Neutralize Muriatic acid

[dadiOH]

Be sure to add the acid TO the water, not water to acid. Wrong way = violent bubbling/splashing and is dangerous.

[Cheri]

water).

Yes, I found that out the hard way. :-)

Cheri

[Norminn]

Reminds me of highschool chemistry class.

[ransley]

Muriatic does not react to water violently, so I would take the previous posters Bull Shit here to bull shit, Muriatic FUMES, Muriatic eats metal pipe. It wont react to added water as sulfuric will, I use Muriatic, maybe even tomorrow AM to clean stone.

[dadiOH]

It is your option to be foolish.

[Phisherman]

Muriatic acid can splatter, emit caustic fumes, corrode metal, cause skin burns and blindness. It contains HCl, one of the strongest acids. If diluted properly (adding acid TO the water), it becomes less hazardous. Not a wise idea to have a bottle of it laying around.

[Norminn]

It does a number on concrete -

[Jennifer]

I strongly disagree with your recommendation to ignore basic acid safe handling. Adding acid to water is always safer because the acid is safely dilluted as it is poured. Adding water to acid (especially a granular form of an acid such as sodium bisulfate but also for liquid/aqueous acid solution) results in working with a very strong solution, which isn't something you want to mess around with or risk splashing.

Yes it is true that pure water added to muriatic acid (which contains water by definition) will not cause a reaction in itself, but that is beside the point made for safe handling. Treat muriatic/hydrocholoric acid (and any strong acid) with a great deal of respect. I would strongly recommend wearing acid safe gloves and a mask. One little splash of a drop can do a lot of permanent and painful damage to an eye, to say nothing of other body parts.

[ransley]

Body parts, Ive had Muriatic drip over my hands for a day with no injurie, eyes are different , get it Real/

[Oren]

It becomes a bomb with Aluminum foil:

I always add acid to water.

[Oren]

Thanks. The majority of my yard is desert rock landscape, but you're right. I do have plants and trees :)

[Jennifer]

If that is the case than you are working with fairly weak HCl solution!! What its strength in moles?

The HCl I work with regularly would put dissolve skin fairly quickly. I stand by all of my comments regarding acid handling safety. For many people, swimming pools is the first time they encounter such chemicals, and there are some things that are best not learned first hand.

[Jennifer]

quoted text -

its strength

stand by all of

the first time

Correction: The second sentence should read, What is its strength in moles?

[Jennifer]

Right, but that's added to an entire full pool of water! Different story when concentrated acid is touching something directly.

[Gary Dyrkacz.]

The rule of acid to water is a good one for the non chemist, and usually for chemists as well. It is a general rule of thumb that is just easy to remember and follow. If you understand the characteristics of what you are working with, then you can bend the rules, but with the proper techniques and understanding. The unwise should never add water to acid. It is clear from most of the posts, that the general rule of acid to water should be followed by just about eveyone responding to this post.

All concentrated mineral acids develop heat when mixed with water. The problem is that some acids, like concentrated sulfuric acid are prone to a highly localized and large release of heat of mixing. The dissolution especially in this case becomes violent, with subsequent violant spattering of acid due to localized steam generation.

Do chemist ever do the reverse with acids? Sure, but not before carefully thinking about how they will control the mixing conditions and adjusting for the consequences.

[Oren]

Goes back my question originally (OP); neutralize the acid in a pool of water. While I work I don't want etching acid sitting there, at the pool bottom.

I'm buying 5 lbs of soda ash, just for this puddle of water.

[Jennifer]

Makes sense, but you don't need to over do the soda ash either. A too basic solution will do a lot less damage to concrete and grout than a too acid solution, but both are harmful to finishes and your health if too strong.

[gfretwell]

If this acid has been in the bottom of your pool all week I doubt there is really much acidity left anyway and you probably do have a "ring" in the pool.

[ransley]

Acid reacts with lime, Lime is in concrete-mortar, acid eats metal drains, maybe most pumps, definatly boiler linings and valves. Acid can destroy anything metal. So go Clean it with acid tomorrow, and reduce plumbings mechanical life by 90% I hope the main drain isnt galvanised, thats hard to replace, often meaning a new pool, or filling the old one with dirt as my neighbor did.

[Oren]

I'll be frugal. An earlier link suggest two pounds of soda ash would neutralize one gallon of acid. My solution will be diluted 1 acid >

4-6 water, spray on the pool walls and flush with a water hose.

The puddle that forms would not need much soda ash... enough to stop the "fizzing". The water hose would be also filling the puddle at the bottom of the pool... more dilution. Then I can pump it out to sewer.Thanks for the comments.