What Chemicals Can Clean A Heater Core

pilotbraden

UltraDork
11/xviii/xviii 6:51 p.m.

I received a 2000 Chevy Blazer that has poor heat output. The coolant temp just reached 140 then I replaced the Thermostat. At present the coolant temp reaches 195-200. The heater is still very weak. When the Thermostat was out I could see a lot of calibration or deposits . My programme is to drain the old coolant and fill up the system with vinegar or water and CLR. So run it around town until I get good heat . Is my programme audio or a recipe for heartbreak and suffering?

Streetwiseguy

Don't do the whole thing. CLR in the heater core for an hour or so, then a skillful garden hose flushing.

pilotbraden

Ok. Thanks for th advice

EvanB

I've had luck with running clr and water for a bit then flushing information technology. Ymmv.

Dusterbd13-michael

I tried vinegar in the challenge car. Holy crap the stuff that'due south coming out....

codrus

I like the idea of doing the heater core by itself, but I don't retrieve I'd permit the vinegar sit in in that location, meliorate for it to circulate. I'd do it similar a tankless water heater descale -- five gallon bucket, 2-iii gallons of white vinegar, a pond pump from the hardware store, and a couple pieces of hose. Pump the vinegar through for an hour or so.

stanger_missle

What almost powdered dishwasher detergent? I heard information technology somewhere on the net that it cleans the oily junk out of a cooling system.

The 6.0 Powerstroke guys use information technology after the wonderful oil cooler inevitably fails.

I'm non sure information technology would be effective on calibration though.

Is there a possibility that it's not scale, simply an air bubble? I put a vacuum cleaner on the fill cap of my car and profoundly improved my heater performance.

noddaz

Is information technology possible the blend door might be messed upward?

pilotbraden

Update. I opened the petcock on the radiator and stained information technology. I have about 5 or 6 quarts of white vinegar in the system. After twenty miles effectually boondocks it is noticeably warmer. I intend to drive to the other side of the county for dinner and see what happens. If I turn the temperature knob to cold it blows common cold (35 degrees F outdoors). I might have a mixing valve problem simply it ain't my only problem. I did not mention this blazer has 306,450 miles on it. A lady friend that I used to live with bought it new and has maintained it very well. Withal it has hardly been driven in the past 6 or 7 years. Changing the Thermostat I broke a stud on the Thermostat housing. This is my temporary repair. I tightened it as much as possible by paw then put four full turns on it utilizing pliers .

Curtis

CLR can eat things, exist conscientious. It specifically says non to use it on aluminum.

Vinegar is for french chips. It is far too weak to exercise whatever real good. Acids increase surface tension and then they don't help launder anything away, and it's not a strong plenty acid to consume anything away.

Given your truck'due south tendency to leak at the intake manifold, I might doubtable that someone threw in a few bottles of copper stop leak. That verbal thing happened with my Fordzda Branger. A coolant flush revealed what I idea was rust, but it ended up being end leak. Most the only thing you tin do for that (if that's what information technology is) is rig upwards a airtight-circuit solvent bath. Hook up a fuel pump to a saucepan of some solvent with a relatively depression evap temp like mineral spirits, isopropyl booze, etc, and flush the heater core for a couple hours. Flush information technology out with water for a while, and anything that might be left of the solvent will evaporate with the hot coolant. Alcohol is miscible in water, and then it's pretty condom. A petroleum product similar Mineral spirits might not play well with some coolants

Stop leak coats the inside of the aluminum in the heater core and stops some of the estrus from transferring.

dculberson

Curtis said:
Vinegar is for french fries. It is far too weak to exercise any real proficient.

I'm not certain that's truthful; some people use information technology for rust removal so it must exercise something. Heat it upwards and have information technology pumped around with lots of flow similar you have in a cooling system and I think information technology might be a pretty effective solvent. You lot want it to exist relatively weak every bit running a potent acid through your cooling organisation seems like a recipe for disaster.

Curtis

In reply to dculberson :

Yes, it tin can be used as a rust removal thing, only information technology takes weeks and months, and we're also talking nearly an aluminum heater core with a viscous adhesive. I don't recall vinegar is the solution (pun intended)

If it is stop leak (which we don't know) he needs a solvent, not an acrid. Technically speaking, vinegar isn't a solvent, it is an oxidizer.

Using acid in a coolant system seems similar setting the house on fire to kill a spider. Likewise many mixed metals, and by the fourth dimension the acid does its trick in 1 part of the system it might have turned other parts into powder.

pilotbraden

Update . It seems to be warmer. I did find some Bars Leak in the truck, I don't know if any has ever been used in information technology. I am get-go to suspect an air pocket in the heater. With the fan and radio off I tin can hear a gurgle type noise upon acceleration

Curtis

That is a sure sign of air.

codrus

So it depends on what y'all desire to remove. Vinegar works great for descaling (removing calcium carbonate deposits). Ideally there shouldn't be any in there in the first identify (that's why you're supposed to employ distilled water in the radiator), but if in that location is then the vinegar volition get rid of information technology fairly quickly without eating through anything else.

It'south not going to touch rust in a short period of time, so if that's what's clogging the heater cadre then it won't assist.

pres589 (djronnebaum)

Could also be some Dex sludge in the thing also equally the other previously mentioned stuff...

914Driver

Never tried it on a car, but when my coffee pot gets all black, gooey and the basket won't baste, I put in a little Cream of Tartar and run it. Rinse information technology well. Looks similar new without the chemical attack.

bentwrench