What is this crud?

[holabird]

I was doing a 55 gallon water change tonight which emptied my 55 gallon salt mix barrel. I figured this would be a good time to clean out the barrel, mixing pump, heater, etc that are always on the bottom of the barrel. When I pulled out the pump etc, everything was covered by a brown gunk. Now this barrel has been used for the last two years and never cleaned out since the first time. Is it just non dissolved stuff from the salt? Some kind of precipitate? Solids coming from the RO/DI? It is kind of hard to get it off. I am soaking everything now and will have to scrub down the inside of the barrel tomorrow. Any ideas what it is from? thanks
<fieldset class="gc-fieldset">
<legend> Attached files </legend>

>

class="gc-images" title="photo.jpg[/IMG] style="max-width:300px" /></a> </fieldset>

 

[holabird]

Barbara;734512 wrote: That happens to me too when I leave the water too long (like when I make it up and then let it sit with just a powerhead and heater for a month or so). And yes, it does seem hard to clean. I don't know what it is. Are you using IO? That's what I use when it happens to me.

I have used Kent but mostly IO. I guess it is stuff that just doesnt dissolve completely in the salt. Time to give everything a good cleaning.

 

[chefrepo]

barbara;734541 wrote: a good long soak in vinegar and then a good scrub should fix you right up.

+1

 

[jennm]

It's calcium precipitate. Won't hurt anything. Vinegar soak will remove it with a bit of scrubbing.

Jenn

 

[miami dolfan]

I have that in powder form all over my pump and around my sump also. Very hard to clean.