Bleach, Vinegar, and Muriatic Acid

[Dave Lochner]

Originally Posted by HopCar

Another use for Muriatic acid - Hydrogen balloons- Gather some scrap zinc anodes from the boat yard. Put them in a bucket and cover with Muriatic acid. Put a plastic trash bag over the bucket and let it fill with the gas produced in the bucket. Tie the bag closed and you now have a lighter than air balloon.

Don't do the following, it is really dangerous and stupid: tie a sparkler on a string hanging from the bag, light it and release the balloon. This is stupid for a number of reasons. The gas in the bag is very flammable. The sparkler is a great fire starter.
A spark from the sparkler might cause the balloon to go poof and drop the still burning sparkler to the ground. The balloon might go poof while still in your hands, this is painful and it takes a long time to grow your eye brows back. I had fun in high school.

Speaking of hydrogen exploding and digesting food...

https://youtu.be/NddZ5ftQb0Q

https://youtu.be/qOTgeeTB_kA

[valhalla360]

Bleach is a good sanitizer but not really a good cleaner. The problem is it destroys plastic and rubber parts. If you water tank">fresh water tank gets contaminated rinse with bleach water followed by a good flush with fresh water is OK but I would avoid using it on a regular basis. In the toilet plumbing, I see no value.


Vinegar is pretty harmless but in the context of removing scale from plumbing pipes, pretty useless. It's just not strong enough. If it's clean pipes being kept clean, a quart or so left to sit in the pipes won't hurt anything but if you have a noticeable buildup, it won't do much of anything. If you have 1/4" of scale blocking a pipe, it won't have a noticeable effect.


Hydrocloric/Muratic Acid requires plenty of ventilation and care but it can dissolve mineral buildup. Put it in, a few pumps to get it into the pipes and get out of the boat until it stops reacting. Then flush with fresh water. Once it's done reacting, it's pretty harmless. (Make sure the vent is clear and working so you don't pressurize the system when the reaction creates gasses)

[Lucky]

A lot of useful information in this thread for an electrical engineer!
I have a problem with my septic tank clogging up on a regular basis! I use the digy pump in the outlet and pump a few strokes and it all releases, this must be done when the tank is full to create the maximum head pressure.

I have tried all sorts of cleaning stuff, but the next time the tank is full I have to repeat the pumping and it starts to be really annoying!

Would Muriatic Acid help in loosing up whatever is cousing this problem so I can flush i out? I have access to the top of the tank to pour in chemicals, but to ackward to access for getting in and physically clean.

If someone can give me advise on the ratio of water-Muriatic Acid to be used and fresh or sea water, hot or cold I would be a very happy sailor!

For information the tank is rectangular in shape and holds approx 45 litres or 12 gallons.

Happy lead free sailing fromLucky

[savoir]

Originally Posted by carlheintz

Wow, chemists are you all... now, my problem... I have some white stuff that's accumulated along the bootstripe at the water line. I tried buffing it off, and it doesn't want to come. I tried boat cleaner, etc. No appreciable effect. Someone said it needs to be acid treated. Great. What acid? Vinegar? Muriatic acid? How strong? Can one of you guys give me some suggestions?

Thanks!

P.S. otherwise, I'll have to paint the boot stripe, which is a royal pain.

I am assuming that the stuff is some kind of salt based goop. If it is not then this won't work.

To protect the bottom paint tape the upper edge of a sheet of plastic to the water line below the white stuff and let the bottom hang loose. If you are going to repaint the bottom then this won't be necessary.

Make up a mix of 1 muriatic acid:3 water and get some cheap dishwashing gloves plus a cheap 2" paint brush (the ones with the yellow bristles). Dab some on the white stuff, wait a minute then dab on some more. Wait two minutes then wipe clean with a very wet rag drawn from a bucket of water.

Throw out the gloves and brush.

That should do it. If it doesn't then wet sand the affected area clean with 600 grit paper followed by 1000 grit followed by marine polish.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by savoir

To protect the bottom paint tape the upper edge of a sheet of plastic to the water line below the white stuff and let the bottom hang loose. If you are going to repaint the bottom then this won't be necessary.

Good point. The acids will react and discolor the bottom paint. The antifoul properties will still work just fine but unless you are bottom painting anyway it will leave noticeable discoloration.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by Lucky

A lot of useful information in this thread for an electrical engineer!
I have a problem with my septic tank clogging up on a regular basis! I use the digy pump in the outlet and pump a few strokes and it all releases, this must be done when the tank is full to create the maximum head pressure.

I have tried all sorts of cleaning stuff, but the next time the tank is full I have to repeat the pumping and it starts to be really annoying!

Would Muriatic Acid help in loosing up whatever is cousing this problem so I can flush i out? I have access to the top of the tank to pour in chemicals, but to ackward to access for getting in and physically clean.

If someone can give me advise on the ratio of water-Muriatic Acid to be used and fresh or sea water, hot or cold I would be a very happy sailor!

For information the tank is rectangular in shape and holds approx 45 litres or 12 gallons.

