How to Use Muriatic Acid in a Swimming Pool

Maintaining a consistently clean and safe swimming pool requires constant attention to the water's chemistry. Substances such as muriatic acid is used to lower the pH factor, which affects every other chemical balance. This is a measure of the hydrogen ion concentration. The scale runs from 0 (strong acid) to 14 (strong base) with 7 being a neutral pH. The optimum range for pools is 7.4 to 7.6.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Plastic bucket
• Latex gloves
• Water sample bottle

1. Bottle a sample of your pool water and have a pool supply store analyze it for chemical balance. Their computer will break down all components of your water sample and provide a detailed print-out for you. For the do-it-yourself types, pool test kits are available for home use.

2. Activate your pool filter. Partially fill a plastic bucket with pool water. Add the muriatic acid to this water in a ratio of 10 to 1 or 20 to 1. Exercise extreme caution: muriatic acid will burn skin, clothes and most anything it touches.

3. Walk around the pool and slowly pour in the diluted acid. Leave the filter running. The acid neutralizes in approximately 30 minutes. Add the acid in the early mornings for best results.

4. Pour the diluted acid in slowly around the deep end. Don't add large amounts at one time. Allow the filter pump to run for 4 hours and retest before adding more chemical.

Tips & Warnings

• Never add more than 1 pt. muriatic acid or 1 lb. sodium bisulphate to the pool at one time. Wait 4 hours after application and retest to determine if more chemical is required, and how much.

Resources

• Pool maintenance protocols and chemical descriptions
• Pool care and chemistry and directions for chemical use
• Water chemistry for pools