Too much muriatic acid

[Jmay905]

I have a 1 month old gunite pool 18,000 gal. Took water to the pool store for the first time and the ph was high 8.5. Alkalinity high at 220 ppm. They told me to start with 2 gal of muriatic acid (20%). I slowly added the first galling to the deep end then something just didn’t feel right. After some research I see that was way too much. Did I ruin my pool water? I have the pump and water features running.

 

[wgipe]

Welcome to TFP! IF that testing is to be trusted (and that is a BIG if), 128 oz of 29% muriatic acid should drop you from 8.4 to around 7.3 if TA is 220. For comparison, if TA was at 90, it would only take 53 oz of acid to get to 7.3.

Do yourself a solid and order a real test kit - either the TF-100 (what I have) from tftestkits.com or a Taylor K2006C. I’m 4 months into our new pool and this method has been an absolute breeze. So far, I’ve spent only about $40 on chemicals total this year, and my water has been crystal clear since it was filled.

any other questions, just ask. You’re in the right place as long as you stay out of the pool store…

Wes

 

[Mdragger88]

That likely lowered your ph to about 7.1 if their ph results can be trusted. Which should be ok & it will come back up since your alkalinity is so high. Never lower ph below 7. Your instincts were right.
You need your own test kit so u can have your own accurate, repeatable results to follow the Recommended Levels & ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry
see—- Test Kits Compared
& use PoolMath for calculating additions.

here’s how u lower alkalinity safely

Lower Total Alkalinity

A lower Total Alkalinity level can help a pool owner stabalize their pH increase. We'll explain how to lower TA with a little help from muriatic acid.

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[PoolStored]

Jmay905. Welcome to TFP.

It may help to start here -->ABCs of Pool Water Chemistry

Also, we recommend that you don't use pool store testing. It is inconsistent and many times inaccurate. You can read the right test kits to get here -->Test Kits Compared Evaluate them, then get one.

Also, we have Pool Math (app for your phone). You can enter all your test results and it will make specific recommendations! --> PoolMath

As for you MA addition, to give you an idea of the impact of a gallon, we need to be more specific with the MA. is it 20 degree BAUME acid...or is it 20% muriatic (I'm guessing 20%). Can you tell from the jug?

 

[wgipe]

I have a 1 month old gunite pool 18,000 gal. Took water to the pool store for the first time and the ph was high 8.5. Alkalinity high at 220 ppm. They told me to start with 2 gal of muriatic acid (20%). I slowly added the first galling to the deep end then something just didn’t feel right. After some research I see that was way too much. Did I ruin my pool water? I have the pump and water features running.

Also - just noticed you reference 20% muriatic acid - that is not a typical strength. I assumed you meant 29% in my response above.

 

[cowboycasey]

Welcome to TFP

Next time pour in front of a return.. The gallon may or may not have been too much.. Pool stores are almost always off or completely wrong to say the least.. Please get a good Test Kits Compared and take control of your pool.. It really is easy and after a week of testing you will love all this

 

[Sancya]

Did you test the pH after adding it? I'm guessing you should be around 6.8? You didn't ruin it, but you will want it to come up to a 7 or so before swimming. Keep running those water features, aeration will raise the pH. In the future, calculate how much acid you need to drop the pH to around 7.2 and use aeration to raise it again, then repeat. It will gradually lower your alkalinity. It will probably take several weeks of repeating that process to get it down.

 

[Jmay905]

Welcome to TFP! IF that testing is to be trusted (and that is a BIG if), 128 oz of 29% muriatic acid should drop you from 8.4 to around 7.3 if TA is 220. For comparison, if TA was at 90, it would only take 53 oz of acid to get to 7.3.

Do yourself a solid and order a real test kit - either the TF-100 (what I have) from RD tests it’s.com or a Taylor K2006C. I’m 4 months into our new pool and this method has been an absolute breeze. So far, I’ve spent only about $40 on chemicals total this year, and my water has been crystal clear since it was filled.

any other questions, just ask. You’re in the right place as long as you stay out of the pool store…

Wes

My head is spinning! I’ve made so many mistakes so far. Yes I was just looking at those test kits. Definitely ordering!

