Paraffin for this non-candle use?

[Wayne]

Which wax might I want to use? My question is not candle-related, but candle makers will know more about wax than others I can think of.

I have a toilet with a thin mineral deposit at the waterline. This toilet has a glaze that I want to treat this with an acid solution for a time. This is well and septic, so I want to minimize the amount of acid down the drain. My first acid would be maybe phosphoric -- medium strong. I know that wax can hold even acids that glass cannot.

Here is my plan: Remove maybe 3/8 inch of water. Pour melted wax on the water to give maybe 1/4 inch of wax floating. It hardens. Then I gently add about 1/4 inch of chemical that will sit at the ring.
After an interval (hour?) I would maybe add some baking soda to neutralize. Then remove the wax mechanically.

My thought was to use an inexpensive paraffin. Then I started reading that there could be some cracking of straight paraffin. And what melting point would I prefer? I am thinking maybe 130F? Is 1/4 inch of thickness about what you would think would be enough?

Any thoughts? I understand that this is outside of your experience, but do you have a feel as to what I should maybe try? I am asking for speculation, and I won't blame you if something does not work out.
Thanks.

 

[Seawolfe]

The volume of paraffin and acid that would take kinda freaks me out.

I use vinegar for my toilet rings like that - just dump a cup of white vinegar in the bowl and let it sit for a while, but Im not on sceptic.

If it were me, I would drain the toilet bowl as much as possible by plunging it. Then soak rags or paper towels in white vinegar and place them on the ring. Leave them there as long as needed, then neutralize with baking soda and rinse. If that didst work Id try the same thing with a product called "lime away", then maybe phosphoric acid like you thought.

In any case, as long as you neutralize the water in the bowl, it wont get to the sceptic till you flush, and you have no chance of flushing wax accidentally.

 

[DeeAnna]

Gosh, just vinegar (acetic acid) works fine if you are willing to be patient. Vinegar is septic friendly.

I don't know that I'd do the wax thing -- it's a lot of work for not a whole lot of benefit, IMO.

Overnight vinegar soak for cleaning under the rim and at the water-line, similar to what Seawolfe is suggesting: [ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wd6pV5lyvG8[/ame]
More ideas for temporarily plugging the toilet to treat even more of the bowl: [ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1O793eJWP7Q[/ame]

 

[Wayne]

Thanks for the ideas. I had tried some of these with some success. I had not tried the one involving blocking the bottom of the toilet and filling the bowl, but that would take a lot of solution. Yet vinegar or Iron Out would be inexpensive.

I expect this will take about 1/2 pound of wax to make a 1/4 inch thick layer.

I have ordered up some highly refined paraffin with high level of polymers. It is made for preparing medical specimens as far as I can tell. I get the impression that the polymers make the paraffin less grainy. It was surprisingly inexpensive for some reason. It melts at about 133 F. I will be careful applying heat, because I know paraffin is very flammable if it meets a flame.

I am thinking I will experiment on a glass jar first before trying my idea.

Maybe I will try making a candle or two from the leftovers.

 

[Relle]

I've tried the vinegar thing, the vinegar/bi-carb thing, commercial CLR - calcium. lime, rust and none work. We have it all over the bowl below the water line (I think here the water line is different to the US), its just the lower third of the bowl.
Its very noticeable because we have a Royal Dolton toilet that is brown, if it was white, not so bad.