Getting rid of rust

coloradobluesky

coloradobluesky

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coloradobluesky
Not in the plane, but in the toilet. For whatever reason, my vintage 1987 house has parts in the tank that rusted extensively. I had a plumber change as many parts to new, non rusted but the water still stains the toilet bowl with rim of rust.

Which rust removal product conquers this stuff for good and where do I get it? And what is the active ingredient?
 
OxiClean probably would. It removes every other kind of stain.

Rich
 
CLR is about the best consumer product. The rust stains probably line the internal passages which are typically unglazed. Removal of the rust will take time and effort. If a plumber was needed to replace a few parts then cleaning the rust will probably require a return visit for disassembly, treating and flushing.

A new toto drake in sanigloss can be purchased for about $350.
 
There are a few places where the rust deposits could be hiding: There's a gasket between the tank and the bowl, and there are internal passages inside the bowl. I wonder if running CLR or something similar from inside the tank a few times might wash some of that stuff out?
 
Yes there is rust in the tank on the surface of the tank and some remaining parts that are covered with rust. I want to dump some chemical in there to change the rust into something else that wont stain.
 
Turn off the water, drain the tank, remove the two bolts holding it to the bowl. Take it outside and scrub it. Also scrub where it connects to the bowl. Replace the gasket and the blots and washers and bolt it back together. It worked for me.
 
coloradobluesky said:
Yes there is rust in the tank on the surface of the tank and some remaining parts that are covered with rust. I want to dump some chemical in there to change the rust into something else that wont stain.
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Empty the tank and allow surfaces to dry. Spray CLR liberally. Keep surfaces wet with CLR until clean. Some scrubbing will probably be required which is difficult with fill valve and flush valve in place. I've used stiff bristle brushes and scotchbrite type pads.

Access to passages in bowl will be a problem and satisfactory results will likely be difficult to achieve.

Once you get tired of fighting it buy and install the drake or drake II. Make sure you get the sanigloss finish.

I am not associated with drake and I'm not a plumber. I have fixed/repaired toilets in all 3 houses I've owned. I don't tolerate leaks or high maintenance crappers.
 
You don't happen to know what is CLR is actually made of do you?
 
You might end up deciding that replacing the whole thing is worth the effort. Swapping out a toilet is actually pretty simple. If you do it carefully, there is little mess to clean up after (like water on the floor). Just make sure the new toilet fits - sometimes different dimensions will interfere with the fit against a wall, vanity, cabinet, or door clearance. Pay the extra couple of dollars for a good one that actually flushes on the first try, and then sleep well knowing it is ready for even the heaviest action.
 
I did an experiment at home to remove rust from some tools. Molasses and toilet bowl cleaner (both diluted a little in water) did the best. Simple Green did OK, even though it shouldn't have an effect on rust. I would try just squeezing some TB cleaner into the water in the tank (a good amount), stir it around and let it sit a bit. Then flush a couple times. Only costs a couple bucks if it doesn't work.
 
Are you on a well, or city water?

Have owned a home that had a bad iron bacteria problem coming straight from the well. Went through cases of CLR as the bacteria continually stained every fixture in the house.

http://lancasterpump.com/the-more-you-know-iron-bacteria/
Like this:
BathTubIronStains.jpg
 
Mechanical means(remove and wire brush) will be the best. Chemical wise there's some stuff you should be able to find at a home improvement store called(IIRC) acidic toilet bowl cleaner. It will be in a different bottle than the regular cleaners and it's covered in warning labels- wear rubber gloves/don't touch it. It will start eating the rust on contact, much much more effective than CLR in my experience. I used it on everything including the shower.... chromed metal parts can be stained by it though so be careful with that. Probably more effective for stains than heavy crusty stuff... for that you really have to remove it mechanically.
 
The iron isn't in the water, its in the rusted parts in the tank. Plumber told me that (he read the city water tests).
 
One word of caution. If you are on a septic system, be very careful of what you put down the drain, toilet etc trying to clean it. The system depends on certain bacteria to function and certain chemicals (especially in high concentrations) can wreak havoc on the system.
 
The Works (toilet bowl cleaner). Specifically formulated for rusty bowls. The company I work for used to own the business.
 
We have a well that always has a slight iron bacteria issue as described in the article above. (It's harmless to humans but stains things badly at that crazy photo shows.)

Wife figured out that mechanical removal works best. Pumice stone. Seriously. Porous and rough enough to work with a cleanser to scrape off any iron stains, but brittle enough to shed small chunks of material that'll just get flushed and end up in the septic which will come out at the next septic pumping like any other solid.

I suppose wet sandpaper would have also worked fine considering what we now know was the fastest and simplest removal method, but she tried various stuff while trying to keep boatloads of chemicals from heading to the septic, including various vinegar and other stuff based ideas.

Best solution was good old fashioned scrubbing with a little help from something fairly rough.

