-
We welcome content that is not political, divisive, or offensive. If we feel your content leans this way or has the potential to, it may be removed at any time. A hot pepper forum is not the place for such content. Thank you for respecting the community!
Remove calcium(?) stain from stone fountain?
- Thread starter Roguejim
- Start date
Test a spot with white vinegar as a solvent. Scrub with a brush.
This is used with success for hard water stains on teaware.
This is used with success for hard water stains on teaware.
Paint 
There's this stuff called LRC that can remove most buildups but it's pretty nasty.
I've read Coca Cola is strong enough to dissolve egg shells but it takes time...
Edit: I meant CLR like others have posted.
There's this stuff called LRC that can remove most buildups but it's pretty nasty.
I've read Coca Cola is strong enough to dissolve egg shells but it takes time...
Edit: I meant CLR like others have posted.
ahaha. acid bro. been there dont that about a billion times. pool tiles need the treatment basically every year.
go to the pool store and get some HCL... about 8-10 bucks a gallon if you buy a box. get some goggles and gloves maby.
buy a flip top bottle ... like what you use in a suntan lotion bottle. your pool place may or may not sell them(or give them away in my case).
like this.
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?sku=60149&gclid=Cj0KEQjwiKS3BRCU-7XQ75Te3NoBEiQAA2t_xB7-wydwlUXzwrFOUxQj36v9TuOTZiePvryKVQKN_nEaAoML8P8HAQ
get a nylon brush, no metals... nothing reactive.
then sorta dripple it down onto the calcium buildup.
it will react and release co2 heat and steam and water. dont breath any of that in.
cheapest by FAR. but there are also acid gells that work better as they cling onto the surfaces. they cost alot more though and usually are pissy weak.
go to the pool store and get some HCL... about 8-10 bucks a gallon if you buy a box. get some goggles and gloves maby.
buy a flip top bottle ... like what you use in a suntan lotion bottle. your pool place may or may not sell them(or give them away in my case).
like this.
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?sku=60149&gclid=Cj0KEQjwiKS3BRCU-7XQ75Te3NoBEiQAA2t_xB7-wydwlUXzwrFOUxQj36v9TuOTZiePvryKVQKN_nEaAoML8P8HAQ
get a nylon brush, no metals... nothing reactive.
then sorta dripple it down onto the calcium buildup.
it will react and release co2 heat and steam and water. dont breath any of that in.
cheapest by FAR. but there are also acid gells that work better as they cling onto the surfaces. they cost alot more though and usually are pissy weak.
yea you can dilute it to what ever you want, but i usually dilute 50% for acid washing with a spray bottle.
with the dripper bottle i dont usually dilute it at all. not because it works better, but because im just to lazy. i use the stuff for ph down so i just keep a the dropper bottle full for that use... to clean the tile i just grab the thing and go at it. its not that dangerous unless your get it in your eyeballs.
with the dripper bottle i dont usually dilute it at all. not because it works better, but because im just to lazy. i use the stuff for ph down so i just keep a the dropper bottle full for that use... to clean the tile i just grab the thing and go at it. its not that dangerous unless your get it in your eyeballs.
Sizzle Lips
eXtreme
This stuff can be found almost any where and does work wonders on calcium build up.
Boiling whole lemon halves in a kettle always removes the calcium build up inside. Maybe you could pour this hot water onto your fountain to see if it will help.
Other than that, I'm sure CLR would work.
SR.
Other than that, I'm sure CLR would work.
SR.
Sizzle Lips said:
that stuff DOES work and it does work well, especially if its gelled.
i have not used CLR personally... but i have tried several of the gel products you can get at hardware and pool stores.
thing is though all of these products are just acids. a bottle of HCl will clean ungodly amounts of tile or grout and what ever else. much more than that CLR bottle. especially if you dilute it way down and add some thickening agent or gelling agent.
its certainly possible its not calcium.
do you have any nitric acid(hydro ph down) or sulfuric acid(drain cleaner)? scrape some white junk off and dribble a tiny amount of acid onto it.
if it bubbles its probably carbonate.
or phosphoric acid? another hydroponic ph down
do you have any nitric acid(hydro ph down) or sulfuric acid(drain cleaner)? scrape some white junk off and dribble a tiny amount of acid onto it.
if it bubbles its probably carbonate.
or phosphoric acid? another hydroponic ph down
interesting. i wonder what it is then. how concentrated was the acid?
if it was carbonate you should have seen somthing like this very briefly, provided you scraped off enough of it.
if it was residue surfactant, it would come off with some polar solvent like water. i guess it could be soap scum. that should react with acid though.
you might just get one of those scrubby brushes that attack to your drill and maby something like a pummice gritted cleaner or what ever.
if it was carbonate you should have seen somthing like this very briefly, provided you scraped off enough of it.
you might just get one of those scrubby brushes that attack to your drill and maby something like a pummice gritted cleaner or what ever.
Roguejim said:
soap scum from your surfactant? just a guess. you probably dont add enough to see any real soap scum though.
if your concentrated sulfuric acid did not cause any fizzing, its not carbonate, and therefor HCl will be useless just like the sulfuric.
both acids do the exact same thing, they basically force feed it electrons;.
rjacobs said:
most strong acids will eat concrete.
sulfuric, nitric, flouric i think, certainly HCl(muriatic)
HCl is by far the cheapest, thats why i reccomended it earlier. however no reaction means its probably not carbonate scale.