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| − | =Pool Chemical Safety=
| + | See [[Chemical Storage and Safety]] |
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| − | Pool Chemicals are sold in many different types of stores. They look like they are as safe as any other household product. However, pool chemicals can be dangerous if not properly handled or stored.
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| − | ==Safe Pool Chemical Handling==
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| − | Never mix different chemicals together.
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| − | Mixing different chemicals can create very dangerous, toxic and explosive results.
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| − | Mixing calcium hypochlorite with anything is one of the most dangerous types of mixtures.
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| − | Even when you think that the chemicals are the same, it's better to add them separately just to be safe.
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| − | Unless something comes from the same container, it should be kept separate from anything else. A downfall of changing containers is you may know what’s what, but if anybody else grabs a jug/box it may not be what they think it is. Be it your significant other or a teenager.
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| − | Mixing chemicals from different containers always risks the chance that they could be different.
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| − | Mixing chlorine and acid is another very dangerous mixture.
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| − | Always keep any form of chlorine and any acids stored in different locations.
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| − | And add chlorine and acid to the water at least 15 minutes apart.
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| − | Always add chemicals to water. Never add water to chemicals.
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| − | Granulated calcium is exothermic and will generate enough heat to burn if added to a small amount of water. Be careful when dissolving calcium to make a slurry to add to the pool. It is safer to add calcium directly to the pool.
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| − | Transferring concentrated acid from gallon containers into a larger vessel by simply pouring it in is a bad idea in general. If you have to put out more than a few cups or so of concentrated MA, you should be using a transfer pump. It is not only safer from the perspective of spills and fluid losses, it avoids the dispersal of fumes. There are very simple, all plastic, hand operated transfer pumps that are cheap and easy to use.
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| − | If ventilation in the area where you have an acid container, such as for a Stenner pump or IntellipH system, is poor and you should look for ways to improve it so that acid vapors are dispersed more readily. Using a small fan to help move the air AWAY FROM the transfer point could be beneficial (small fan, key word is small...you don't need a cyclone blower).
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| − | Take time to review the safety of how you store and use chemicals.
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| − | Make sure that the chemicals are not accessible to kids.
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| − | Never use chemicals in a feeder that are not intended for the feeder.
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| − | Make sure that everyone has basic safety information for handling chemicals or responding to a spill or accident.
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| − | For commercial pool operators, please make sure that the employees are well trained and supervised regarding chemical safety.
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| − | Not just commercial pool operators, for residential pools please make sure that everyone in the family who may handle chemicals are well trained and supervised regarding chemical safety. Especially if you ask teenagers to do pool maintenance.
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| − | ==Safe Pool Chemical Storage==
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| − | Muriatic Acid (MA) - everyone agrees it is corrosive and should be stored separately and preferably outside in a plastic storage box - it has a relatively long shelf life regardless of temperature. Keep away from metal and store by itself. MA caps are vented hence gas can escape from them and cause problems and the rusting of metal nearby.<ref>https://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/storage-of-all-pool-chemicals.217055/post-1899188</ref>
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| − | Borax or Baking Soda - keep dry, moisture free environment - mainly inside such as utility or laundry room on a shelf or in basement - good shelf life
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| − | Dry Chlorine (i.e. pucks or granular) also known as Dichlor, Trichlor or Calcium hypochlorite (cal hypo) - Keep in its storage container from store - store in dry area - can be stored in garage or basement but best if outside as some chlorine vapor can be corrosive - good shelf life due to the CYA included (in dichlor and trichlor only)
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| − | Trichlor and dichlor should NEVER be stored with liquid chlorine. If there was ever a spill or mixing of the two, explosive reactions can occur.
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| − | Calcium hypochlorite, especially the highly concentrated 70% available chlorine type, can emit very strong chlorine vapors that can react with organic materials and cause fires. It should be stored only in a cool, dry, well-ventilated space. It should not be stored with any liquid chlorine or muriatic acid.
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| − | Liquid Chlorine (in gallon plastic bottles) - known as Sodium Hypochlorite (or bleach) - comes in varying percentage of sodium hypochlorite denoted on the bottle. - Keep in cool place - many store in utility or laundry room if not in high quantities (due to space). Can also be stored outside in garage or in separate container or storage shed. Liquid Chlorine (% sodium hypochlorite) will deteriorate over time due to heat and does not have long shelf life. Liquid Chlorine should NOT be stored with MA (in same storage shed) .
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| − | ==Should You Wear Personal Protection Equipment?==
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| − | Don’t use a chemical respirator for simple pool chemical additions, they are unnecessary at best and harmful at worst.<ref>https://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/storage-of-all-pool-chemicals.217055/post-1910740</ref>
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| − | If you do have to be in an area where vapors may pool and you have to be there for an extended period of time, then a half face respirator is absolutely the WRONG PPE to use. You should be using a FULL FACE RESPIRATOR and, if you are doing it correctly, you should be properly fitted for it so that there are no air leaks between your face and the respirator.<ref>https://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/storage-of-all-pool-chemicals.217055/post-1910764</ref>
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| − | Why??
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| − | Because your choke reflex is important. Your choke reflex is what protects your sensitive mucous membranes and soft tissue (eg, the cornea of your eyes) from dangerous chemicals. When you wear a half face respirator, you are eliminating the fumes of the MA from reaching your nose and so your body has no idea that the rest of it is submerged into an atmosphere of potentially harmful vapors. You have eliminated the one mechanism that your body uses to protect you - your sense of smell. One positive aspect of muriatic acid is that it has a very low odor threshold - that is, the concentration at which your nose can detect the vapors is far, far lower than the concentration at which those vapors will cause any kind of damage. So, you either wear a full face respirator to protect your nose, lungs and eyes, or simply wear safety glasses and use a transfer pump and fan to limit the vapor exposure. A half-faced respirator is the worst of all things you can do.
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| − | And now you will ask - do you just make this stuff up???
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| − | Nope. TFP had a post three or four years ago from a pool owner that did exactly what you are doing - he would get decked out in a rubber apron, thick rubber gloves, a half face respirator with an acid cartridge and safety glasses whenever he would add acid to the pool. One time, the wind was going the wrong way and, while he was fidding with measuring acid volumes and pouring slowly, the acid vapors got into his eyes. He then had a fun trip to the eye doctor to get medicines for corneal chemical burns....if he had not had the respirator on, his body would have instantly told him something was wrong and his natural choke reflex would have caused his eyes to shut and his head to turn away. But, because he took that signal out of the equation, his eyes suffered for it. Thankfully the damage to his eyes was reported as minimal and only needing a course of antibiotic eye drops for a week or so to keep them safe while his body recovered from the corneal damage....it could have been a a lot worse.
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| − | Moral of the story - using the WRONG PPE's can be just as bad or worse than using no PPE's at all...
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