BajaNomad - Mundane Question

Mundane Question

Suzie - 8-25-2012 at 10:43 AM

Our pila is made of cement blocks and is going to be drained this coming week and cleaned. Aside from cleaning out years of sediment from the bottom, what would be good for scrubbing the inside walls. Tide, cloro, various types of cleaners? Any ideas?
Thanks, Suzie

Paulclark - 8-25-2012 at 10:48 AM

Chlorine

Mula - 8-25-2012 at 11:19 AM

Acido Muriatico?

durrelllrobert - 8-25-2012 at 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Suzie
what would be good for scrubbing the inside walls. Thanks, Suzie

A Mexican that is small enough to get down inside it :lol:

BajaBlanca - 8-25-2012 at 11:33 AM

Bob Durrell has the right idea ... we always get one of my teenage students to jump inside and clean away !

Suzie - 8-25-2012 at 12:39 PM

Thanks all. I forgot to mention we have a small Mexican who is going to be inside the pila. I guess with chlorine, muriatic acid and elbow grease plus a couple of cahuamas
(mas o menos) we should be O.K.

DENNIS - 8-25-2012 at 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Suzie
Thanks all. I forgot to mention we have a small Mexican who is going to be inside the pila. I guess with chlorine, muriatic acid and elbow grease plus a couple of cahuamas
(mas o menos) we should be O.K.

Adaquate ventilation will be important.....muriatic is terrible stuff and I have no idea what it morphs into when mixed with other chemicals such as chlorine.

john/gerda - 8-25-2012 at 12:44 PM

Suzie,

say it ain't so,

you were not planning on having this person apply multiple chemicals at the same time were you.

Mula - 8-25-2012 at 12:53 PM

Put a fan in there!!!!!!

bacquito - 8-25-2012 at 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mula
Put a fan in there!!!!!!

Better yet, don't put anybody in there. Chlorine is bad stuff-hard on the lungs.

desertcpl - 8-25-2012 at 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by john/gerda
Suzie,

say it ain't so,

you were not planning on having this person apply multiple chemicals at the same time were you.

I agree completely,, dont mix, use either one by them selfs

but I would think real hard about sending some one in especially acid, have them go in first and muck out the sediments
do you have any algea built up

Russ - 8-25-2012 at 01:07 PM

Probably not practical but a power washer does a really good job if you have another water source available. Then paint the inside with a 20% bleach mix. Don't mix it with any other stuff. Use Clorox if you can find it the Mexican bleach usually had something else added. I think a thick nap roller would do well and maybe do it twice. In Washington we used 1/2 cup to a 200gal. pressure tank, let it sit for 6 hours then flushed it. The pressure washer will solve a lot of scrubbing problems. If you end up scrubbing the gunk out use water and stiff brushes first before any soap or chemicals. then you can use the 20% mix to finish it off. Doesn't have to be perfect the bleach will sanitize it. If you want and there is a lot of residue after you fill the tank let it settle a day or two then flush the bottom out. It's a job anyway you look at it. Have a blast!

Bob and Susan - 8-25-2012 at 01:33 PM

no people and chemicals...you can put chemicals in your water to "clean" the concrete

you'll kill someone with acid OR heavy clorine

soap and water and a brush

DONT PAINT!!!

Suzie - 8-25-2012 at 01:51 PM

We would never use a combination of chemicals and since this discussion, I think we'll opt for soap and water. We do have a pressure washer which we can use. Another danger we have to watch out for is splashing cold water on the hot shop lights that will illuminate the inside of the pila.
Thanks again for your input.

mtgoat666 - 8-25-2012 at 03:36 PM

Quote:

"we have a small mexican" sounds like you own him or her.

have you ever seen the movie, "day without a mexican?"

why can't gringos fit inside tanks?

mtgoat666 - 8-25-2012 at 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DENNIS

Quote:

Adaquate ventilation will be important.....muriatic is terrible stuff and I have no idea what it morphs into when mixed with other chemicals such as chlorine.

that's why they are using their "small mexican" dont want to damage the small or small chinese.

DENNIS - 8-25-2012 at 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mtgoat666
why can't gringos fit inside tanks?

I'll send you a map to San Antonio de Las Minas. After a couple of hours in that pila, you'll understand why they call it "Whine Country." :lol:

DavidE - 8-25-2012 at 04:22 PM

My neighbors scrub down the tinacas and aljibes with strong soap and water. I'll refill mine, dump in a full gallon of blanqeador to 3,000 liters of flush water, let it sit overnight to soak deep into the concrete and kill everything ten times over, then flush with fresh agua domestico. Shower, sink and toilets get multiple doses of that strong chlorine soak.

I do not care much for what muriatic acid does to the lime component of concrete. Mexican crete is scarce enough on cement as it is.

DENNIS - 8-25-2012 at 04:55 PM

I try my best to keep all that stuff out of my septic system. It'll kill that too.

durrelllrobert - 8-25-2012 at 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DENNIS
I try my best to keep all that stuff out of my septic system. It'll kill that too.

SMART MAN and yours isn't made from Mexican concrete blocks and morter like the rest of us:

durrelllrobert - 8-25-2012 at 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mtgoat666

why can't gringos fit inside tanks?

DENNIS - 8-25-2012 at 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by durrelllrobert

Quote:

Originally posted by DENNIS
I try my best to keep all that stuff out of my septic system. It'll kill that too.

SMART MAN and yours isn't made from Mexican concrete blocks and morter like the rest of us:

Hey...that's my tank....1000 gallons of joy from tankdepot.com.

willyAirstream - 8-26-2012 at 07:14 AM

That is a first - Back clevage ! Ugh

DENNIS - 8-26-2012 at 07:52 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by willyAirstream
That is a first - Back clevage ! Ugh

Yeah...Looks like a great big butt.