Removing Calcium Deposits From Powder Coating

Is your coffee maker powder coated? I don't want to soften the coating, then blow it off with the HPS.

I'll try some vinegar and CLR and report back.

No, but vinegar gets rid of the mineral deposits.

I just came up with a real easy fix if that stuff wants to fight you.

Take a couple of quarts, (or one), of black oil based Rustoleum, or similar product. Thin it out to the point that you're not going to get a thick buildup. Take a cheap 1/2 inch roller on a pole and just paint the damned thing.

Hit it once, and then run back over it with the roller dry to pick up any drips........done!

I'm going to try the vinegar first.

I do have a quart of black Rustoleum paint that I bought 3 years ago when I thought I wanted to repaint my car hauler. I've learned to live with the rust.

I may learn to live with a gray fence, too.

Or you could paint it the same white as the deposits. Once and done.

Lyn, if you mean the product CLR, then you shouldn't have any difficulties with it.

I use that stuff, along with KrudKutter to clean up everything around this house, including all sorts of galvanized steel products. Noooo ppprrrooobbbbllllleeemmmm!

I have not had experiance with what happens to powder coating when you use the product you talk about but if it works then there is a cheaper way to get the same thing in a concentrated form it is called PHOSPHORIC ACID you can purchess this in 1litre bottles from your local hydrophonics shop for about $20 it is used for dropping the PH in the neutriants.

WARNING this is a concentrated solution & the brand I buy is 81% v/v of PHOSPHORIC ACID.

The product you mention is greatly diluted so read the concentration from the lable of that product to find out you ratio & dilute the PHOSPHORIC ACID with water to the same level.

I would experiment on a piece of the powder coating before useing it on the fence maybe you could get a scrap piece from the people that sold you the fence & soak it in a strong solution to see the effect.

I regularly use this PHOSPHORIC ACID diluted with water as a rust converter / remover

True, it is the active component in CLR - and many such products - (and dissolves zinc quite well).

Yes I have used it in a diluted form to clean galvanised fittings it makes them look new again but have always washed it off well to stop it eating it away completely

Yes - one can be a little more 'controlled' with parts, than possibly a fence.

Personally I favor Karmarat's advice of vinegar and 'same color paint' - but equally my agreement could be the 'kiss of death', in the current climate.

Dear Calcium Removal Request: What is the product with three initials that you are intending to use? JMMaurer

WTF

As with any chemical used on a ferric-based material, always rinse with clean tap water to remove the residue...ditto on stainless steels and aluminum products to name a few...

I even do that after dipping steel parts in the rust remover solution. It also acts to stop the chemical reactions occurring on the metal surfaces.

yeah, vinegar is a good start but may not be strong enough. the phos. acid is a better choice and inexpensive too. you can find it at Lowe's and Home Depot.

Cap'n,

I didn't see it indicated that there was any ferric based material showing through the coating????

In our marine industry the re-activation of 'zinc', inc. galvanised structures, is readily accomplished with acetic acid, and phosphoric acid, but not so much.

Vinegar is the expensive way of obtaining acetic acid. I buy phosphoric in powder form, as well.

That said, I'm still unsure if the powder coating has ablated to expose the Zn...?????

Be great idea to find out what salts and debris are deposited on the surface of the structure.

They may be essentially harmless, and it may OK to simply overcoat the discolouration with some inert coating such as a moisture curing urethane ( pref with some UV protection in it) to such a such a film thickness that it's mechanically sound, thus encapsulating the crud forever, and forget the whole thing.

Cheers,

Stu.

Hi Stu,

There is no exposed metal. The coating is intact. So, as you suspected, I'm only talking about cleaning the outer, powder coating.

I'll try a small patch later today.

Cheers.

Hey Stuey, how's it going down there? Hope you're warm and toasty!

You've got a valid point there. When I was posting I wasn't quite sure how old the galvanized fence posts where and if the galvanizing had worn through in any place. You never know how thorough the galvanizing process was done at the manufacturing plant (hint: country of origin issue again?), especially when you can buy these cheapo products at the Big Box stores now days.

Yes, best to test a small section of fence post with the vinegar, or the phos. acid later if it is on hand in the house...why bother going out to buy a gallon of either if it's there? I've seen vinegar take off the mineral deposits around this house where CLR wouldn't even touch them.....and we have a Village water service too!

Maybe just as well to paint the fence posts with a high gloss polyurethane paint in the long run...they even make clear coat paint of this type now days. After removing the rust, priming and applying a color correct top coat paint on my spare lawn tractor (formally my parents. I'm converting it to accept a DIY front loader bucket) I applied several layers of the clear coat paint. Looks great and hopefully arrest any further corrosion of the base metal. Same work may have to be applied to the fence posts, but to an lesser extent..whatever is cost effective should dictate the level of restoration....or buy some new fence posts?!

