Where to buy hydrochloric acid (brick cleaner)?

[Skylark]

My boat is now on the hard and one of my first jobs is always to remove the flexofold prop and clean it with Brick Cleaner. I last bought Homebase Brick Cleaner a few years ago and it served me well until all used last season. I’ve just been to my local Homebase but was told “no longer available”

What does the panel use and from where is it purchased? I’d appreciate any recommendation.

 

[Yellow Ballad]

Apply for an EPP licence!

 

[lw395]

Try a proper builder's merchant.
Or a farm supplier.
I think there are supposed to be restrictions on the general public buying or storing many of the strong acids now.
Too many chavs throwing it at one another.

 

[MM5AHO]

My boat is now on the hard and one of my first jobs is always to remove the flexofold prop and clean it with Brick Cleaner. I last bought Homebase Brick Cleaner a few years ago and it served me well until all used last season. I’ve just been to my local Homebase but was told “no longer available”

What does the panel use and from where is it purchased? I’d appreciate any recommendation.

You could ask a galvanizer - they have hundreds of tonnes of it. (I'm a galvanizer) They'd probably give it away, but likely in strengths of about 3-12%. What strength do you need? and why HCl ? Is it to remove calcium deposits like worms barnacles? Several acids will do that.

 

[VicS]

My boat is now on the hard and one of my first jobs is always to remove the flexofold prop and clean it with Brick Cleaner. I last bought Homebase Brick Cleaner a few years ago and it served me well until all used last season. I’ve just been to my local Homebase but was told “no longer available”

What does the panel use and from where is it purchased? I’d appreciate any recommendation.

B&Q sell Swarfega Brick and Masonry cleaner, which according to the COSHH data contains between 10 and 30% Hydrochloric acid

https://www.diy.com/departments/swarfega-brick-masonry-cleaner-5000-ml/81116_BQ.prd


Wickes sell their own brand Mortar and Brick Cleaner and Sika acid based Brick and Patio cleaner. Both contain hydrochloric acid

Toolstation sell Cementone Brick and Patio cleaner which is also HCl based

 

[prv]

I was able to buy a 500ml bottle of fairly concentrated (don't have a figure to hand, but enough to produce irritating fumes when the bottle is opened) HCl via eBay only a few years ago.

Pete

 

[sailorman]

Even try a swimming pool sundries supplier

 

[macd]

Even try a swimming pool sundries supplier

Probably one of the cheapest convenient sources, and one of the strongest. Not much point pouring 10% into 100,000 litres. You're more likely to be offered 5lt than 500cc, at around 30%.

 

[Seajet]

After the awful cowardly acid attacks lately I don't think any form should be generally for sale; I'd rather be shot or stabbed than that - strong acid should be left to traceable licensed professionals.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

After the awful cowardly acid attacks lately I don't think any form should be generally for sale; I'd rather be shot or stabbed than that - strong acid should be left to traceable licensed professionals.

Pretty pointless. Household bleach and toilet cleaner is just as nasty - perhaps worse in some ways. Any strong cleaning substance will be pretty corrosive - all are either strong acids, strong alkalis or chlorinating agents. As long as there's stubborn dirt to be shifted, there will be cleaning agents that are as bad as acids around. Also, I think that some of the "acid attacks" reported are lazy journalism - they tend to label any corrosive substance as "acid", even when in fact it's alkaline, when you read the fine print!

 

[Lightwave395]

My boat is now on the hard and one of my first jobs is always to remove the flexofold prop and clean it with Brick Cleaner. I last bought Homebase Brick Cleaner a few years ago and it served me well until all used last season. I’ve just been to my local Homebase but was told “no longer available”

What does the panel use and from where is it purchased? I’d appreciate any recommendation.

Ebay - £12.49 for 5L of 10% acid brick cleaner or £15 for 5L of 36%

Link - https://ebay.us/Cdv7ti

 

[Skylark]

Many thanks to all, much appreciated.

