Neutralize Muriatic acid

[Oren]

But the job hasn't started yet. I can't wash / spray with acid in 30 mph winds:)

[ransley]

Litmus paper will verify if you neutralise it. Acid may not make a difference in looks, before you experiment you should test a section. There are many other totaly safe ways to clean anything. As I said my neighbor had to fill in with dirt his $100,000 pool from acid ruining the main drain. How about your pump and boiler, etc., acid eats metal. Get a garden sprayer to apply whatever you use and do a test, and remember the Fumes will stay in the pool with you, even with a wind. You are messing with nasty stuff that has burnt my lungs and ruined the galvanised coating off of conduit that rusted a week later, but was ok for 30 years. Dont kid around with acid, it bites back hard.

[Phisherman]

Once your skin or eyes are burned, it's too late. Whenever I use a strong acid I work under a vented hood and use as small amounts as possible. I see a danger with using acid to clean a large pool. There are much safer chemicals to use.

[ransley]

A vented hood- extremely smart idea pulling in good air , in a pool unless he rents a blower with a extension tube in the pool he is F--- ed, getting ill from acid is no joke, ive been there many times. Even in fresh air on a building!

[Norminn]

clipped

Doesn't muriatic give off hydrogen gas when it reacts with lime? Chlorine gas?

[ransley]

Dont know, but it makes you sick

[gfretwell]

You should be using a dilute solution in the first place, then there won't be much acid left in the puddle. It will be mostly water, calcium chloride and the gas coming off will be CO2. CaCO3 (calcium carbonate/concrete) and HCL make CaCl2, H20 and CO2. The wild card is the "dirt" which is probably really fairly complex organic material but that is still carbon based. The point is, if your acid isn't neutralized almost immediately, you are using too much acid. You want to eat the dirt, not the concrete.