Does Kalkwasser degrade??

[Dave VG]

As the subject line says does Kalkwasser degrade over time?????? I have some that is about 2 1/2 years old.

 

[mr.maroonsalty]

if your lime stayed dry I don't know why it wouldn't be fine; I think if it weren't you'd have concrete or a stone.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

are we talking dry calcium hydroxide or already prepared limewater here?

 

[Conesus_Kid]

It sounds as if the OP has dry pickling lime, but I wonder if mixed kalkwasser degrades over time. More specifically, if one were to use a kalk reactor, and didn't replace the pickling lime for several months, would impurities make their way into the system?

I've been battling a small cyano problem, and wonder if this is a result of not refreshing the kalk reactor for a three month period.:hmm2:

 

[Dave VG]

Dry calcium hydroxide. Scott it is not pickling lime I bought it from BRS altho I hear they are the same. I don't ever remember there being a skin on top after mixing and leaving it over night and it doesn’t seem to clear totally. Last thing I want is the impurities getting in the tank. Of course I never mixed it in a salt bucket for top off in the past just one gallon jugs. Is it always milky looking?

 

[Conesus_Kid]

Sorry, I was using the term 'pickling lime' interchangeably with calcium hydroxide.

It should definitely clear after it settles.

 

[Dave VG]

No problem Scott so why do you think it does not clear??

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

talking dry powder

talking dry powder

pickling lime is calcium hydroxide and should not degrade over time if kept dry.

The 'skin' that forms over prepared limewater is a good thing. I've run into batches of kalkwasser that don't completely clear up and they've been okay to use IME- just make sure not to dose precipitate.

As to why some batches of limewater don't completely clear up I have no idea... perhaps some type of impurity made it's way into the batch.

 

[Dave VG]

Thanks Gary