Vinegar and Carbonates/Kalk

[nanomania]

Is there are ratio of vinegar to kalk or sodium carbonate? So they dissolve properly?

My ATO reservoir has loads of kalk deposit, can i add vinegar to dissolve it?

Im slowly shifting to sodium carbonate dosing only, had been dosing kalk along with it through my ato.

Since i dont want this issue of kalk deposits that may spoil my ato pump. I want to shift to sodium carbonate only.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Dissolve properly? Is this for routine dosing or for cleaning?

I don't think that preventing deposits is a normal outcome of adding vinegar to limewater as folks still usually make a saturated solution that has a high pH.

 

[nanomania]

Dissolve properly? Is this for routine dosing or for cleaning?

I don't think that preventing deposits is a normal outcome of adding vinegar to limewater as folks still usually make a saturated solution that has a high pH.

The issue is alk part doesnt dissolve completely.

As for kalk in ato, there is too much of sludge left at the bottom and on the walls. Is it possible to add vinegar in the ato, that would dissolve the remaining kalk in the water? This would clean the reservoir and at the same time dose the tank with extra kalk.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

As I mentioned, when people add vinegar to limewater, the idea is to dissolve more calcium hydroxide before you reach the saturation limit. But the pH is still very high at the saturation limit and it will not dissolve calcium carbonate deposits.

If you took normal limewater at saturation and add vinegar to lower the pH, the solution becomes a breeding ground for bacteria to consume the acetate, so it isn't desirable to add enough vinegar to lower the pH down toward neutrality.