If you do add too much muriatic acid, your pH levels can dip dangerously low, and your pool water can cause rashes and eye irritation. Low levels of pH can also damage metals in your pool like ladders, railings, screws, bolts, and other important equipment.
Usually 2 cups of muriatic acid in a 24 hour period is safe to add to a pool at the one time. Factors determining how much acid to add are how strong the muriatic acid is and the volume of your pool. The stronger the muriatic acid (aka Hydrochloric Acid) is, the less you can add at once.
Add 4 oz. of soda ash to the bucket of water for every 5,000 gallons of water in your swimming pool, if your pH reading was between 7.0 and 7.2. If it was between 6.7 and 7.0, add 6 oz. for every 5,000 gallons of water.
Yes, you can add muriatic acid directly to your swimming pool water. But it's safer if you dilute it in a bucket of water first. If you do want to add it directly to your pool, pour it into the deepest part of the pool, walking away as you pour so you don't inhale any of the fumes.
After Adding Muriatic Acid: Muriatic acid can create hot spots of acid in the water that could potentially burn or irritate your skin. It is best to wait a minimum of 30 minutes to an hour after adding it to your pool to allow the acid time to mix with the water.
You can do the tabs and acid at the same time. Just don't let them come into contact with each other outside of the water. Add each liquid chemical separately.
Sodium Bisulfate and muriatic acid could have a 5 year shelf life, however pH decreasers are acids, and a larger shelf life concern about pH decreasers is the strength of the container. Over time, thin plastic bottles or packaging can break down from contact with acids.
One gallon of muriatic acid will lower the alkalinity about 50 parts per million per 15,000 gallons of existing balanced pool water. So if you had a reading of 100 ppm and you added one gallon of muriatic acid in the same-size pool, the reading should drop to around 50 ppm.
Muriatic acid lowers both pH and alkalinity. To raise alkalinity, add sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). This is different from sodium carbonate (soda ash).
Why do Swimming Pools need acid? The reason we add acid to swimming pools is reduce the pH (Potential Hydrogen) of the water. The pH is always slowly rising due to either chlorine being added manually or produced through salt chlorination.
Answer: Don't shock the pool until pH and Alkalinity are balanced. Both your pH Alkalinity are still too high: Just add more muriatic acid to bring down TA between 80 - 120 ppm, pH between 7.4 - 7.6.
If you add acid to a solution the concentration of hydrogen ions (acidity) increases and the pH decreases.
Wait for at least 30 minutes
Now it's time to let the muriatic acid do its work. At this point, you can play it safe by running your pump for at least half an hour to stop the acid from settling on your pool floor. If you would rather keep your pump off, make sure to brush the pool floor continuously to prevent damage.
When used correctly, muriatic acid can lower the pH levels of your pool water. The potency of muriatic acid makes it beneficial at getting rid of hardened water that has become too alkaline.
The amount of muriatic acid needed to decrease pool pH will depend on your pool's water volume, pH level and alkalinity level. Remember that when you lower alkalinity, the pH will follow. You'll need approximately 35-60 fl oz of muriatic acid per 10,000 gal of water to reduce alkalinity by 10 ppm.
Muriatic Acid vs.
But while hydrochloric acid contains only HCI molecules, muriatic acid is made up of HCI molecules as well as impurities such as iron. Other differences include muriatic acid's slightly yellow color, a result of the additional iron content, compared to hydrochloric acid's colorless appearance.
Sodium bisulfate and muriatic acid (pH decreaser) tends to last longer due to more robust packaging, with shelf lives of five years, though as acids they will break down containers over time.
To bring down pH, use a made-for-pools chemical additive called pH reducer (or pH minus). The main active ingredients in pH reducers are either muriatic acid or sodium bisulfate (also called dry acid). Reducers are readily available at pool supply stores, home improvement centers and online.
Try muriatic acid.
If draining and floc don't work, you can add muriatic acid as a last resort. It won't actually reduce the water's calcium hardness, but it will raise the saturation level, which can help bring the water back into balance.
You can neutralize muriatic acid by mixing it with a mild base such as sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). Always wear protective clothing such as goggles and thick rubber gloves when working with muriatic acid.
→ When handling muriatic acid, always wear protective gear, including wrap-around eye goggles, dual-cartridge respirator, face shield, acid-resistant rubber gloves, rubber boots, pants (not shorts), and long-sleeved shirt. → Always dilute muriatic acid in water; never use it full strength.
When mixed with any acid, it releases highly toxic chlorine gas. Most toilet bowl cleaners contain sodium hydrogen sulfate, an acid which will quickly liberate chlorine from bleach. The acrid fumes of chlorine can destroy lung tissue, cause the lungs to fill with water and in a sense cause death by drowning.
30 minutes between additions, with pump running, should be fine.