Where Do You Get Straight Chemicals?

[Miss Noel]

I bought the Taylor testing kit for my Bromine spa. I notice that it advises you use certain chems to adjust levels. Where do you get these chems? There are a lot of fancy names on spa supply web sites, but I don't know what chemicals are in them. I know the baking soda trick for TA, I am fine with my bromine and bromine tablets, and I am good on shock. What I am really looking for is Muriatic Acid. I am having a heck of a time keeping my PH down.

Thanks for any assistance!

P.S. ... totally wishing Chem Geek were still about.

[Chris W]

The only two common places that stock Muratic Acid (consumer term for Hydrochloric acid- HCl) are pool supply places and hardware stores. At my local Home Depot, I can find it in the Pool Supplies or also in the hardware side usually as a concrete cleaner - I'm not sure if it's in with masonry stuff or cleaners. The most common concentration is about 30%, but it's worth checking the label if you find it cheap to verify it's strength. For spa use I generally dilute it down (add acid to water, not water to acid.....) so that I'm not trying to measure such tiny amounts. Take care to add it into flowing water, don't just dump it in with the pumps off.

A lot of people will recommend Dry Acid which is Sodium Bisulfate. The only common household use of this that I know of is in Sani-Flush toilet cleaning crystals and even then it's only 40-65% by weight, so there might be other less-active ingredients as well. I certainly wouldn't recommend it as an alternative

Although it sounds like you don't need it, pH-Up is just Arm and Hammer Super Washing soda. From Arm and Hammers FAQ

What are the ingredients in Super Washing Soda?

ARM & HAMMER Super Washing Soda is 100% sodium carbonate. It does not contain fragrance, surfactants or other additives.

Chris W

[Hillbilly Hot Tub]

The only two common places that stock Muratic Acid (consumer term for Hydrochloric acid- HCl) are pool supply places and hardware stores. At my local Home Depot, I can find it in the Pool Supplies or also in the hardware side usually as a concrete cleaner - I'm not sure if it's in with masonry stuff or cleaners. The most common concentration is about 30%, but it's worth checking the label if you find it cheap to verify it's strength. For spa use I generally dilute it down (add acid to water, not water to acid.....) so that I'm not trying to measure such tiny amounts. Take care to add it into flowing water, don't just dump it in with the pumps off.

A lot of people will recommend Dry Acid which is Sodium Bisulfate. The only common household use of this that I know of is in Sani-Flush toilet cleaning crystals and even then it's only 40-65% by weight, so there might be other less-active ingredients as well. I certainly wouldn't recommend it as an alternative

Although it sounds like you don't need it, pH-Up is just Arm and Hammer Super Washing soda. From Arm and Hammers FAQ

What are the ingredients in Super Washing Soda?

ARM & HAMMER Super Washing Soda is 100% sodium carbonate. It does not contain fragrance, surfactants or other additives.

Chris W

I think if you look back through chem geeks threads, you will see he tells most everyday spa owners to stay away from muratic acid. It is not as safe etc. Pool and spa PH down is an inexspensive chemical and safe to handle. I would stay with that. You can find this at pool stores and hardware stores.

[poolyeti]

I have to respectfully disagree with Hillbilly and Richard. Muriatic acid, although not the very most pleasant stuff, is not terribly dangerous. The company I work at routinely recommends and sells it to customers, and I still haven't heard from a single one that anyone was injured by it.

[Pathfinder]

I will say muratic acid should be used with extreme care and be left to use in pools.

I would suggest checking the ph level of your city water if its 7 or lower then just add water to lower your ph. If your using a bromine floater and not using your tub all that often then your ph will jump. I only recommend max 3 tabs in a floater and the setting turned down. Most of my customers have had success with keeping the ph from jumping this way. Most ph- minus products are the same and do the job well and are not expensive at all as previously stated.

[Chris W]

..... I think if you look back through chem geeks threads, you will see he tells most everyday spa owners to stay away from muratic acid. It is not as safe etc. Pool and spa PH down is an inexspensive chemical and safe to handle. I would stay with that. You can find this at pool stores and hardware stores.

I only discussed Muratic acid because that is what the originator of the thread asked about. I was just trying to answer the quaestion that was asked.

Chris W