Using chemicals safely

[cuboid]

Used a limescale remover to unblock shower head used gloves and goggles then squitted the head in a little takeaway dish. Then spilt some on concrete floor and it started fizzing. Quickly threw a bucket of water over it and it stopped.

What's the best way to do this? Just generally with strong chemicals what's the h and s with this stuff? If this stuff limescale remover, hypo, tfr etc Got all those I just listed. If it gets on stuff like gloves, boots etc, does it become harmless after being left on there for hrs or days. Or does it have to be rinsed

 

[JohnD]

acids attack limescale, limestone, marble and concrete. It's probably neutralised by now. You can wash it away with water. It will not attack rubber or plastic.

If you do it often enough or for long enough, you will be left with nothing but sand and stones

(condensate from boilers will eventually do that)

 

[transam]

And never mix chemicals. Dunno if we can post this ?? if not delete it

But Hydrochloric acid is used quite a bit in the trade for de scaling plate exchangers / heat exchangers ect . afaik the same acid is present in some or all brick cleaners ?? & spirit of salts is hydro ???

It is also very good for unblocking urinals , mixed accidentally with bleach u end up with a certain dangerous gas extensively used in WW1 ?????????????

 

[transam]

some of the drain cleaning acids u tip in the sink containing sulphuric acid will damage chrome

 

[cuboid]

And never mix chemicals. Dunno if we can post this ?? if not delete it

But Hydrochloric acid is used quite a bit in the trade for de scaling plate exchangers / heat exchangers ect . afaik the same acid is present in some or all brick cleaners ?? & spirit of salts is hydro ???

It is also very good for unblocking urinals , mixed accidentally with bleach u end up with a certain dangerous gas extensively used in WW1 ?????????????

I don't mix them except with water e.g. Sodium hypochroide with water but do store them next to each other in flexitubs and a plastic box.

Its the splashing in eyes or getting on skin which always worries me. I was going to try this softwashing stuff which removes iron oxide and maybe a biocide. Heard they're pretty dangerous chemicals as well.

Out of interest, I use weedkiller every week. Worth wearing a mask taking precautions?

 

[sodthisforfun]

some of the drain cleaning acids u tip in the sink containing sulphuric acid will damage chrome

And tesco's version of toilet duck with hydrochloric acid.. other half left on taps to descale them and ruined the taps. Had to get new ones.

 

[transam]

I don't mix them except with water e.g. Sodium hypochroide with water but do store them next to each other in flexitubs and a plastic box.

Its the splashing in eyes or getting on skin which always worries me. I was going to try this softwashing stuff which removes iron oxide and maybe a biocide. Heard they're pretty dangerous chemicals.

shower heads ?? Work in schools they buy the heads in bulk & the flexi hoses , they are replaced every 6 months due to legionella concerns

They used to clean them but now its more cost effective to just replace them , another concern for legionella is those flexible rubber braided tap connectors that are used extensively

 

[sodthisforfun]

Its the splashing in eyes or getting on skin which always worries me. .

I don't want to think of that in my eyes! But limescale remover on the skin it's fine if washed off quickly.

 

[cuboid]

shower heads ?? Work in schools they buy the heads in bulk & the flexi hoses , they are replaced every 6 months due to legionella concerns

They used to clean them but now its more cost effective to just replace them , another concern for legionella is those flexible rubber braided tap connectors that are used extensively

What like this in picture? Replace metal hose and plastic head.

 

[transam]

yes . But bear in mind that the school has some thing in the order of 50 showers ( boarding school) and they are obliged to have there water systems checked and certificated yearly ( think its every 6 months) the concern is legionella for them . all out lets are tested , water temps taken ect ect records kept

Afaik Surrey university require private land lords who rent out to students to have there hot and cold systems checked as well

props they pay the rent on ??

 

[nauseous]

I remember de-coking my fs1e exhaust with caustic soda years ago, a small drop splashed on my ankle and left
a crater type hole, crazy looking back, wtf was i thinking.

 

[transam]

I friend of mine left a tin or jar of caustic soda crystals in his kitchen . His then 4 year old (daughter) thought it must be sugar ?? and put some to her mouth

fortunately she never swallowed any of it , but she ended up in A&E with burnt lips. lesson there keep chemicals in a safe place out of reach

does not bear thinking about had she injested some of it

 

[Ihavenojob]

Out of interest, I use weedkiller every week. Worth wearing a mask taking precautions?

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-m...rlds-first-roundup-cancer-trial-idUKKBN1KV2HF

 

[JohnD]

The scientific knowledge and comprehension of jurors is legendary.

 

[IWalkLikeHimaMartian]

Strong alkalis are just as corrosive as acids.
The pH is an indicator of the corrosive strength. 7.0 being neutral, below 7.0 is acid and above 7.0 is alkali. (0 to 14 are the limits). The further away from the neutral point the more corrosive they will be.
The pH scale is not a linear scale, it is a logarithmic scale. That means that the difference of 1 is like a difference of 10.
If you expressed it as a linear scale, it would be 7.0 for neutral, 8.0 for slightly alkaline, 90 for more alkaline, 1000, 11,000, 120,000, 1,300,000, up to the limit of 14,000,000.
Or 7, 6, 0.5, 0.04, 0.003, 0.0002, 0.00001.
Swimming pool water is usually in the 7.2 to 7.8 range. The natural pH of the eye is about 7.0 to7.3

Eye injury occurs with acids/alkalis outside of the range ≤ 4.0 or ≥ 10.0. That is injury, not just pain!

When diluting acid (or strong alkali) chemists advise "add the acid (alkali) to water, never the other way round!"
You are adding a small amount (at a time) of acid/alkali, to a large amount of water, not adding a small amount of water to a large amount of acid/alkali.
Obviously emergency action/treatment does not allow that rule to be followed.