How To Clear Rusted Pipe To Restore Water Flow Using CLR

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Easy way to deal with pipes blocked by heavy rust deposits in non-potable water systems. Free up pipes clogged with rust using CLR (Calcium Lime & Rust Remover) from Jelmar . #plumbing #handyman #watersupply
Transcript provided for the hearing impaired:
Alright so today on Repairs101 I've got this tap that just will not flow and I looked into it and it's because the pipe that's feeding it is blocked solid with rust. So I'll just show you what I did with that.
So this tap gradually stopped flowing. So I traced the pipes and I figured it must be the mixer or the aerator since the toilet was on the same feed and worked just fine. So I removed the mixer with the intention of cleaning it since I had replaced it only a couple of years before.
It was clean as a whistle -- but it was as clean as a whistle. So obviously the problem was further upstream somewhere. So I opened the valve and... nothing.
Then I shut off the water to the building and I removed the valve stem only to see that it was rusted solid inside. I tried digging at it with a seal pick but it was as hard as iron. So I put a sprayer nozzle on my bottle of CLR and I shot some into the pipe.
Now this is a fairly safe product and you can have a look at their MSDS sheets but I would recommend, strongly, that you do not use this in any water systems that are going to be used for drinking water or in food preparation or in any kind of kitchen application or in the production of food like watering gardens.
Now you can see the CLR softened it right up. So I put a little more in. I let it sit for a few minutes and then I washed it out with clean soapy water. Then I just put the whole assembly back together again.
You know, then I put the stem valve back in, turned the water back on, opened up the valve and waited for it to clear itself.

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Dude you just saved me a ton of money ripping up my floor and finding a blocked pipe to my shower!

joshknaack

I mixed 25% CLR in a gallon of water and ran it through my cars cooling system to get rid of a nasty rust contamination. While flushing it out it melted the bottom of one of my tires into black goo. This stuff is ridiculously strong. Took me 2 days of continual flushing but I got it. It chewed through a rubber coolant hose and sprang a leak. Replaced the hose and was good for another 6 months until the rust came back. Something must be rusting internally. :( CLR is awesome stuff just be very careful with it. I would run that tap for a couple hours. You do not want to drink even the slightest ppm of that stuff. Great video!

DJDevon

Your sink valve is a 1/2" compression fitting. You do not use Teflon tape on compression fittings. They do not seal that way. Use Teflon tape only on NPT threads. Pipe threads only. I come behind amateur plumbers all the time and find a mess of Teflon tape on compression fittings. All it does is make it harder to remove the nut. I even find it on drain fittings under the sink. The tape interferes with the pressure seal of the fittings and actually causes leaks rather than sealing them.

Polypropellor

Just moved in a apartment when I turn the hot water on in the tub the water is yellow and when it drains out it leave a brown stain in the tub.

thetrashcanamerica

I have a bathroom sink that is clogged with rust....it's not completely block but slow going down. Would it be safe to pour a little of this stuff right down the drain....? trying to avoid removing pipes

marvan

What do you suggest if the pipeline for kitchen use is clogged the same way?

Rizalreez

how can this water have so much soil in it O.o

lion

what if your water line is copper and not galvanized and its not rust but calcium build up? can you still do this same process?

djprideone

🟠 HERE IS ANOTHER FIX: First shut off the main water source, then run a garden hose from the neighbors house or completely separate water source. Attach the garden hose to the the clogged water fixture. There are adapters available at home depot if you dont have a perfect fit. Open all connected faucets and/or fixtures, and also remove the GPM flow-restrictiors from these plumbing fixtures which will allow and backwash the collected sediment/clog out the other way through these fixtures. Run hot water through the garden hose if possible, hot water can potentially loosen up sediment and clogs better. Alternating from cold to hot in 5-10 minute intervals can also expand and contract the pipes loosening clogs/sediment up as well.

DallasD_

So what would you use for a kitchen line?

girohead

The CLR label states that you shouldn't use it on copper.

michaelmraz

Odds are the rust will come back. CLR is a band-aid. It addresses the symptom not the cause. You'll probably end up revisiting that pipe in the future.

DJDevon

Aint that something, great vid as always thanks for posting

wrongmower

Nice video. I have a problem under my bathroom sink where I have no water pressure at all. I am going to install a new faucet and have two 20" flex lines for under the sink to hook up to my water line connectors. But I hit a roadblock, the current lines leading from the faucet to the main hot & cold connectors are galvanized lines. They are straight pipes a half inch in diameter and seem frozen to the hot & cold connectors. Would you be able to tell me how to disconnect the galvanized lines from the connectors without messing up the connectors and copper lines behind them? The galvanized lines seem frozen to the connectors. I would greatly appreciate your input. Thanks. I will include a picture with this message.

Dafuqusay

pro tip..if youre removing the shutoff already (well kinda lol) replace with 1/4 angle stop...those multi turns are notorious for going bad and not shutting off...you could use the old nut/comp sleeve, youd prob need some tape and dope though

heyitsthatoneguy