead, AZ. Probably some weird state law or regulation.

 

[Rattus Suffocatus]

Must be a Nevada thing. Here in the midwest:

Home Depot: HDX Muriatic Acid Balancer (Brown box), 31.45% Hydrogen Chloride, 2 Gallon for $11
Home Depot: HDX Muriatic Acid (White box), 31.45% Hydrogen Chloride, 2 Gallon for $11
Menards: Sunnyside Muriatic Acid, 31% Hydrogen Chloride, $3.55/gallon on sale, regularly $3.99/gallon
Lowes: Jasco Muriatic Acid (Blue label), 31.45% Hydrogen Chloride, $10/gallon

If I look for stock of the two HDX products in the LV area, Home Depot directs me to a store in Bullhead, AZ. Probably some weird state law or regulation.

Being from ... well Elk Grove, IL (talking about Schaumberg) originally as a child... I do realize that there are some big differences in the use of Muriatic acid between here and the Midwest. It the Midwest probably 90% of it is used for cleaning concrete and rust off of things. You usually bought it in onesies there. For that you REALLY want the 31% acid. Here it's very hard to find onesies here and it's mostly used for pools, pro bably 90% of the time! It's funny that when you do find single bottles they are about $1 less than buying two here...

Here since the use is mostly pools, they are trying hard to pass off the 14% stuff. You can find the good stuff.. but for example at Lowe's I figured out that the 2-packs of the 31% were about $13 versus $9 for the 14% and they had both but only the weak stuff was outside with the rest of the pool stuff.

They had one gallons of 31% for $11 there in the paint area. So it's odd. It is a "pool" thing here and I don't think it really was in the Midwest.

 

[JW1]

I bought one gallon of Sunnyside muriatic acid from Menards for $3.99. When I opened it I did not see the smoke/fog come out of the container. It is 31.45 and I thought I would try this instead of making a trip to the pool store.

 

[Rattus Suffocatus]

Sunnyside is usually good stuff. I can't get it here in the Southwest, but I am sure what you got was as described, and I'd love to find it for that price, I'd probably buy 6 of them. I suppose I miss Menards, but hearing about how they handled the current situation from friends back at home, I don't miss them as much as I did.

 

[JW1]

This is my first summer with the pool. Last fall I bought some muriatic acid and LC from the pool store after my install. Spent all winter reading the forums and so far have I bought everything at Menards. I make sure to check those dates on the LC. Just bought some last week that was dated July 3rd. It is 12.5 and $3.99 a gallon.

 

[Rattus Suffocatus]

You don't know how much you actually liked Menards (matter of fact you use to think it was a chore to go there) until you are forced to go to all three places instead when you don't have one: Lowe's, Home Depot and Ace. I could almost always do a project just at Menards -- rarely I'd have to hit an Ace or True Value for some hardware, but even that got a lot better in the last couple of years at Menards before I left. The closest one to me now is in Wyoming, like 700 miles away...

And yeah, at least 10% better prices over all.

 

[Newdude]

Lowe’s had the Unions for my pool equipment but not the o-ring. ‘Just go buy that part somewhere else’ the guy said. No buddy. How about I go buy the whole thing in one place and stop coming here for half my project.

 

[Rattus Suffocatus]

I honestly just plan on going to all three places now for a big project, or two for any project.... Home Depot is a little better than Lowe's but for some reason I hate them more....maybe because they are more expensive...