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Citric acid guidance (1 Viewer)

HouseofStark

HouseofStark

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Evening all,

Looking for some guidance using citric acid for the first time. I have a 25gal roto mixing container that I have never cleaned. Tonight I took a 3500psi pressure washer to the inside and very little cleaned up/broke free. Next up I was thinking an acid bath. Ive disconnected and removed the tank to be cleaned. My thought was to cap off the drain and prepare some type of bath/fill and soak.

Questions, how much citic acid should I mix up to clean the 25 gallon container?

24 hr soak long enough?

Should I be putting some type of pump or agitation in the tank while its soak?

My plan was to soak and clean out in the garage. Any issues sending it down the garage floor drain after soak?

TIA!
 
3/4 cup of citric per gallon for heavy cleaning.

Agitation certainly sounds like it would help. You could easily neutralize the solution with kalkwasser, soda ash, or baking soda before sending it down the drain.
 
Warm water will speed up the process.
@spsick you neutralize it? I just drain it down like draino 🤣
 
Don't need to fill the entire container. Just lay the container on the side and do some smaller sections at a time. Rotate and scrub a little as you go. It will take a little time but no need to make a full tanks worth.

Once it becomes less effective, just dump it amd make a some more.
 
I didn’t think of how much citric you’d have to use at the recommended 3/4c per gallon. You could try half or less and just let it soak longer?
 
spsick said:
Same, but I usually only mix up a gallon. 25g of acid maybe not good if he’s on septic or something.
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Good point I didn’t think of septic
 
If money's a concern here, it may be cheaper (and more dangerous) to just get a gallon of muriatic acid from home depot/menard's and clean the container that way. You will need to neutralize the solution after cleaning (I recommend the giant bags of baking soda from costco). And wear gloves. And probably do it in the garage wearing pants, shoes, and gloves.
 
I use muriatic when cleaning scale out of my 200G New saltwater storage tank. It works great but you have to be careful with it as stated above.
 
That’s great guidance, I didn’t even think of that. Muriatic costs like 5-10% what Citric costs to make a similar solution.
 
ichthyogeek said:
If money's a concern here, it may be cheaper (and more dangerous) to just get a gallon of muriatic acid from home depot/menard's and clean the container that way. You will need to neutralize the solution after cleaning (I recommend the giant bags of baking soda from costco). And wear gloves. And probably do it in the garage wearing pants, shoes, and gloves.
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DO NOT use any acid stronger than Citric acid inside without massive ventilation! I would recommend the Muriatic acid method but do it outside, small quantities at a time (the rolling method) and add the base neutralizer slowly. Eye protection is a must.
 
Ah, forgot the goggles. Do it outside with goggles too as zoolan said.

Also, do as you otter, add acid to water.
 
When I have used citric I am a soaker. I don’t put in even close to the aforementioned dosages. If I had 25 gallons I would filler up and add a cup or two. Then soak soak soak. Same way Grand Canyon was built….nice long soak
 
H2OHOH said:
When I have used citric I am a soaker. I don’t put in even close to the aforementioned dosages. If I had 25 gallons I would filler up and add a cup or two. Then soak soak soak. Same way Grand Canyon was built….nice long soak
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Nice. Time heals all wounds sort of approach.
 
Sorry guys, has been a busy day at work today, have missed out on the convo. I will try the rolling method, was thinking man that will be alot of CA to soak the 25 gallon, cant imagaing what the larger tanks are.... I did read some place they had put 5 cups of CA in 50 gal tank and soak for 24hrs...That was kinda my plan. But maybe Ill use full strength and roll it, which I thought of, but figured it will take more time. Im down in SWMN, on city water less than 10 year old house.....so I think Im just going to send it! I use Red Sea Blue....she kinda a dirty girl!

Pondering installing a 5 micron sediment on the output of my mixing container during AWCs.... anyone see benefit or currently run one?
 
I read on here a few years ago that folks had luck running a 5 micron RO sediment filter circulating with a pump cleaning it up. I tried it and it did help but I just didn’t want to have a pump running constantly, so I just gave up and clean the tank intermittently with citric (and replace my AWC lines when the clog 😭)
 
I run one as well but had the same results as @spsick I still need to periodically clean the tank with acid.
 
I’m sure it’s overkill, but this is me when using muriatic acid.

The hat’s only purpose was to protect my bald head from sunburn
 

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Yeah the MA is serious. Don’t mess around with that stuff. I used to use it to lower pool parameters years ago.
 
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