Muriatic Swimming Pool Acid to De-Scale TM

[Carpet Cleaning Fool]

Hey,

My TM needs de-scaling today but don’t feel like driving across town to pick up a jar of de-scalar. There is a Leslies Pool Supply around the corner and I use their muriatic acid regularly to clean strainers etc regularly and it works fantastic!

Do you think it would be crazy to dump a quart of that nasty stuff into the water box and let it swirl around a bit? I would wear a chemical respirator and dispose of the acid properly by running it down the sewer clean out.

What do you think? Bad idea?

 

[AshleyMckendree]

Ive ran MA through my tm several times... works faster than vinegar... def wear a respirator :|

 

[Shane T]

I wonder if there might any issues with running that thru the pump?

 

[Shawn Forsythe]

Run your water box level to around 25% capacity, and use way less of the HCL (Muriatic). A quart is way too much under any circumstance. I don't endorse the method for cleaners, as their are safe descalers made by those such as ProChem and Hydramaster. However, I will say that a quart is about 2-4 times too much, depending on the severity of the buildup.

 

[Carpet Cleaning Fool]

I know what you mean because muriatic is super nasty. I'll start with a low dose of about 10 ounces and see what I get.

Thanks!

 

[Farenheit251]

Bout 10 years ago when I had my pos century avenger it got clogged on a vacant house with a pool. Poured some MA in the water box and ran it through. It made an incredible cloud where you couldn't hardly see the house but it worked.
I wouldn't do it again. The money saved verses the worst case scenario just doesn't work out. You know I only add 8 oz to my 14,000 gallon pool to lower the ph. It is wickid strong.

 

[Larry Cobb]

George;

We use Phosphoric acid.

The Hydrochloric acid is more corrosive to pump & all metal components.

Make sure that you do not leave it in your TM over about 15-20 minutes.

Flush it out completely.

Larry

 

[Carpet Cleaning Fool]

Thanks Larry! I dumped about 6 oz of MA into 30% full water box and circulate with a whip line for about 2 minutes. Spent the next two hours flushing and nuetralizing. Green stuff that looked like oxidized brass kept comming up.

I'm looking for something inexpensive and gentle enough to use every 100 hours as a maintenance cleaning that won't damage components.

Thinking about using a quart of vinegar in the water box at every oil change.

What would you recommend?

 

[Shawn Forsythe]

George,

Did you neutralize after using the muriatic, or just flush? Running a mild alkali will immediately stop the action, then flush with water. If you do it correctly, the potential for damage is nil. Unfortunately, every machine will have its differences based on level of scaling and system water volume.

Better yet, use a prepared safe descaler with tried and tested instructions made for use through a TM.

$20/gal (~$5.00 per application)

$18/jar

 

[The Preacher]

i de-scaled mine by surprize when i used Ultra rinse from Duane Oxley on a friday, and monday when i fired up the truck to clean carpet it clogged my jets from the stuff it broke loose. i pulled the QD's, jets and flushed with a little alkiline pH and flushed for about 5 mins till all ran clear.

it's not a bad idea to pull you jets and soak em in an acid bath for a few hours every quarter to de-scale.

 

[The Magician]

Carpet cleaning fool descaling every 100 hrs is too often and will damge hx etc. Use what Shawn recommends. You may need a soft water unit.

 

[Carpet Cleaning Fool]

I'm thinking a soft water unit is a great way to go.

Anyone know a good low maintenance water softner?

 

[Duane Oxley]

i de-scaled mine by surprize when i used Ultra rinse from Duane Oxley on a friday, and monday when i fired up the truck to clean carpet it clogged my jets from the stuff it broke loose. i pulled the QD's, jets and flushed with a little alkaline pH and flushed for about 5 mins till all ran clear.

it's not a bad idea to pull you jets and soak em in an acid bath for a few hours every quarter to de-scale.

Danny:

That's one of the reasons that I recommend using UltraRinse as a rinse, after pre-spraying a job. It keeps the system clean.

In truth, if you have scale in your system, there's a good probability that it's from chemical residues, as much as anything else. A product designed well as an emulsifier, prevents scale, but removes it as well. But lots of guys run just about any damn thing through their system. Since it takes months to accumulate to the point that it's noticeable, much of it is, by definition, "unnoticed", until it has to be dealt with. But even running a poorly- put- together chemical through for a couple of weeks can set things in motion.

It's similar to arteriosclerosis, really. It's not really just that "high cholesterol that clogs arteries". It's when the interior walls of them get rough instead of smooth, that gives the cholesterol a place to begin accumulation.

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.", as the old saying goes.

Shawn is, as usual, correct, too.