The Shop > Finishing
Citric Acid Concentration?
AdeV:
Ok, returning to the titular subject of this thread..... how much citric acid monohydrate should I be putting in about 1/2 a bath full of water, to have any meaningful effect on a pair of heavy cast iron drain covers?
I reckon I troweled in about 5kg of the stuff... and so far (3 days) all that's happened is the acid has turned a greenish colour... As far as I can tell it's all dissolved, so it's nowhere near a concentrated solution...
Should I add more? Like the whole 25kg bag?
seadog:
Have you taken a cover from the solution to see just what effect it has had? You may be expecting it to dissolve the rust off when, in fact, it usually stays apparently untouched until you attack it with a brush or wire wool.
awemawson:
Are they Steel, Cast Iron, or Ductile Iron Ade ?
I use a couple of cup fulls in a bucket - no idea of the volume of your bath. Makes for expensive drain covers if you put the lot in - give it time, it;s presumably fairly cold?
AdeV:
I'm pretty sure they're cast iron, judging by the weight and the fact one of them snapped when being extracted from under years of grime and roots...
I've scraped it with the trowel... haven't tried to get a wire brush in there. I'm not sure what concentration I've got so I didn't want to stick my hand in it....
Volume wise, I reckon there must be 100 litres? Bath is a standard 6ft thing, filled maybe 4" deep. And yes, it's c-c-c-cold.... (probably around 6-7 degrees C just now).
Time I have plenty of, they can sit there for months if necessary... :thumbup:
howsitwork?:
just give it time. If you want it faster heat it up a bit. Maybe smell a bit if it liberates any sulphur compounds form the iron or muck but it will clean. Add a bit of detergent to break up any grease/ fats on it. :med:
Re disposal of citric acid, just add a bit of sodium bicarbonate ( and prepare for frothing maybe) this is a weak alkali and will neutralize with no risk to you. When it stops frothing it's neutral basically.
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