Sodium Per.....Hydro.....Hypo ?

[Earl Johnson 14]

Hello All,

Enjoy this board with all the info. Its Great! I do have a question about chemicals though. Can somebody explain the applications and differences between Sodium Percarbonate, Sodium Hydroxide, and Sodium Hypoclorite. Is one preferred over the other? Thanks Also, I tryed out my new x-jet. Couldn't get it to draw right. When the wand was horizonal, it did good, but when it was raised it would pulsate and then stop drawing. I checked all the fittings and hose for leaks. Could low GPM (3.5) cause no suction? I appreicate any help. Earl

[Lenny Schrec 14]

I had the same problem when I first used the x-jet with a 3 gpm machine. I had to get a different orface so it would draw. Until I got a new orface, I would hole the wand and x-jet as low as my bucket of cleaner and horizontal and sprayed until it started to draw. Then without stopping the spray I would go to work on the house. I will look tomorrow and see what size orface I had.

[ron p 500]

the better the draw rate.

You should call ron strickland at www.xterior.com first thing and he will walk you through whatever it takes to get you in working order.

[Earl Johnson 14]

I did talk to Ron, and he said he would see that it was fixed. I just wanted to know if it could be the machine and if anybody else had any trouble lke this. Thanks for the help. Any advice on the Sodium? Earl

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Hi Earl,

First off, nice having you on the board. Welcome!

I'm going to do a couple things for you this morning, first off, I'm going to begin to address your chemical question, secondly, I'm going to get one of our other Moderators, Russell Cissell of Extreme Solutions on here to answer a bit more fully for the benefit of us all.

Excellent questions!

Sodium Hydroxide is a caustic, the strongest caustic there is. When you use it you are going to take whatever you clean to one extremem end of the pH scale. (thusly we need to neutralize with acid becuase acid is at the opposite end of the pH scale).

Sodium hydroxide is normally used to strip sealers and stains off of wood, and can also be used to degrease, so will clean concrete etc. It is very important to neutralize.

Sodium Percarbonate is still a alkaline cleaner, but is not as caustic and has properties for killing mold and mildew, more like a bleach. It is commonly used for restoring weathered wood (grey decks) house washing, deck maintenance washing (light cleaning prior to additional coats) and also can be used as a light duty stripper if prepared in the correct formulation.

Sodium Hypochloride is bleach. You can use it for house washing, but for wood the Sodium Percarbonate is preferred.

Hope this helps.

Beth

[ron p 500]

Sodium percarb. is sodium carbonate and hydrogen peroxide,they keep a high alkilinity to boost the power of the peroxide.

After you mix it with water is will self exsaust in about 20 to 40 min and become mostly salt water. It is used for a lot of things like cleaning decks,laundry detergent,carpet cleaners,ect...

It can be used as a house wash but wont kill mold as fast as bleach. Unlike bleach percarb has no LYE in it so it is safer for plant's.[EFC38]

Sodium hydroxide-is LYE[caustic salt] very corrisive. Care must be used when used.

Also it will etch glass and metal. Be carefull of your dwell times because LYE is used in paper making. It breaks down the gluclose[langlin] that holds the tube like fibers together. You can get a lot of FURRING of the softer woods. It is used to remove stubborn finnish's[HD80]

SODIUM HYPERCHLORITE-found in bleach[5 to 6 %] and pool supply[12%]

go and take a look at www.chlorair.abka.com then go to the bottom and click BLEACH.

I am a pressure washer and not a chemist so ive done my homework and this is so far the best i can understand each of the chems you wanted to know about.

Hope it helps

[Earl Johnson 14]

You cleared that nicely! One other thing. Is sodium hypoclorite bad on asphalt shingles and wood, or is it a matter of prefrance What do the shingle manufactures recommend as proper cleaning? Thank you for your help and warm welcome, Earl

PS. Thank you too Ron. I just read your post, and i will check out the website.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Ron...thanks for correcting my misspelling. That's what I get for trying to tackle the big words before I drink my coffee. :)

Glad the nuts and bolts description helped. Look for Russ to post a little later. Also go to the Libraary section here on the Grime Scene and read Please Pass The Salt.