Happy lead free sailing fromLucky

Check for a clogged ventline first (the full tank issue points to that). The dingy pump likely clears a recurring clog. If this is the case, it's likely organic and acid won't help. If may be that the vent line has a low point where water pools and (we'll call it) crud lodges between emptying.

If you are having pressurization issues, be very careful with the acid as it off gasses during the reaction and can pressurize the holding tank. You don't want a pressure failure.

[savoir]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

Good point. The acids will react and discolor the bottom paint. The antifoul properties will still work just fine but unless you are bottom painting anyway it will leave noticeable discoloration.

It leaves white streaks.

[MarkJ]

For boat use:

Pour vinegar on your hand. Nothing happens. Ineffective.

Bleach on your hand. Turns soapy. Something is happening.

Muraic Acid on hand. Hand falls off. Great for cleaning!



Re discoloration of fibreglass. I use neat muracic acid applied by paintbrush for 60 seconds, then rinse very well. Like painting in kindergarten... don't paint over the lines.

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by HopCar

Another use for Muriatic acid - Hydrogen balloons- Gather some scrap zinc anodes from the boat yard. Put them in a bucket and cover with Muriatic acid. Put a plastic trash bag over the bucket and let it fill with the gas produced in the bucket. Tie the bag closed and you now have a lighter than air balloon.

Don't do the following, it is really dangerous and stupid: tie a sparkler on a string hanging from the bag, light it and release the balloon. This is stupid for a number of reasons. The gas in the bag is very flammable. The sparkler is a great fire starter.
A spark from the sparkler might cause the balloon to go poof and drop the still burning sparkler to the ground. The balloon might go poof while still in your hands, this is painful and it takes a long time to grow your eye brows back. I had fun in high school.

Back in about 1960... when we weren't making other interesting and fun stuff .. we would put caustic soda (Sodium hydroxide ) in a beer bottle.... drop in bits of scrap aluminium... put proper balloons over the neck and fill and store them for later release on fine clear days.... would even take them in the back of the car when taken on picnics by the parents...

One weekend we had a smart arsed interloper in the team.... 'that's not hydogen' ..'yes it is'.. 'no its not'.. etc..
'Watch this then'... interloper strikes match... don't think he ever did that again.....

[Dave Lochner]

Originally Posted by Lucky

A lot of useful information in this thread for an electrical engineer!
I have a problem with my septic tank clogging up on a regular basis! I use the digy pump in the outlet and pump a few strokes and it all releases, this must be done when the tank is full to create the maximum head pressure.

I have tried all sorts of cleaning stuff, but the next time the tank is full I have to repeat the pumping and it starts to be really annoying!

Would Muriatic Acid help in loosing up whatever is cousing this problem so I can flush i out? I have access to the top of the tank to pour in chemicals, but to ackward to access for getting in and physically clean.

If someone can give me advise on the ratio of water-Muriatic Acid to be used and fresh or sea water, hot or cold I would be a very happy sailor!

For information the tank is rectangular in shape and holds approx 45 litres or 12 gallons.

Happy lead free sailing fromLucky

Classic clogged vent line. When the tank is empty, flush the vent hose with water from a hose with decent pressure. If the vent can be flushed from the outside, great, it is a much easier job. If not remove the vent hose from the tank and flush it. Depending on where the vent is located on the tank cleaning may need to be done frequently.

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by carlheintz

Wow, chemists are you all... now, my problem... I have some white stuff that's accumulated along the bootstripe at the water line. I tried buffing it off, and it doesn't want to come. I tried boat cleaner, etc. No appreciable effect. Someone said it needs to be acid treated. Great. What acid? Vinegar? Muriatic acid? How strong? Can one of you guys give me some suggestions?

Thanks!

P.S. otherwise, I'll have to paint the boot stripe, which is a royal pain.

Have you tried "hull cleaner" from the marine store? It's usually acid but it's a safe acid and designed so you can't hurt the surface or yourself if you follow the directions.

Yes, it will cost a bit more than buying the chemicals but it's easier and safer. There's usually something mixed in that helps it to stay put and not just run down the hull.

[HopCar]

Originally Posted by rwidman

Have you tried "hull cleaner" from the marine store? It's usually acid but it's a safe acid and designed so you can't hurt the surface or yourself if you follow the directions.

Yes, it will cost a bit more than buying the chemicals but it's easier and safer. There's usually something mixed in that helps it to stay put and not just run down the hull.

Ron I agree with you 100 percent but you have to remember these guys are sailors. They just don't think that way.

[savoir]

So called hull cleaner won't remove the bad stains such as rust from fiberglass. A mix of muriatic acid and water will do it. Those hull cleaners are usually made from oxalic acid and soapy stuff to make it suds up and smell nice.

[HopCar]

Originally Posted by savoir

So called hull cleaner won't remove the bad stains such as rust from fiberglass. A mix of muriatic acid and water will do it. Those hull cleaners are usually made from oxalic acid and soapy stuff to make it suds up and smell nice.

Ron, I told you so.

[lovinlifebda]

Reviving an old thread here as I can’t find quite what I am looking for.

I have some muriatic acid and was thinking of using it to clean the dingy, I know it is safe on the hull but what about the hypalon? Thanks