Simple ways to clean a pipe from rust before painting

Metal pipes are prone to rust, which is their main disadvantage. This negatively affects their operation and significantly reduces their service life.

In order not to have to change the pipeline ahead of time, it is necessary to promptly clean it of rust, not only from the outside, but also from the inside.

Read the article on how to clean rust from a pipe before painting.

Cleaning process

Rust affects not only the quality of the pipe itself, but also the quality of tap water. Its color and smell change for the worse. Such liquid becomes unsuitable for drinking. Corrosion can be removed using household chemicals or mechanically.

Cleaning outside

Mechanical cleaning involves the use of sandpaper or a wire brush.

Procedure:

1. Carefully remove large pieces of rust.
2. Use quick circular movements to treat the damaged area.
3. Rinse the surface with warm water and a little soap.

You cannot paint over a rusty pipe, as it will continue to rot under the coating and eventually deteriorate.

• pour the essence into a suitable container, saturate a sponge or brush with it;
• apply acid to the area affected by corrosion;
• leave to take effect for 30 minutes;
• Rinse the area with clean water.

Corrosion can be dealt with using an alkaline solution. Mode of application:

1. Dissolve 2 tablespoons of baking soda in 1/3 cup of warm water.
2. Apply the composition to the damaged surface.
3. Leave for 20 minutes to take effect.
4. Rinse the solution with clean water and a small amount of vinegar. The acid will get rid of the remaining oxide and soda.

Hydrogen peroxide has proven itself well in the fight against rust. It is not capable of damaging pipes, but it can easily cope with small areas of corrosion.

Mode of application:

• clean the surface with a wire brush;
• soak gauze or thick cloth folded in several layers in hydrogen peroxide;
• wrap it around the damaged section of the pipe and leave for 30 minutes;
• Remove the gauze and rinse the surface with clean water.

Phosphoric acid quickly and effectively removes rust. To remove rust it is used in the following way:

1. Apply acid to the surface of the pipe using a brush with natural bristles.
2. Preliminary mechanical cleaning is required only if the oxide layer is very thick.
3. To prevent the acid from drying out, the surface is regularly moistened.
4. After 30 minutes, it is washed off with clean water, and the pipe itself is dried.

How to treat the inside?

To clean the pipe from rust from the inside, you can use the following methods:

1. Cleaning with a plumbing rope. It is flexible and long, with a comfortable handle at the end. When moving the cable along the pipe, it must be rotated.Using a cable, you can get rid of not only rust, but also blockages, but you need to act carefully so as not to damage the metal walls.
2. Acetic acid. It will help to corrode the rust inside the pipe if there is not too much of it accumulated. To do this, the essence is poured into the drain in an amount of 150-200 ml and left for half an hour.

   Then turn on the water and rinse the water supply for at least 10 minutes under strong water pressure.

3. Oxalic acid. It is used in a similar way to essence, but the powder must first be dissolved in water. 1 liter will require 20-40 g of acid. The holding time of the solution in the pipe is 30-60 minutes. Pour it into the drain in a thin stream.
4. Soda and citric acid solution. 3 tablespoons of soda are poured into the drain, after which diluted lemon juice is poured in (20 g per 1 liter of water). This will cause a lot of foaming, which is a normal chemical reaction. It is not recommended to turn on the water for the next 30 minutes.
5. Water hammer. This is a classic plumbing technique that has been practiced for many decades. However, it will not be possible to carry out such cleaning on your own; you will need special equipment that will be used by experienced workers. Cleaning the pipe from rust is achieved by releasing compressed air.

How to protect the surface from the formation of rusty deposits?

To prevent pipes from rusting and rotting on the outside, they are coated with special primer compounds, for example:

• FL-053,
• GF-032,
• PF-o46, etc.

Corrosion can be prevented by coating with enamel or paint.In this case, you need to monitor the quality of the applied layer and update it regularly.

There are no specific ways to protect the inner surface of pipes from rust. To prevent them from rotting, you need to wash them once every 2 months with special store-bought compounds., or weakly concentrated acid solutions.

The best store products

There are compositions on sale for removing rust from both the inside and outside of the pipe. Top 3 effective remedies:

1. Prosept. Concentrated thick product for removing rust from the inner surface of pipes. One cleaning will require 350 ml of gel. Exposure time – 2 hours. Price for 1 liter – 158 rubles.
2. Chistin gel. The product is used to remove rust and blockages in pipes. The gel is poured into the sewer in an amount of 250 ml, left for 15 minutes, and washed with a powerful stream of water. The cost of 0.5 l is 45 rubles.
3. Converter with Zinc Fill Inn. This product can cope with a layer of rust up to 100 microns thick. It can be used to process the outer surface of cast iron, steel and other metal pipes. The cost of a 0.4 liter package is 164 rubles.

Helpful information

Tips to help Clean the pipe from rust efficiently and safely:

• to prevent chemical compounds from damaging the walls of the pipe, they should not be left inside longer than the time specified in the instructions;
• after cleaning is completed, the treated surface must be rinsed with sufficient water;
• preventive cleaning must be carried out at least once every 3 months;
• When working with chemical compounds, it is necessary to use personal protective equipment: a respirator, a mask and rubber gloves.

Video on the topic of the article

This video will show you how to properly clean a pipe from rust:

Conclusion

Rust can be removed from the outer and inner surfaces of the pipe mechanically or using chemical compounds. You can cope with the problem with improvised means, or purchase specialized household chemicals in the store.