I am wondering if anyone has been successful at getting rust of a Steel Breaker box. We recently got dozens of Square D Homeline panels from a remodel and the bottom exteriors have spots of rust starting. Interior is 100% ok. Maybe Vinegar + H2O + soaking??? Anyone have any advice?
Rusty Load Center
- Thread starter Dansos
- Start date
- Status
hbiss
EC, New York NEC: 2017
- Location
- Little Falls, New York NEC: 2017
- Occupation
- EC
Phosphoric acid. Product that used to be sold by auto body supply called "Metal Prep".
I see it is still available- https://www.eastwood.com/por-15-met...M0rFaTU0sdZcoWTiIfb3rHL47IRKOkEEaAoIcEALw_wcB
Then there is- https://www.homedepot.com/p/Klean-Strip-1-gal-Phosphoric-Prep-and-Etch-GKPA30220/100406369
Set up a plastic pan and let the bottom of the panels soak. Rust will be gone and ready for paint.
-Hal
I see it is still available- https://www.eastwood.com/por-15-met...M0rFaTU0sdZcoWTiIfb3rHL47IRKOkEEaAoIcEALw_wcB
Then there is- https://www.homedepot.com/p/Klean-Strip-1-gal-Phosphoric-Prep-and-Etch-GKPA30220/100406369
Set up a plastic pan and let the bottom of the panels soak. Rust will be gone and ready for paint.
-Hal
- Location
- San Francisco Bay Area, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Electrical Engineer
I guess nobody has heard of “Naval Jelly”? It’s been a while since I’ve had to use it, I don’t know if it’s even still in stores.
zbang
Senior Member
- Location
- Roughly 5346 miles from Earls Court
Phosphoric acid in a gel; still sold in stores (I've seen it recently).
rlundsrud
Senior Member
- Location
- chicago, il, USA
It would take me a long time to collect enough of it to be worthwhile. Perhaps I can mix some toe jam with it, that might add up to an appreciable amount.
Coppersmith
Senior Member
- Location
- Tampa, FL, USA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
It's also one of the ingredients in Coca-Cola.
https://www.google.com/search?q=coca+cola+ingredients
oldsparky52
Senior Member
- Location
- Wilmington, NC USA
If your plan is to clean them up and install them on another job ... I would not.
I would think after paying for the clean up product and repainting and labor, it just would not be profitable. If you don't repaint, the rust will be back in no time.
LarryFine
Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
- Location
- Henrico County, VA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
I remember seeing it in the classified ads in the back of Popular Science magazine decades ago.
hbiss
EC, New York NEC: 2017
- Location
- Little Falls, New York NEC: 2017
- Occupation
- EC
It's also one of the ingredients in Coca-Cola.
https://www.google.com/search?q=coca+cola+ingredients
Yes, I was going to say Coca-Cola. :happyyes:
-Hal
Cow
Senior Member
- Location
- Eastern Oregon
- Occupation
- Electrician
My folks have a dairy farm right on the Oregon coast.
Rust is common on farm equipment.
This is what we used ALL THE TIME when prepping rusty surfaces.
http://www.ospho.com
I believe we got it from Napa.
Rust is common on farm equipment.
This is what we used ALL THE TIME when prepping rusty surfaces.
http://www.ospho.com
I believe we got it from Napa.
oldsparky52
Senior Member
- Location
- Wilmington, NC USA
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
You realize there area acids naturally occurring as well as added to a lot of food products.It's also one of the ingredients in Coca-Cola.
https://www.google.com/search?q=coca+cola+ingredients
I don't know how much is in Coca-Cola, but chances are it is only there to attain overall desired pH level of the product.
I've been around food processing and they do add acids or bases to adjust pH level of product as needed all the time. Sometimes it isn't how much acid is necessary in the formulas but more of a situation of keep adding until certain pH level is reached.
That one cup of acid that may be deadly if you ingest it is harmless if diluted into hundreds or thousands of gallons of product.
Vinegar is an acid, takes a lot more of what you buy on grocery store shelf to do same job as a 50% solution of phosphoric acid when adding it to a large batch of product.
K8MHZ
Senior Member
- Occupation
- Electrician
I never heard of the product until I clicked on the link. They are in Holland, Michigan, not too far from where I live.
It has to be good stuff if it's an official Boeing product.
- Location
- Placerville, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Retired PV System Designer
Just don't use the "max" version.
Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
hbiss
EC, New York NEC: 2017
- Location
- Little Falls, New York NEC: 2017
- Occupation
- EC
I wasn't being serious about using Coca-Cola, that's why I didn't mention it originally.
-Hal
- Location
- San Francisco Bay Area, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Electrical Engineer
Mythbusters did a deep dive on this issue and pretty much debunked the idea that Coca Cola has enough acid in it to be noticed, let along clean rust off of bumpers or dissolve a set of false teeth in a glass (the myths they were busting).
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