Pool maintenance can be stressful. After all, keeping your pool’s chemistry in balance isn’t an easy task. You have a lot of different levels and chemicals to keep in mind. If you’re having problems with high pH levels in your pool, you will need to reduce it with muriatic acid. You may wonder how much muriatic acid to add to pool for balanced chemistry. In this article, we will explain how much muriatic acid to add and dive into why and when you should add it in general.
How Much Muriatic Acid To Add To Pool Explained
Unfortunately, there’s no way to quick and easy way to determine an exact answer. Instead, the precise amount of muriatic acid to add to your pool depends on many factors. The first being the size of your pool. Everyone’s pool is different and therefore, there’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. Next, are the current pH level and the desired pH level.
It’s also important to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the specific acid you choose. Our recommendation is the Acid Blue muriatic acid from CDPI. However, with most muriatic acid, you should add no more than 1 quart of muriatic acid per 10,000 gallons of pool water. If you feel uneasy, it’s a good idea to call your local pool service company.
What Does Muriatic Acid Do To A Pool?
When you think of muriatic acid, associate this chemical with lowering the pH of your pool. Another term for this effect is reducing the alkalinity in your pool. Muriatic acid is a powerful chemical, so it can alternatively be used to remove calcium deposits on the pool walls and floor.
How To Tell If You Need Muriatic Acid In Your Pool?
The best way to determine if you need more muriatic acid in your pool is to test the pH level of your pool water. If the pH level is higher than 7.2, then you may need to add more muriatic acid to lower it. You should also test the total alkalinity of your pool water as well. If the total alkalinity is higher than 80 ppm, then you may need to add more muriatic acid.
What Is The Risk Of Adding Too Much Muriatic Acid To A Pool?
Understanding how much muriatic acid to add to pool is very important. What is the risk of adding too much muriatic acid? Adding too much muriatic acid to a pool can cause the pH level of the water to become too low. After all, muriatic acid acts as a pH reducer, so using too much will unbalance your pool chemistry in the opposite direction. Lowering your pH level too much can be harmful to both swimmers and the longevity of your pool. For people, low pH levels can irritate skin and eyes. For your pool, an abundance of muriatic acid will corrode metal surfaces such as pool rails and reduce the effectiveness of other pool chemicals like chlorine.
What To Do If You Added Too Much Muriatic Acid To A Pool?
When adding muriatic acid to your pool, it’s common to add too much. If you added too much muriatic acid to a pool and your pH levels are now too low, the best thing to do is to quickly dilute the pool with a large amount of fresh water. You can accomplish this dilution by adding water from your hose. However, make sure to do this slowly. Adding too much fresh water at once can cause the pH level to drop too quickly and cause a problem. Once the water is diluted, test the pH levels and adjust accordingly.
How Much Muriatic Acid To Add To Pool Summary
As a rule of thumb, don’t exceed 1 quart of muriatic acid for every 10,000 gallons of water in your pool. Muriatic acid works as a pH level reducer. If you add too much, you may need to supplement with hose water to rebalance your pool chemistry. When you add too much and get in the pool too early, you can experience irritated skin and your pool structure may suffer as well. Similar to shocking your pool, you should wait 12-24 hours depending on your pool chemistry test results to reenter the pool.
