leaked floecent ballast cleanup
No
Its an old fixture and an old ballast. 99% sure its not the PCB type.
PCB leaks are more viscous than the tar leak I have (From what I have
read) So lets not go down the PCB rat hole.
The tar dripped out over about a day or so with out being noticed. The
tar dripped onto a concrete garage floor. I would like to clean it up.
What I have tried so far with almost no success.
Dawn
Cascade
Texas Magic
OxyClean
WD-40
Denatured alcohol
Regular unleaded gasoline
K1 Kerosene
All of these were tried with a stainless steel bristled brush. Probably
best was the gas and kero but I still have not made a noticeable dent.
Any suggestions?
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cm
tripping over it. Go fishing or something.
Craig
"No" <n...@email.com> wrote in message news:4497fc4a$1...@x-privat.org...
No
solid stain in the middle. But yes, I get your point. I'm replacing the
ballast and cleaning best I can and then may just let it go. If there is
a miracle cure then yes, I'll clean it. I'm not inclined to spend hours
on it though. This is a workshop, not just a garage.
Pete C.
If the ballast is not specifically labeled "No PCBs" that it in all
probability contains PCBs. The "No PCBs" labeling has been required by
law in the US since PCBs were banned. The EPA web site should have the
appropriate references for the labeling laws.
Pete C.
No
an issue (1970s) no ballast was marked either way (Why would they?).
Also, the PCBs were mostly used in high output type fixtures, these are
not that. PCBs were in the more expensive fixtures, these were certainly
not those. PCBs look like a clear or light colored oil when leaking.
Mine is leaking a dark black tar.
So - Lets get back out the rat hole. It is very unlikely that PCBs are
involved here.
Any suggestions on cleaning the tar?
Pete C.
Auto bug and tar remover? MEK? Acetone? Mineral spirits? Other solvents?
Pete C.
cm
Well if ya don't want to go fishin here's what I would do if I felt inclined
to clean anything off my garage floor. Soak and scrub with paint thinner or
gas. Use lots of ventilation no pilot lights etc.... Then place absorbent or
kitty litter over it to help draw out the gunk. You may have to repeat
several times. I doubt all of it will come out.
For anyone concerned about:
PCB's...... COME ON NOW!!!! Don't let it drip in your mouth and don't rub it
on your skin. The fact that it already exists is too bad. Just take
reasonable precautions. Anything beyond that is a waste of time and energy.
Craig
"No" <n...@email.com> wrote in message news:44981a02$1...@x-privat.org...
No
Auto bug and tar remover? I have that, will try, unfortunately its not
that great at removing bugs so we'll see.
MEK? Main ingredient in many paint strippers. I may have some, I'll check.
Acetone? I have that, may try it.
Mineral spirits? I'm all out, thats what I looked for before the gas
and kero.
Other solvents? or live with it.
Thanks
hal...@aol.com
You could try a pressure washer, GOO GONE, or mechanical abrasion, like
a floor cleaning pad or paint stripper pad.
EXT
some time. Most solvents poured on the surface will have evaporated before
they can work effectively. I would use a solvent possibly soaked in some
sawdust to prevent it from running off then place a sheet of poly film over
it to slow down evaporation. After 10 or 20 minutes lift the plastic and
scrape or wire brush it up or add more solvent and repeat with the poly
sheet until the tar starts to soften. Any that has soaked deep into the
concrete may never come up, but give it a good try.
"No" <n...@email.com> wrote in message news:44983f1f$1...@x-privat.org...
PipeDown
forever. Heat it up with a torch and scrape what you can with a putty knife
or razor blade. While still warm use a gasoline or napthalene soaked rag to
wipe up as much as you can. In the end, some stain is bound to remain but
you should be able to get up the gunk so that you can paint over it.
Denatured Ethynol was a good try but you may have better luck with Methynol
though I do think you need a petrolium based product in the end.
Overheating of the xformer would have liquified the creosote and allowed the
leakage. You should be able to discern if it is creosote or epoxy or
plastic based by the smell of it burning.
You might even be able to carbonize it by burning then it can be removed by
abrasive and soapy means.
I had to depot a transformer once for failure analysis. We boiled in in a
organic solvent (industrial solvent) for days and it still was not very
clean but enough to start unwinding it.
Products from http://www.dynaloy.com/Products/other_industrial_products.html
Dynasolve; take your pick of formulations for Epoxy, silicones, rubbers and
plastics. These are fairly selective solvents and reasonably safe to use
but they can be expensive. Might call them for advice on your material
disaster.
Also don't forget the favorites
TCE, Tolulene, MEK, napthalene (lighter fluid) etc.
"No" <n...@email.com> wrote in message news:44983f1f$1...@x-privat.org...
______?
scribbled:
Steam Iron and a roll of paper towels first. When Iron cools, clean with
alcohol before the wife finds out.
Don Klipstein
If the ballast states "NO PCBs" then I would just dump it into the
trash.
Otherwise I would "store" it into the most remote / darkest corner or
other spot in my basement until I catch onto some municipal campaign for
catching "hazardous waste" from "homemakers" (my words alone for
everything in this paragraph within quotation marks).
Should you notice lack of any such campaigns by your municipality but
notice such by a neighboring municipality, go there - maybe preferably by
bike or foot!
