MBY - October?

[Hurricane]

A friend told me about LeeSan's product.
I do use LeeSan for most of my toilet spares.
Indeed, I've been using these when I leave the boat:-
http://www.leesan.com/index.asp?m=3...an+n+Green+Holding+Tank+Cleanser+(12+sachets)
I just flush one down each toilet - after waiting until the tablet has dissolved.

Back to acid.
I checked all the components of our system by physically immersing them before using the Hydrochloric Acid.
Only then did I run it through the system.

In my experience, the Aguafuerte that I use doesn't affect plastic or rubber.
Some people say that it affects stainless steel but I've been dropping nuts and bold in the stuff for years when we have been in the boatyard.
It is not a good idea to drop anodes in it though - they get really hot even though it does clean them up.

A really useful stuff to have around.

Yes, the LeeSan stuff is probably very good but in comparison, this Aguafuerte costs peanuts.
Imagine buying a bucket of the LeeScale - it would cost a fortune.

JW is booked for a lift and pressure wash on Friday - I will be visiting the local supermarket between now and then for more Aguafuerte.

 

[Nick_H]

Anyone got any idea what hydrochloric acid does to the blackwater system pipework? I know its supposed to be 'sewage quality' but I can't imagine that it's resistant to hydrochloric acid. I see that the Lee Sanitation LeeScale product is non toxic and biodegradeable so I assume it doesn't contain hydrochloric acid or anything like it. The problem is that if you've got holding tank pong on your boat, its possible its coming from porous pipes not from any leakage as such and I guess putting hydrochloric acid in the pipes won't help that one bit. Also what does acid do to pump and toilet seals?

The active ingredient in Leescale is phosphoric acid, no idea if it's safer than HCL, but they put it in coca-cola so I guess it can't be that nasty!

http://www.leesan.com/uploaded_files/datasheets/leescale safety data sheet v1.pdf

Rydlime, another de-scale product that claims to be safe and bio-degradable is HCL based (<10%), but they claim that other ingredients and the way it's blended counteract the corrosive properties, and that you can pour it onto your hand. From their FAQ page:

*If RYDLYME contains HCl (hydrochloric acid), how can it be safe on my skin?'
*Though the active ingredient is HCl, there is less than 10% of the acid, and it's only one element of the overall formula. Couple this with the special way it's blended, and you have a nice balance of safety, biodegradability and effectiveness. That's what makes RYDLYME so unique and why similar products fall short.
*
*Since RYDLYME contains HCl, should I be concerned about corrosion on stainless steel, such as hydrogen embrittlement?
*There is no need to worry about hydrogen embrittlement. When used properly, RYDLYME's unique formula will not corrode stainless steel or virtually any metal or material associated with water-based equipment.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

In my experience, the Aguafuerte that I use doesn't affect plastic or rubber.

With great respect, H, you don't know the long term effects of the stuff on plastic or rubber. I have been told that where you get low spots in a blackwater pipe system, where sewage can accumulate, the slight acidity can cause the pipework to become porous over time. I had a blackwater odour problem on a Broom I owned many years ago and I chased my tail changing components until eventually I got in an expert and we traced the problem to a section of pipe with a slack gradient which allowed a few mm of sewage to accumulate in it and which had become porous over time. Changing that pipe solved the problem. Aguafuerte probably has a much lower PH than raw sewage so the risk of it effecting the pipework is much greater

Yes, the LeeSan stuff is probably very good but in comparison, this Aguafuerte costs peanuts.
Imagine buying a bucket of the LeeScale - it would cost a fortun

Yup it does. £87 for 5 litres which is ridiculous but at least you know the product is designed for its purpose

 

[longjohnsilver]

With great respect, H, you don't know the long term effects of the stuff on plastic or rubber. I have been told that where you get low spots in a blackwater pipe system, where sewage can accumulate, the slight acidity can cause the pipework to become porous over time. I had a blackwater odour problem on a Broom I owned many years ago and I chased my tail changing components until eventually I got in an expert and we traced the problem to a section of pipe with a slack gradient which allowed a few mm of sewage to accumulate in it and which had become porous over time. Changing that pipe solved the problem. Aguafuerte probably has a much lower PH than raw sewage so the risk of it effecting the pipework is much greater



Yup it does. £87 for 5 litres which is ridiculous but at least you know the product is designed for its purpose

Just out of interest, how did you search for this expert? What was his job description (no pun intended!)?

Presumably he did a crap job............................

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Presumably he did a crap job............................

No he pissed the job! It was about 15 yrs ago so I can't remember exactly. From memory, I phoned either Tek Tanks or LeeSan because I was thinking about changing the holding tank to get rid of the smell and after I explained the problem, they suggested that they send one of their technicians instead to check the system out. He showed me a very simple technique for checking the porosity of the pipes and that was to take a sheet of paper kitchen towel and rub it on the outside of the pipe. If the towel smelt then it was likely that the pipe was porous. He identified that the pipe from the aft cabin heads to the holding tank had a very slack gradient and was allowing sewage to accumulate in a low spot which had caused the pipe to become porous over the years. So instead of selling me a tank, they just sold me a bit of pipe and a few hours labour for which I was extremely grateful