I’m attracted to Toolstation as there’s a branch just a 10 minutes walk away.

The Data Sheet says “Hydrogen Chloride, 5-<10%”.

Will this remove the barnacles and other encrusted growth from my prop?

I used to dilute Homebase Brick Cleaner with roughly equal part water. Same for this?

 

[Seajet]

Pretty pointless. Household bleach and toilet cleaner is just as nasty - perhaps worse in some ways. Any strong cleaning substance will be pretty corrosive - all are either strong acids, strong alkalis or chlorinating agents. As long as there's stubborn dirt to be shifted, there will be cleaning agents that are as bad as acids around. Also, I think that some of the "acid attacks" reported are lazy journalism - they tend to label any corrosive substance as "acid", even when in fact it's alkaline, when you read the fine print!

I tend to agree and know alkaline burns are just as horrible, but we have to start somewhere and I'm thinking the average chav wannabe gangster is probably going to opt for something marked ' acid ' ?

 

[AntarcticPilot]

I tend to agree and know alkaline burns are just as horrible, but we have to start somewhere and I'm thinking the average chav wannabe gangster is probably going to opt for something marked ' acid ' ?

Then they're going to be disappointed when they buy Citric Acid!

 

[Plum]

Many thanks to all, much appreciated.

I’m attracted to Toolstation as there’s a branch just a 10 minutes walk away.

The Data Sheet says “Hydrogen Chloride, 5-<10%”.

Will this remove the barnacles and other encrusted growth from my prop?

I used to dilute Homebase Brick Cleaner with roughly equal part water. Same for this?

I use Wyckes brick cleaner for my prop. ( Hydrochloric acid). Works ok, if a bit slow. Scrape as much of the barnacles off as you can with a plastic scraper first then I prop an old metal baking tray under the prop into which i pour the acid then use a brush to paint the acid on the prop so the acid runs back into the tray. Repeat brushing until clean then thoroughly wash with lots of water.

Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk

 

[vyv_cox]

Many thanks to all, much appreciated.

I’m attracted to Toolstation as there’s a branch just a 10 minutes walk away.

The Data Sheet says “Hydrogen Chloride, 5-<10%”.

Will this remove the barnacles and other encrusted growth from my prop?

I used to dilute Homebase Brick Cleaner with roughly equal part water. Same for this?

This is about the strength of the stuff sold in supermarkets in Spain and Greece. It is quite effective at cleaning all forms of seawater carbonate salts

 

[VicS]

Many thanks to all, much appreciated.

I’m attracted to Toolstation as there’s a branch just a 10 minutes walk away.

The Data Sheet says “Hydrogen Chloride, 5-<10%”.

Will this remove the barnacles and other encrusted growth from my prop?

I used to dilute Homebase Brick Cleaner with roughly equal part water. Same for this?

Hydrochloric acid is an aqueous solution of hydrogen chloride. Max concentration approx 36%. Also known as muriatic acid

Dilute as advised on the label

Homebase sell it as well

 

[Old Bumbulum]

What are you, a Saudi diplomat or something?

 

[Momac]

My boat is now on the hard and one of my first jobs is always to remove the flexofold prop and clean it with Brick Cleaner. I last bought Homebase Brick Cleaner a few years ago and it served me well until all used last season. I’ve just been to my local Homebase but was told “no longer available”

What does the panel use and from where is it purchased? I’d appreciate any recommendation.

If you need a small quantity of high strength acid this stuff is very aggressive ..........................
https://www.homebase.co.uk/challs-international-max-spirits-of-salt-max-strength_p275496

However for cleaning limescale off stern gear I used Harpic
Or
Bar Keepers Friend Power Spray (Oxalic Acid)

 

[matthewriches]

I used the stuff from tool station to remove all the crap from my generator heat exchanger. Did a great job...... and even took the paint off! Obviously I didn’t want the paint stripped so had to paint it again but left inside spotlessly clean. I want to do my Volvo exchangers again but a bit afraid they’ll vaporise lol