1 cm thick limescale in toilet

[StephenStephen]

Spirit of salts is fun stuff - you can buy it in hardware shops, it's strong acid, it eats lime, it might eat any cement further down the system if you're not careful, the fumes are scary.

I'd be tempted to:

-put on some thick gloves
-open the window or put on extractor fan
-put in some spirit of salts, maybe 1:5 with water (don't drip it anywhere else)
-run away, close the door, don't let anyone in there for an hour or two

...but I'm no professional

 

[Diver Fred]

I first heard about Sprits of Salt in the 'Modesty Blaze' novel where her no2 poured Sprit of Salt on to a Scooter* seat to distract a person following them. Sounded like something useful for a teenager to know

*Edit - Fecking spell checker/auto-correct

 

[Deluks]

What Stephenstephen said, but use it neat.

 

[JohnD]

...a Scorer seat....

What's that?

 

[opps]

Spirit of salts is fun stuff - you can buy it in hardware shops, it's strong acid, it eats lime, it might eat any cement further down the system if you're not careful, the fumes are scary.

I'd be tempted to:

-put on some thick gloves
-open the window or put on extractor fan
-put in some spirit of salts, maybe 1:5 with water (don't drip it anywhere else)
-run away, close the door, don't let anyone in there for an hour or two

...but I'm no professional

I hadn't realised that it is 5-10% hydrochloric acid.

I might get some.

I normally use HG Blue for removing lime scale.

 

[Diver Fred]

What's that?

Scooter Seat.

 

[ChrisJP]

I don't see how this can be limescale - unless the water in the toilet is heated to boiling routinely. No matter how hard the water is, limescale only precipitates out when the water is boiled - hence it accumulates in kettles. I've never heard of it accumulating in toilets.
My money's on cement being dumped into the toilet by a cowboy builder at some time - and some of it set before it could be flushed away.
That will explain the difficulty in removing it. Probably only a strong acid like Spirit of Salts (which is hydrochloric acid) will shift it - not vinegar (acetic acid) and not citric acid.

 

[opps]

limescale only precipitates out when the water is boiled

That isn't quite true... my loo pan has a trail of limescale from where the water was dripping in from the cistern.

Over the years, I have seen loads of cold water taps with limescale on them.

I suspect that toilets with faecal matter (under the water line) that is not removed for some time will attract even more limescale.

 

[Madrab]

Limescale is formed by either precipitation or evaporation. Taking stalagmites, it is the minerals dissolved by the slightly acidic water which becomes super saturated and then the minerals precipitate out when that drips down, leaving the solids behind as solid columns. Water outlets, toilets, sinks, basins etc get a film of CC due to hard water either evaporating or precipitating and leaving the minerals/salts behind as limescale

Limescale in HW (elements/coils, etc) is a different process though the end result is the same whereby the CC precipitates out. That has to do the the heating of the water forcing out CO2, causing the concentration of the CC to rise at the heat source, that forces the CC to drop out of solution.

We did that stuff way back when doing C&G Level 3 as an separate elected module, did get a bit heady though mind you.

 

[Agile]

Hydrochloric acid is the best way to dissolve lime scale and will do it quite quickly.

Best supplied at a 32% solution.

Only needs about 10% solution for a toilet bowl and as it produces calcium chloride that is very soluable and does not prevent the acid reaching the limescale.

It can bubble quite a lot so needs to be applied slowly to see what happens.

Because I use a lot of it then I buy it in 30 litres of 32%

It is what is sold as brick acid so that could be used. Also available sometimes in 1 litre bottles.

 

[lettywetty]

Bought on Ebay 3 bottles of Kilrock Spirits of Salt which gave a bit of result.
Bought on Toolstation a tin of Brick Acid but when I went to collect, they refused to give it to me, "not possible, you have to be licenced bla bla bla" and refunded. Managed to find some on Ebay, it will be delivered today.
I would like to know where all of you buy your acid because so far only Ebay has been good to us!

 

[JohnD]

It will also eat away the concrete it drips on.

 

[robinbanks]

Can't see that being limescale, but your acid would eat it faster if you seal the exit up (wrap the end in something that will not be destroyed by the acid you choose) and tip the toilet up so you can fill it with acid and let the deposit sit in the acid. This will work better than applying a thin layer of acid to the surface of the deposit, as the fizzing you see is the small amount of acid applied being used up and converted into a salt plus plain old water.
If the deposit were immersed in a large amount of acid then it would be a lot less labour intensive a way to ensure that the deposit was constantly taking part in a chemical reaction

A local automotive supplier may be able and willing to provide you with sulphuric acid if they fill batteries, but you have to bear in mind that the recent rising trend of acid being used in personal assaults has led to restrictions on selling strong acids to the general public, so check that suppliers will hand the product over before travelling

 

[gas112]

I don't see how this can be limescale - unless the water in the toilet is heated to boiling routinely. No matter how hard the water is, limescale only precipitates out when the water is boiled - hence it accumulates in kettles. I've never heard of it accumulating in toilets.
My money's on cement being dumped into the toilet by a cowboy builder at some time - and some of it set before it could be flushed away.
That will explain the difficulty in removing it. Probably only a strong acid like Spirit of Salts (which is hydrochloric acid) will shift it - not vinegar (acetic acid) and not citric acid.

very very common in toilets , same as on tap outlets