As you may know, to maintain the perfect swimming pool, you must perfectly balance your pool’s pH and alkalinity. While numerous products help maintain the balance of the pool, muriatic acid, and other chemicals have the most impact on a pool’s pH and alkalinity levels. I am sure as a pool owner, and you also use a robotic pool cleaner such as the Beatbot iSkim Ultra, it is significant for you to understand how muriatic acid will affect both the pool’s chemicals and the performance of the pool cleaner.
What is Muriatic Acid?
Muriatic acid is also known as hydrochloric acid which pool tenders frequently employ to reduce both pH levels and alkalinities whenever they surpass the usual levels.
Thus, this potent acid neutralizes extra alkali substances to avoid issues such as scaling, turbidity, and inadequate sanitation. Pool tanks also use muriatic acid to reduce the alkalinity within the pH after rising above the usual range of 7.4 to 7.6.
Does Muriatic Acid Reduce pH and Alkalinity?
As I explained earlier, muriatic acid reduces pH and alkalinity in a pool.
Here are the ways the acid lowers both pH and alkalinity.
Lowering pH: whenever pH rises above 7.6, the pool water becomes more alkaline, and it causes both uncleanliness and line build-ups. Therefore, the muriatic acid neutralizes the alkaline substances to maintain low pH.
Reduce alkalinity: Total Alkaline describes the capacity of water to oppose pH Venues over time, and with extra units, it becomes challenging to balance pH levels. Reducing alkalinity is muriatic acid.
Note: Muriatic acid is suitable for lowering both pH and alkalinity, but it should be added very gradually and monitored very carefully.
Excessive usage can lead the water to become overly acidic, which in turn may damage your pool equipment like robot pool clippers and skimmers.
The Effect of Muriatic Acid on Pool Equipment
The use of muriatic acid can not only help your pool maintain its proper chemistry but should also be considered in terms of how it will affect your pool cleaning apparatus, such as robotic pool cleaners and pool vacuum robots. The water chemistry needs to be balanced for these devices to function properly, but over time poor acid levels can destroy their components. Here’s what you need to know:
Adverse impact on Pool robot cleaner: The low range of pH can cause metal parts of the swimming pool robot cleaners to undergo corrosion. Using muriatic acid, if the pH is low, it will cause rusting or corrosion of the inside parts, like motors, taking their toll.
Thermal Effect on Skimmers and Pool Vacuum Robots: Pools with extreme pH levels can hurt skimmers and pool vacuum robots similar to robotic pool cleaners. Water that is too acidic can wear out these devices’ rubber parts and seals, diminishing their efficacy over time.
How to Properly Use Muriatic Acid in Your Swimming Pool
If using muriatic acid, here are the steps to safely lower pH and alkalinity:
Test the Water in Your Pool: Always use a pool testing kit to test your water’s pH and alkalinity levels before adding muriatic acid. This makes sure you’re solving the right problem.
Measure the Right Amount: This will vary depending on how much is indicated for your specific test, so based on the test results calculate the amount of muriatic acid needed to add to the pool. In general, it takes one gallon of muriatic acid to treat 10,000 gallons of water; it drops pH by 0.1.
Pour Acid into Deep End: A slow stream of acid should be poured into the deep end of the pool only if the water is moving, to mix it directly. This helps mitigate damage to pool surfaces and equipment.
Wait for the Water to Circulate: You should allow the water to circulate for about 4 to 6 hours before testing your pH and alkalinity again. This is to guarantee that the acid has been fully mixed and that your water balance is in check.
Monitor the Equipment: If your pool cleaning robot (like the Beatbot AquaSense Pro), swimming pool robot cleaner, and other equipment at this stage have worked with muriatic acid, make sure you track their operation and if they are cleaning parts effectively.
What is pH Balance and Why Does It Matter?
The ideal pH could be for:
Chlorine Works Better— When your pool pH is in the optimal range, the chlorine in it is more effective. If the pH is too high, chlorine can’t do its job of sanitizing the water as effectively.
Clear Water: Balanced pH keeps water from appearing cloudy or fostering algae growth, which can make the pool look bad and less enjoyable.
Comfort for Swimmers: If a pool’s pH is off, the water can dry out and irritate the skin and eyes of swimmers. This level of acidity or alkalinity is important because too much of one or the other can lead to discomfort.
One of the most cost-effective alternatives is Muriatic Acid.
Muriatic acid is an effective way to lower pH and alkalinity, but not always the best solution for every pool. Some of the alternatives are less corrosive and easier to handle than other compounds, such as sodium bisulphate. As usual, if you are ever in doubt, call a pool pro to determine the best chemical treatment for your pool.
Here’s an excellent solution for those who want to keep their pool clean without disregarding the chemical structure of the water with the regular changes of pH, filter salt, etcetera. A pool robot such as the Beatbot AquaSense for clean it up as efficiently as possible without even being affected by minor changes in pH, provided the water remains at the normal operating levels.
Conclusion
Muriatic acid can lower the pH and alkalinity of your pool, but it should be done cautiously and not overdone. Everything from a spotless swimming pool to safeguarding your robot pool cleaner and other pool equipment from unnecessary wear and tear can come from managing the pH levels, so take this part of pool adulthood seriously! It should be noted that if you own a robotic pool cleaner such as Beatbot iSkim Ultra or Beatbot AquaSense Pro, proper control of the water chemical balance is one of the keys to their performance as well as their long lifetime.
So, by balancing pH levels, handling muriatic acid with sound practices, and exercising the routine of a pool cleaning robot, you’ll create a healthy, beautiful swimming experience everyone can enjoy!