Have a great day!

CaptMoosie,

You've cut me to the quick. Cheapo products indeed!

Seriously, the fence was fabricated, galvanized and powder coated right here in Phoenix. I've never bothered to measure the thickness, since it wasn't specified on the purchase order. However, it looks good and consistent. And it's only 3 years old. It was installed by a well established professional fencing company.

So, yes, we're talking about powder coating, not metal.

Lyn,

With all of the foregoing you'll have a method, now.

Your fence is in good shape, it's only the colour the wife doesn't like.

brush-paint some acid on it an leave for a while, good rinse with garden hose, allow to dry then brush-paint it with a good moisture curing urethane ( these level so well that there won't be any brush marks but apply thin coats, as they run like nothing else), of the isocyanate branch. I could give you a Stateside brand if you want. (What the hell, go here: www.por15.com )

It has better film mechanical characteristics than most of the alternatives, and ,no it doesn't cost an arm and a leg. 10sq metres per litre, as least.

Cheers,

Stu

Just a thought on that Lyn - do you know what material the powder coat is?

It might be an idea to check if it's susceptible to any of the solutions mentioned above - particularly in the "concentrated approach" suggested by some.

^{_{(ducks for cover)}}

start with plain old vinegar if that does not work with some elbow grease and some warm water than the best stuff is stainless steel cleaner I have used that on calcium waterspots here in the hot sun of california summers and had great results on poly urethane coatings But ask the powder boys what they think besides moving those tinkelers...

One very economical method of removing calcium is a solution of Citric Acid. Buy a couple of kilos of the powder from a commercial supplier and dilute with 2 litres of water. Brush on the solution and leave for a few hours before washing off. It is more powerfull than the acetic acid in vinegar. After treatment, try putting some floor wax polish on the painted surface to delay future build up of calcium and to restore the colour of the painted surface. We use it all the time for de-scaling membranes in water treatment plants, de-scaling swimming pools and generally at home in the kitchen and bathrooms for removing any scale from tiles and dirt from tile joints.

Damn, but thats a good answer! I would mark it AS a GA if you had signed in, but I make it a point to not encourage anonomyous posters by giving them Good Answers. Me, I would have suggested white vinegar to wash away the calcium, but your stuff is better and easier on the environment.

Damn, but thats a good answer! I would mark it AS a GA if you had signed in, but I make it a point to not encourage anonomyous posters by giving them Good Answers. Me, I would have suggested white vinegar to wash away the calcium, but your stuff is better and easier on the environment

Thank you Sir. Hope we get some feedback of a successfull outcome.

The project has been postponed due to freezing temperatures and the fact that the labor force has homework to do.

I heard that the Toyota plant in Japan is using eco-smart paint ,that was invented

in the UK only a few years back. It has disappeared from my eco smart collection.

I found an on-line eco-smart paint company with the email

eecosmart@gmail.com you might check and see if they know the actual ordering

ref.# for the paint.It is known to absorb or attract outdoor pollution, I thought it

would be perfect for painting Sewer Main manholes here.ds

FIRST REPORT.

I finally got a chance to begin my experiments in removing calcium deposits from powder coating.

This is Arizona, I have an orange tree, so I began my test using the citric acid in an orange off my tree.

Here's a brief description of the first test.

I took an orange off the tree and sliced it in half. I had already assembled the other materials at the fence. 1 orange, one paper towel, one hose; charged with water and one Budweiser lager bottle.

During the entire test, I firmly grasped the Bud bottle in my left hand. The gyroscopic effect of the bottle of beer seems to stabilize the "orange" hand.

I then simply, gently applied the OJ from it's original container/applicator to a conspicuous location on a vertical fence rail. Why waste time?

After several casual applications of OJ to the fence and Bud to me, I'm thrilled to report that after only 5 minutes the deposits rinsed of with water from a hose. No HPS required, but I may use it when I do the rest of the job.

I have three small helpers who would love to rub oranges on the fence and then squirt it off with the hose.

More later.....................................

Now THAT'S thinking out side the box. (The beer I mean).

Great stuff.

Eco and Enviro friendly, compostable biodegradable packaging.

Excellent. You're worth more money. ( do you want me to tell him?)

Cheers,

Stu.

And Bonus points for child slavery providing "work experience".

FINAL REPORT

Well, it's back up to 70°F here and I have confirmed that oranges are an excellent calcium remover.

Our back yard oranges are inedible, so they make perfect deposit removers.

Cut one in half and slather it on a fence part. Do this a couple of times and hose it off. Don't let the citrus juice dry. Two minutes, then hose it off and all the calcium is gone.

Bye bye.