By the way, a side note, pumice stones are one of the secret weapons of car detailers when removing dog fur from modern vehicle carpet. Drag the stone across the carpet, it'll grab the fur and pull it out of the carpet much easier than any other method.

Suggest not using a stone that was used to scrub the toilets on the car carpet though. Just sayin'. :)
 
GlennAB1 said:
I've had very good luck using a damp wash cloth to removed pet hair from a lot of things.
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Yup. We always have dogs and there's always one that sheds. And we've done the ultimate shedder... a Husky mix. A black Husky blowing her coat is a hair extravaganza to behold and like no other. LOL!

The washcloth doesn't work for the carpet in the vehicles beyond taking a top layer of fur off. Especially that nearly Velcro-like carpet they put on the back of the back seats... that stuff will grab and hold hair and won't let go.

Comes right off with a pass of the stone. That pumice stone can make you wonder if the dogs were ever in the back of the Yukon.

Glad I tipped well that day when I had the Yukon detailed a while back when I thought I might sell it. Kid showed me some of his tricks and I was amazed.

Nowadays since we have a dirt road and a dirt driveway, I still give it an annual once over, but not nearly as interested in shining it up in the driveway like we seemed to be obsessed with in the city. Cars in driveways apparently are supposed to be all sparkly or something. Haha.
 
This is so easy to clean it's almost funny. Get some Muriatic Acid. Put this in a spray bottle. Spray this area Down. Let sit for a few mins and wipe clean. Easy...
Tony
 
It very well could be coming from your supply pipe, they would be cast iron. If from your toilet then you have very few parts to choose from. Take out the bolts holding the tank to the bowl and replace with stainless bolts, yours are probably a zinc coated steel.

If your toilet has rust, maybe think about draining your water heater, pull out the elements and check those. Can do this with some garden hose, just hook the hose to the drain spigot then open your pressure valve and let it drain, unscrew the elements and check those out.
 
Most water mains these days are either PVC or ductile iron, neither of which leach iron to any significant degree. You might see iron leaching from steel pipe but not normally enough to cause staining. Iron is common in groundwater, and if the source is groundwater, that's where it is probably coming from.

In the OP's case, it sounds like his water is very corrosive, if his fixtures are getting eaten up that bad.
 
In my case it's not coming from the supply pipe or from the water. Its coming from the rusted stuff in the tank. I had this checked out because I was concerned about drinking iron rich water (too much iron isnt good for you). We are on city water and sewer. The plumber replaced what he could. He suggested new toilets.

What everyone suggest otherwise could be true for some installations. Im just trying to fix it without replacing the toilets.
 
coloradobluesky said:
In my case it's not coming from the supply pipe or from the water. Its coming from the rusted stuff in the tank. I had this checked out because I was concerned about drinking iron rich water (too much iron isnt good for you). We are on city water and sewer. The plumber replaced what he could. He suggested new toilets.

What everyone suggest otherwise could be true for some installations. Im just trying to fix it without replacing the toilets.
Click to expand...

I suspect serious scrubbing will deal with it. If it doesn't the porcelain enamel is crapped out and new is going to be the way to go.

I don't have any before and after photos of ours (not in the habit of taking photos of toilets) but they cleaned right up with the right amount of abrasive assistance.
 
In my locale, hardness is the biggest killer of toilet allure is hardness. The only thing that works is pumice stone. Period. CLR doesn't work. The other stuff that claims to dissolve hardness stains doesn't work. It won't damage glazed porcelain, and it will positively remove anything stuck to its surface.

Unglazed porcelain is stained for life.
 
If it's not some cool vintage toilet, just get a new toilet.

Ive also recall seeing some SS kits to replace the few inner parts that make up the toilet.

If you have parts rusting don't think it's a cleaning issue as much as remove and replace rusting parts event.
 
coloradobluesky said:
Not in the plane, but in the toilet. For whatever reason, my vintage 1987 house has parts in the tank that rusted extensively. I had a plumber change as many parts to new, non rusted but the water still stains the toilet bowl with rim of rust.

Which rust removal product conquers this stuff for good and where do I get it? And what is the active ingredient?
Click to expand...

Dump a cup of this stuff in the bowl. swish it round, let it stand 30 minutes, flush. cleanest bowl you ever have.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/ZEP-128-oz-Driveway-Concrete-and-Masonry-Cleaner-ZUCON128/100619236
Don't breath the fumes of this stuff, it is strong.
 
coloradobluesky said:
Where do you buy muratic acid?
Click to expand...

Lowes carries it as do most pool supply stores. It will not etch porcelain. It is used in swimming pools and other things. You do not want to breath it. Be careful spraying it. I wear a mask when spraying it and just pour it in the toilet. Let it sit about 10 mins. Wipe with a toilet brush and it will look like new. I have let it sit for 24 hrs in my toilet and did not hurt a thing.

Anyone who uses or has hard water " Well Water " uses this.

Tony
 
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