It's written to address chemical questions.

Beth

p.s. more coffee....

[ron p 500]

whetever i spelled correctly, i must have been looking at a site. I cant spell at all. Product of a mis spent youth.

I thought making a couple of bucks was better then learning how to make a lot of buck's. Hinesight is 20/20.

Funny thing now. Some of the smart guy's are looking to get into pressure washing. I just laff. They think it's easy. ha ha ha ha

I love desk jokey's that get canned and think that this type of work will be fun. It is for the first week or untill you screw up a job.

[Russell Cissell 65]

My thought for the day: "At least it's not snowing!"

I don't know how much I can expand on the information that Beth and Ron have posted. One thing I would like to add is the user safety factor. I believe that is something we all need to take very seriously, especially if you are going to be in business for a number of years.

Typically Percarb cleaners are billed as "Green"or environmentally friendly. They can be used on many different types of surfaces without damage and most importantly pose very little hazard to the user. NEVER mix a percarb with bleach!

Sodium Hydroxide though it is a very popular ingredient in heavy cleaners and strippers it requires several other activator to make it truly effective. Sodium Hydroxide because of it's high pH will kill most grass and plants. You should wear a respirator when using this type of product. You should also take care to avoid contact with your skin.

Bleach is just mean. Avoid contact with skin and eyes and most importantly do not make it a habit of breathing the fumes. Bleach should not be overlooked as an effective tool, but should be used in moderation and with care.

Bleach is not the best choice for asphalt shingles as it tends to degrade the tar causing it to become brittle.

If you have any specific questions, feel free to post them and I will do my best to get you the information you need.

Best of Luck

[paul-uk 500]

i can get this here in fact i have just bought two ltrs today...will this strip the grey off wood....if yes what strength to 5 gall.

we have a lot of moss as-well as algae on slate roofs.....how strong would you mix it...please.

cheers paul.

beth/ronp you might not need it but have you checked out www.iespell.com its free and it just sits on the tool bar till you click on it.......as they say check it out dude :D :D

[Guest Steven Rowlett]

My hat's off to Beth, Ron and Russell they gave very informative answers. If you were to mix the Percarb with the bleach you would have a bucket of never ending foam, just like a volcano. Paul, I think you misunderstood. Do not use Sodium Hypoclorite on wood. It will deteorate the fibers in the wood, just like your clothes.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Thanks Steve! :)

We don't use it on wood. We switched to percarb only for gray decks.

Beth

[ron p 500]

www.primeshop.com

i have never used any of their products but their site is very educational. Spend some ime their and surf around in weathermax.

[paul-uk 500]

thanks....i reread the post and i am wondering why i posted it....i do know that i was nodding off while reading the boards:) ....i didn't know how tiring this game is..it is defiantly hard graft and if it gets any busier i will be in bed by 10pm.

cheers paul.

[Earl Johnson 14]

manufactures I talked to told me to mix 1 cup TSP, 1 gal.houshold bleach, with 4 gal. water, apply and let dwell 15/20 min. then rinse. I asked if they had any literture they could send. They said no which I thought was unusal. What do you guys think. If the manufacture would supply a recommendation for cleaning, wouldn't it be easier to sell the customer? Earl

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Paul,

It's hard to say exactly what the correct ratio is without knowing exactly what the product is. Didn't it have directions? Is it a liquid or a powder? Let me know and I'll see what I can uncover. Share whatever is on the lable for us so we can advise you better. :)

Beth

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Earl...

I always like directions in writing myself. I would find that to be a little unusual that they didn't provide directions.

Beth

[Earl Johnson 14]

Beth, I thought the same thing. Maybe they won't put it in writing because it really does hurt the shingle and therefore more shingles could be sold. What ya think? Earl