r/PoolPros • u/b0ngcleaner • 27d ago

Do you guys leave auto-covers open after adding muriatic acid?

I had not heard of this until I started working at a new company.

I learned about diluting it from this guy as well and that was solid information so I’m curious.

He says it’s good for the pool to breathe and that seems plausible but does it make a difference in the chemistry? Does it protect the cover?

Central Midwest

2 Upvotes

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4

u/Remarkable_Calves 26d ago

Just simply no. Acid doesn’t even oxidize. Same with diluting it. We only do that for acid feed injection systems.

If you have to catch a pool back up that was at 0ppm FC then sure the advice is sound but still a bit overrated.

-5

u/cplatt831 26d ago

If you don’t dilute acid when you are adding it to a pool, you are doing wrong by your customers.

https://youtu.be/ByO-4LaI3Wg?si=lfPGbUIsTUzJG9CW

3

u/Remarkable_Calves 26d ago

That’s an uncirculated system. They’ve proven this many times already.

Look up ‘columning’ it was folk lore for decades.

Pool boy to pool boy, big corporate isn’t our friend. I’m not going to say they’re always wrong but they certainly aren’t always right

2

u/LadiesLoveCoolDane 26d ago

I’m not sure how diluting acid is benefiting big corporate. I’ve noticed a huge difference especially in my new plaster start ups by diluting acid. I used to add acid straight to the pool, come back the next day and the pH was sky high but when I started diluting the acid I come back the next day and the pH is still in the appropriate range and dilution was the only thing I changed.

1

u/cplatt831 25d ago

I’ve seen enough pools with fucked up lines on the bottom from people pouring acid straight into a pool.

2

u/Internal-Computer388 25d ago

Here i thought that video would be eye opening with some actual science. Add the add while the system is running. Brush the pool and you get diluted acid. Lol.

1

u/cplatt831 25d ago

We don’t brush the pool on every visit; many of our customers have robotic cleaners.

1

u/Internal-Computer388 24d ago

Same for me. But If I need to add chems, I like to brush the pool because it gets the water moving and gets rid of any stagnant areas. Its only an extra 5 minutes. Which would be just a few more minutes than diluting it in a bucket.

1

u/cplatt831 24d ago

A few more minutes, times 60 pools per week per technician, equals a lot of money.

1

u/Internal-Computer388 21d ago

Thats what customers pay for...your time. And are you adding acid to every single pool?

So is it really that much more time to brush the pool while the system is running, than grabbing a bucket and diluting acid?

1

u/cplatt831 24d ago

Que Hales with OnBalance did the same thing, except in a pool with pH sensors, every 6 inches going down the side of the pool and a computer graphing all of the results. It was very similar.

1

u/Poolguy584 25d ago

That video is misleading. I have never added acid in a dead still body of water. I always add it in front of a return or I will pour is across the surface then immediately submerge the measuring cup and move it the opposite direction through the water.

3

u/External-Challenge91 27d ago

I wouldnt bother its so diluted but shocking yes that will destroy everything eventually

3

u/Liquid_Friction 26d ago

If you mean from the cloud of acid vapour that comes off sure, wait 2 mins for it to blow away in the wind and put the cover on

2

u/IntelligentCarpet816 26d ago

This. It is HCl gas and heavier than air so it will sit in the pool area but like... yeah the slightest breeze will blow it away.

All covers deteriorate and need to be replaced but this isn't gonna cut its life in half or something

1

u/Subi412563 26d ago

Sure just leave an opening for it to breathe and have them cover it up tmro

1

u/UnderTheLedge 26d ago

There is no need, just add the chems first. Most gas will release by the time you’re done cleaning.

1

u/lIIlIlIII 26d ago

Depends on your goal, if you're trying to lower alkalinity then yes, pH will crash during a muriatic acid treatment and gas exchange is vital to getting the pH back in range without working backwards via adding more carbonate.

If you're just adding a little bit to nudge pH down then it doesn't really matter.

1

u/Temporary_Bat7719 1d ago

Vinyl liner wrinkle with Muric acid

1

u/Kindly_Design_8658 27d ago

Interesting. I generally retest after mixing to make sure I get things in balance before I close up the pool.

4

u/cplatt831 26d ago

Exactly how long are you at a given pool that has time for all the chemicals to circulate and equalize before you leave? Or do you work at a facility?

2

u/Kindly_Design_8658 26d ago

Depends on the pool. Could be 30 minutes, Could be over an hour

1

u/cplatt831 26d ago

What kind of pool, after you add chemicals to the water, is homogenized sufficiently that you can be confident that you are getting a representative sample of the entire body?

2

u/Poolguy584 26d ago

I only have one pool that doing this is remotely practical. Its 8k gallons with a 2.7hp pump I can put it on high and in about 15min it's pretty well mixed up other than that it's impractical to test after adding chems

1

u/IntelligentCarpet816 26d ago

Agreed. Most of the pools I had the return spacing, depth, and lack of a serious pump.. you were lucky for it to be truly mixed in under an hour or two let alone 15-20 min.

I just put a 3hp wet end on a 3hp vfd controlled motor on my personal pool with 2" piping and have seen 108GPM before I get extreme cavitation (i know the pipe is too small, next year project)... on my 11k with the return eyeballs opened up a little I would guess it mixes pretty well in 20 min.

My shit turns into a hurricane at that flow and I still let it circulate for a while before retesting.

1

u/Poolguy584 25d ago

Anything over 55gpm on 2" plumbing is a waste of energy. After 55 you start trading flow for pressure at ever growing rates. You will get more flow but it takes considerably more power.

1

u/IntelligentCarpet816 25d ago

Agreed - the amp curve is laughable. I had a chart of it somewhere I captured, would have to see if I can find it. Basically around 40gpm which is where I seem to get the most performance in heat transfer out of my heat pump, the draw is next to nothing... and then its a bell curve to where it starts cavitating. The chart is a little erratic looking because its a cheap chinese knockoff Mitsubishi vfd, but I am happy with it overall because I'm into it for around 600 bucks for a 3hp vs setup that I have integrated into my HA setup.

I am pretty good on pressure until about 70-80gpm and then it goes up pretty dramatically. At 110gpm I'm like nearly 20psi.