Understanding Home Depot muriatic acid options

[Jetjohn6]

I was reviewing the two different liquid acid options offered by Home Depot and noticed something that seems incorrect. Home Depot sells two options to my knowledge: A two pack of 1 gallon jugs, one offers 14.5% hydrogen chloride, the other offers 31.45% (per the labels).

Reading further down the label shows this on the 14.5% version: "This product contains 8.94 LBS of HCl per gallon"

The label for the 31.45% version reads: "This product contains 9.67 LBS of HCl per gallon"

Am I wrong for expecting the 31.45% version to have more than twice the amount of HCl compared to the 14.5% version? Is it worth buying the 31.45% version ($12.98) over the 14.5% version ($10.98) particularly when it's easier to source the 14.5% version?

 

[JJ_Tex]

I cannot answer the lbs of HCL part, but 31% and 14% are the standard strengths for muratic acid. Typically you want the 31% since it is twice as strong for a few dollars more. IMO, there is no need to pay a similar price for a watered down product, but I also understand that people can be more comfortable handling the watered down 14% version.

 

[Jetjohn6]

I cannot answer the lbs of HCL part, but 31% and 14% are the standard strengths for muratic acid. Typically you want the 31% since it is twice as strong for a few dollars more. IMO, there is no need to pay a similar price for a watered down product, but I also understand that people can be more comfortable handling the watered down 14% version.

That's been my thought all along. I have to go really out of my way to get the 31% version but it is a nice savings.

I'm confused by the note about 8.94 LBS of HCl per gallon. I think the language may just be confusing or misleading. I'll have to weigh a jug and see if that's actually the total weight.

 

[sacredcow]

So I honestly hadn't noticed that they sell 2 different strengths- I thought it was all 31.45%. Not sure why I thought that, but here we are. First thing when I get home, I'll be looking to see if strength is the reason that I seem to be adding more acid than usual.... Could easily be a Homer Simpson "D'OH!!!" moment.

 

[jmastron]

That's been my thought all along. I have to go really out of my way to get the 31% version but it is a nice savings.

I'm confused by the note about 8.94 LBS of HCl per gallon. I think the language may just be confusing or misleading. I'll have to weigh a jug and see if that's actually the total weight.

That has to be the weight of the total liquid solution. Water weighs about 8.34 pounds per gallon, so 9-10 pounds sounds and feels about right.

I think it's confusing because we talk about, and SWCGs specify, the "pounds of chlorine" that they generate (which I believe is the weight of the CL2 gas if it were captured as a pure gas). We map that to liquid chlorine available chlorine percentages to compare effects, but I think that's just us; the liquid chlorine bottles I've seen don't state that.

I'm sure there's a chemistry or regulatory explanation for why the HDX MA package gives the total solution weight while the HDX chlorinating liquid package doesn't...

 

[jmastron]

So I honestly hadn't noticed that they sell 2 different strengths- I thought it was all 31.45%. Not sure why I thought that, but here we are. First thing when I get home, I'll be looking to see if strength is the reason that I seem to be adding more acid than usual.... Could easily be a Homer Simpson "D'OH!!!" moment.

From what I've seen, some Home Depots carry both strengths side by side, some only carry the 14.5%. Most of them around me carry both with the exception of a couple random stores, while in other regions even within California most/all stores only have the lower strength. No idea if it's marketing or local regulations that drive that.

 

[sacredcow]

From what I've seen, some Home Depots carry both strengths side by side, some only carry the 14.5%. Most of them around me carry both with the exception of a couple random stores, while in other regions even within California most/all stores only have the lower strength. No idea if it's marketing or local regulations that drive that.

I should have known better. I'm very aware acids come in all strengths. But somehow, I have never looked and now I feel like a dummy! LOL I'll chalk it up to the fact that Home Depot annoys me and I'm usually on a mission to get in and out of that place as fast as possible!

Local regs is as good of a guess as I can come up with.

 

[Nikilyn]

From what I've seen, some Home Depots carry both strengths side by side, some only carry the 14.5%. Most of them around me carry both with the exception of a couple random stores, while in other regions even within California most/all stores only have the lower strength. No idea if it's marketing or local regulations that drive that.

And then the one we go to only had the 31%. Guess they could have been out of the other.

 

[sacredcow]

I should have known better. I'm very aware acids come in all strengths. But somehow, I have never looked and now I feel like a dummy! LOL I'll chalk it up to the fact that Home Depot annoys me and I'm usually on a mission to get in and out of that place as fast as possible!

Local regs is as good of a guess as I can come up with.

The jug I have is the 31%. I have to get some more this weekend, so you can be sure that I'm going to look more carefully!

 

[MarkThomasAZ]

The gallon bottles I buy at the pool supply store are 29%.