Beyond that, .015-.02 cubic foot of undisposable croaked fluorescent
lamp ballast I see not being a serious waste of basement space nor any
significant health hazard. Put it in a 1 quart chinese food takeout place
"cup" if it continues to leak at room temperature - a mere 1/20 of a cubic
foot plus any slightly more if the ballast has a length more than about 6
inches!
As for cleanup of tar splatter - I would suggest lighter fluid or better
still (by normally not being spark ignitable and normally not having
vapors of flammable concentration at or below 100 degrees F liquid
temperature) kerosene or diesel oil or #2 fuel oil, with diesel and #2
at least usually non-flammable to at least 110 F liquid temperature.
- Don Klipstein (d...@misty.com)
Don Klipstein
Leakage unlikely involves PCBs (leakage is probably merely "transformer
tar") but the ballast carcass likely has a capacitor that may be a PCB one
or a non-PCB one.
The issue becomes that of disposal of the ballast carcass rather than
of cleanup of the tar drippage.
>Any suggestions on cleaning the tar?
Lighter fluid, kerosene, diesel fuel, #2 fuel oil and paper towels.
Keep in mind that lighter fluid is flammable at most "room temperatures"
while kerosene is supposed to not be flammable but merely combustible
unless the liquid temperature is at least 100 degrees F. Diesel fuel and
#2 fuel oil are a step up, probably not being spark-ignitable nor having
vapors of flammable concentration unless the vapors come from liquid of
surface temperature probably at least 110 degrees F. (Exception - when
sprayed into a fine spray - flammable then!)
- Don Klipstein (d...@misty.com)
Don Klipstein
>If it really is tar (creosote) based, solvents at room temp will take
>forever. Heat it up with a torch and scrape what you can with a putty knife
>or razor blade. While still warm use a gasoline or napthalene soaked rag to
>wipe up as much as you can.
Did you mean something else when you said "naphthalene"?
Naphthalene is a specific chemical that is solid until its melting point
of 80.22 degrees C, 176.4 degrees F. It is one of two chemicals widely
used as a main ingredient of mothballs.
Did you mean "naphta"?
> In the end, some stain is bound to remain but
>you should be able to get up the gunk so that you can paint over it.
>Denatured Ethynol was a good try but you may have better luck with Methynol
>though I do think you need a petrolium based product in the end.
>
>Overheating of the xformer would have liquified the creosote and allowed the
>leakage. You should be able to discern if it is creosote or epoxy or
>plastic based by the smell of it burning.
Epoxy does not liquefy from heat before carbonizing, and most plastics
don't liquefy until getting ungodly hot (generally syrupy rather than
fluid even at 400-500 degrees F!).
>You might even be able to carbonize it by burning then it can be removed by
>abrasive and soapy means.
I would prefer a knife and/or a rag (or a few paper towels) with
kerosene, diesel fuel, #2 fuel oil or (less preferred due to being
actually "flammable" at normal room temperatures) lighter fluid.
<SNIP>
- Don Klipstein (d...@misty.com)
hal...@aol.com
IT WILL EXPLODE!
You can get hurt. My propane torch fell over during a plumbing project,
it was amazing, pieces of concret exploded
______?
crayolas and scribbled:
>>Steam Iron and a roll of paper towels first. When Iron cools, clean with
>>alcohol before the wife finds out.
> NEVER EVER point a propane torch at concrete.
Please reread!
I was referring to a steam iron, as in ironing board and clothes iron.
Then learn to quote so quote doesn't have to be added, so thread can be
followed.
http://www.netmeister.org/news/learn2quote.html
Install a newsreader and learn to configure it and find out what usenet
really is. You'll enjoy it more, trust me.
http://www.usenetmonster.com/infocenter/articles/usenet_history.asp
Get away from Google for posting. Google is really an archive of posts
with a beta interface that is more confusing to use for posting to usenet.
Then read this:
http://tgos.org/newbie/rules.html
Sit back and take your time before you post.
Adieu.
---------@----------
Take a gray (cement) brick and start rubbing against the floor.
Abrasive scrubbing will remove it. Or an angle grinder but the disk
will probably gum up quickly.
Chris Lewis
> All of these were tried with a stainless steel bristled brush. Probably
> best was the gas and kero but I still have not made a noticeable dent.
>
> Any suggestions?
To dissolve the stain use kerosene or paint thinner. Soak a
rag in it, place it on the stain, and cover with plastic (tape
down the edges). Let it sit for a couple of hours.
If you have some kitty litter, spread a thin handful over
the stain under the rag.
[Varsol/kerosene are straight petro products, nothing fancy, and
they'll dissolve asphaltic tars. I'm suggesting varsol/kerosene
because they're they're heavy enough to not evaporate too quickly,
not quite so flammable as gasoline, lighter fluid etc, and will
be faster working than something heavier like diesel]
If the concrete wasn't sealed, you may not be able to get very
far - concrete is porous, and dissolving the tar might simply
make it soak further in.
Even so, the paint thinner or kerosene may wick it out.
You have little to lose in experimentation.
--
Chris Lewis, Una confibula non set est
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.
hal...@aol.com
just add my comments to the very end of the thread.
Someone suggested carbonizing it:( that would require heat from
something like a torch
Trae
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