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  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2021
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    Default Reomving corrosion from rowing machine paddles in a sealed tank

    Hi there. I've got a slightly tricky problem here - due to my own idiocy for not making sure to use the correct item, I used a chlorine tablet as a water purifier in the tank of my Water Rower, and it has corroded the stainless steel paddles inside the tank. They sat in the chlorinated water for a week or two, until I actually noticed the water going brown (!) and drained it as best I could. The tank is sealed and only has a 30mm hole in the top for draining the tank (using a hand pump or whatever). The corrosion looks bad, but it doesn't look like it's actually compromised the strength or structure of the paddles, so seemingly it's only cosmetic.

    What I'm after, then, is a product that can be put in the tank and help dissolve the rust/clean the metal, but without any scrubbing, because I can't open the tank to actually get to the paddles. I can operate the paddles, so they can move around in the solution, though. The tank is plastic and really well sealed. Even if I could remove the seal, it would make the tank look terrible and I wouldn't be able to reseal it properly. Also, there's a lot of wooden structure around the tank that is a complete pig to get off. I've tried it before.

    So if such a product exists, it needs to be safe on the plastic, and I need a lot of it - I need to fill the tank up enough to cover the paddles, which is at least 15-20 litres. I've seen things like white vinegar suggested, but I can't help thinking that might not be strong enough to really get the corrosion off if I'm not able to scrub it.

    Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

    Cheers.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
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    South Australia
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    1,656

    Default

    Chlorine should not affect the correct stainless steal, commercial swimming pools use stainless steel for that very reason, I am not a scientist but I would try something like bicarb (sodium Bicarbonate) to neutralise the chlorine then flush the the whole tank and replace the water.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2021
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    UK
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    Quote Originally Posted by China View Post
    Chlorine should not affect the correct stainless steal, commercial swimming pools use stainless steel for that very reason, I am not a scientist but I would try something like bicarb (sodium Bicarbonate) to neutralise the chlorine then flush the the whole tank and replace the water.
    Thanks for the reply, but the problem is that whatever the paddles are made of, they have been corroded by the chorine - maybe it's not chlorine resistant stainless steel, because the water purifier they recommend isn't chlorine-based, I used the wrong thing. I've also drained the tank, so the chlorinated water is not a problem now, all I want to do is try and remove some or all of the brown corrosion from the actual metal, just to make it look better really.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
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    Norwood-ish, Adelaide
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    59
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    6,541

    Default

    This forum is mainly Australians so the names might be different in the UK, but have you tried something like CLR?
    Filling the whole tank is probably not an option, but either sloshing some around in there, turning the tank so it is in contact with the main surfaces or diluting it down may work.

    Michael

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Southern Highlands NSW
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    1,894

    Default

    Steel wool and elbow grease?

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
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    sydney ( st marys )
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    Quote Originally Posted by nadroj View Post
    Steel wool and elbow grease?
    Did you read the 1st post?

  7. #7
    BobL is offline Member: Blue and white apron brigade
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    Feb 2006
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    Perth
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    7,183

    Default

    We've got something similar so I know what you mean about access
    .
    First thing is to get hold of a small water feature pump because you are going to have to get loads of water in and out of the tank.

    I would try some vinegar - ideally you would fill teh tanks but that's going to cost a few bob so just get 4L of vinegar and move the paddles around every few minutes and repeat that until the corrosion is dissolved. then remove the vinegar

    fill tank with water and slosh paddles around a bit - repeat that at least twice.

    Fill tank with water and use proper sterilising tablet for the machine.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Oct 2015
    Location
    melbourne
    Posts
    473

    Default

    Ah, transparent tank. Now I understand. I'm thinking more like staining than corrosion. If vinegar doesn't work, or CLR (Calcium lime rust remover), maybe evaporust. Options getting dearer, but your machine is not cheap either.

    Maybe talk to a stainless fabricator. I know there are specialist products for cleaning stainless, no idea if they can be applied inside a tank.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    York, North Yorkshire UK
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    Hi Guys,

    Its quite likely that even if the paddles are stainless, the shafts may not be !

    The parts had to be assembled and put into the tank, so I think that making it a completely sealed unit is a rubbish idea ! Making this item un-maintanable is one way of limiting its life !
    Best Regards:
    Baron J.

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