 

[PoolStored]

Also - just noticed you reference 20% muriatic acid - that is not a typical strength. I assumed you meant 29% in my response above.

wgipe,

I have found many of the more readily available MAs (tractor supply, hardware store etc.) are in fact 20%.

 

[Jmay905]

Also - just noticed you reference 20% muriatic acid - that is not a typical strength. I assumed you meant 29% in my response above.

It definitely said 20%. I remember because I compared it to what our builder gave us was 31%

 

[wgipe]

wgipe,

I have found many of the more readily available MA (tractor supply, hardware store etc.) are in fact 20%.

Huh. I stand corrected. I’ve always seen either 29% and 20degree / 31.45% around here. Thanks for pointing that out.

 

[Jmay905]

Welcome to TFP

Next time pour in front of a return.. The gallon may or may not have been too much.. Pool stores are almost always off or completely wrong to say the least.. Please get a good Test Kits Compared and take control of your pool.. It really is easy and after a week of testing you will love all this

I’m on it with the test kit! Well it’s relieving that it may not be too much. A quick google search told me 1/4 gallon

 

[PoolStored]

So you are fine, as others have indicated, you are likely in the 7.2 to 7.4 range. Order the test kit. Read Pool School.

From one new pool owner to another. Stop going to the pool store. Stop googling. I'm telling you all you need is here in the forums, pool school and the WIKI. The people here are great and all the advise is based on solid science.

What are you using for Chlorine?

 

[wgipe]

My head is spinning! I’ve made so many mistakes so far. Yes I was just looking at those test kits. Definitely ordering!

Hang in there. I was terrified of doing something wrong at first also. Turns out things are a lot more forgiving than I thought they were as long as you’re testing on a regular frequency and doing what PoolMath tells you to do. It’s a little overwhelming at first, but you quickly get the hang of it. Only takes me about 5 minutes every other day now.

 

[Jmay905]

Hang in there. I was terrified of doing something wrong at first also. Turns out things are a lot more forgiving than I thought they were as long as you’re testing on a regular frequency and doing what PoolMath tells you to do. It’s a little overwhelming at first, but you quickly get the hang of it. Only takes me about 5 minutes every other day now.

I don’t even know what pool math is yet

 

[wgipe]

I don’t even know what pool math is yet

Oops - sorry! Just search for it in the App Store. There is both an Android and iOS version. There is also a web version, but I’ve always used my phone. It is super easy to use and after you tell it the volume of your pool, etc. it tells you the target levels and what to add to adjust where needed. There is a free version, but you’ll want to pay the $7/yr so it will store your logs for you.

Here’s a link to the apps: PoolMath - Trouble Free Pool

 

[Jmay905]

Oops - sorry! Just search for it in the App Store. There is both an Android and iOS version. There is also a web version, but I’ve always used my phone. It is super easy to use and after you tell it the volume of your pool, etc. it tells you the target levels and what to add to adjust where needed. There is a free version, but you’ll want to pay the $7/yr so it will store your logs for you.

I already had the app! I must have downloaded while we were building. I was just playing with it. What a great tool. Thanks for the $7 tip!

 

[wgipe]

I already had the app! I must have downloaded while we were building. I was just playing with it. What a great tool. Thanks for the $7 tip!

Great! There’s also a feature where you can put in your TFP login info and it will link to your profile so the smart guys on here can see your logs when you have questions. Pretty cool.

 

[Mike1162]

You should be able to get the Taylor K1000 OTO/Phenol Red test at Leslie's. With new plaster I'd want to check PH as soon as possible.

 

[Jmay905]

So you are fine, as others have indicated, you are likely in the 7.2 to 7.4 range. Order the test kit. Read Pool School.

From one new pool owner to another. Stop going to the pool store. Stop googling. I'm telling you all you need is here in the forums, pool school and the WIKI. The people here are great and all the advise is based on solid science.

What are you using for Chlorine?

Thanks! I already don’t like the pool store after just 1 trip! We’re on salt. Which is why I went to to pool store. My strips were saying I’m not generating any chlorine and I wanted to get it in order for the weekend. Totally getting a good test kit