How long does it take for muriatic acid to work in a pool?

Some people will tell you that it's safe to swim just 30 minutes after adding muriatic acid to your pool water. But we recommend playing it safe by waiting three to four hours and testing your water before swimming in your pool.

How long does it take for muriatic acid to lower alkalinity?

It will take 24 hours for the muriatic acid to react with the existing balanced pool water. Remember never to pour muriatic acid into your pool. Dilute part of the muriatic acid in a bucket of balanced pool water, and then pour it into your pool. "Dilution is the solution," Dukes says.

How long does it take for muriatic acid to circulate in the pool?

Let the Muriatic Acid Circulate

Keep your pump on for at least 30 minutes immediately after adding the muriatic acid. Again, be sure your pump is set to “circulate” to help the muriatic acid mix in. This will prevent the acid from damaging your pool surfaces.

What happens if you put too much muriatic acid in pool?

Chlorine raises the pH level; to counteract this, muriatic acid is used to lower it again. If you use too much muriatic acid, however, the levels can dip dangerously low, which can cause rashes and eye irritation for swimmers and damage metal parts of your pool equipment.

Do you run the pump when adding muriatic acid?

Turn the pool on

By having the pump on it will aerate the pool, slightly increasing pH and aiding alkalinity. Therefore, adding muriatic acid to the pool while the pump is running will reduce the likelihood of large drops in pH.

How To Lower POOL ALKALINITY with MURIATIC ACID | Swim University

Will muriatic acid clear a cloudy pool?

Cloudiness Due to Elevated pH

Before you floc the pool, you should check the chemical balance, and if you notice the pH is too high, that may be why the pool is cloudy. You may be able to clear the water by adding muriatic acid to lower the pH.

How long does it take for muriatic acid to neutralize?

Limestone and dolomite (calcium magnesium carbonate) are common neutralizing agents for large-scale muriatic and other acid spills in natural water courses and coal mine water flows. Both materials react with the acid over a period of about 15 minutes to produce salts in a sludge that can be easily handled and removed.

Can I add muriatic acid after shock?

You should never add chlorine and muriatic acid at the same time. The muriatic acid will react with the chlorine in your pool and create a deadly gas called hydrochloric acid. You need to wait for a minimum of 30 minutes, after you add the acid, before adding any chlorine to your pool.

How often should you put muriatic acid in your pool?

If you have a pH reading of 7.8 or higher, and an average size (15,000 gallons) in-ground pool, you should add 1/4 gallon (a quart) of muriatic acid, and re-test after the water has circulated for an hour.

Will muriatic acid lower hardness in pool?

Try muriatic acid.

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.

How long does it take for pH down to work in pool?

After adding pH increaser or decreaser you'll want to wait about two to four hours, although some chemical manufacturers suggest a full turnover cycle, before retesting. The smaller the increments you need to adjust for pH, the less time you'll need to wait for the results to become stable.

Can I add muriatic acid and chlorine at the same time?

Perhaps most important note of all, never add chlorine and muriatic acid together in the pool. This creates a dangerous toxic gas that can have severe health consequences if inhaled.

Is it safe to swim in a pool with high pH and alkalinity?

Can You Safely Swim in a Pool With High Alkalinity? As long as you have enough chlorine in your pool (around 3ppm for total chlorine) and the pH level is balanced (between 7.4 to 7.8), then a pool with high total alkalinity is still safe to swim in.

Does Shocking a pool lower alkalinity?

Another cause for high alkalinity can be when you shock the pool. While this is performed to quickly rid the pool of pollutants, chlorine-based pool shock is highly alkaline, and can raise the water's total alkalinity level in the process.

Is it safe to swim in a pool with low alkalinity?

This means you buy more chlorine and waste more time trying to get to an adequate concentration level with the substance. Asides its effects on your pool, a low alkalinity swimming pool is unsafe for swimmers as the acidic water can cause nasal, eye, and skin irritations.

Can I swim 12 hours after shocking pool?

Can I swim 12 hours after shocking the pool? It's usually safe to swim after letting the shock circulate in the water for at least 8 hours. However, we recommend testing the water's chlorine level before swimming. A high chlorine reading may be uncomfortable and dangerous to swimmers.

How much does muriatic acid lower pH?

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.

How do I bring the pH down in my pool?

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.

Will muriatic acid eat through plastic?

Muriatic acid, however, will attack most of the materials it touches, including varnish, fabrics, metals, plastics (there are some exceptions), and most paints.

What is the harmful effects of muriatic acid?

Chronic Exposure Effects on Health

Long-term exposure to muriatic acid vapors has been known to cause corrosion of teeth and severe lung damage leading to chronic bronchitis. Additional symptoms include gastritis; lesions in the trachea, nasal cavity, and larynx; photosensitization; circulatory failure, and death.

What does muriatic acid do for a swimming pool?

Along with balancing the pH levels of your pool water, muriatic acid is strong enough to kill mold, remove rust stains, get rid of calcium deposits, and clean the surfaces of your pool.

How do I get my pool water crystal clear?

In theory, if you have a cloudy swimming pool, you can add chlorine to “shock it” and clear things up. Chlorine will get the job done. But, the amounts may vary and you may have to really pound the pool with chlorine to get the water totally clear.

Why can't I get my pool water clear?

Cloudy Pool Water: Causes, Treatment, and Preventive Measures. Cloudy or milky swimming pool water is caused by seven main issues: improper levels of chlorine, imbalanced pH and alkalinity, very high calcium hardness (CH) levels, faulty or clogged filter, early stages of algae, ammonia, and debris.