Hey F-I-T-

Well, if you have hard water, you could have had some native lime in it for it to be conductive. Chemically pure water would not conduct electricity.

You ask how important is the "powder". It is as important to this cell as the Sulfuric Acid is to a car battry. The car battery is an "Exergonic" cell, in that it gives off energy as the reaction takes place. The electrolysis cell is "Endergonic" in that the chemical reaction takes place as we add electricity. Without the metal salts to dissolve and form the electrolyte, no real conduction and work will take place.

Frank

There could also be quite a bit of lime dissolving out of the water pump as well.

Do you have any Drano around? A few tablespoons of Drano that would really get it going.

Frank

Yes, basically that's it. You can choose to use Lye (Drano, etc) which is harse on your hands, but removes the grease better, or Washing Soda (Soda Ash) which is laundry detergent booster.

Take a tub (I like plastic), fill it with water and about 1 tablespoon per gallon of the lye or washing soda, put in a sheet of scrap iron, steel, or stainless, and hang your rusty part in that tank so it doesn't touch the electrode. Hook the red lead to the electrode, and the black lead to the part to be cleaned. Turn on the charger, and let it cook a day or whatever. As long as the power stays on the part will not rust, nor will the metal decay.

I have a full-length article about it on my website.

Frank-in-Tallahassee
70D // 855 // VAC
wb8ens@aol.com

• F-I-T's webpage.....ALWAYS under construction....

-S.