Water Blasting: Removing Rust From Your Facility
Water blasting, also called hydroblasting, uses highly pressurized water to clean or remove various unwanted coatings from a surface. Of the many ways to remove corrosion and debris (i.e. with chemicals, abrasive blasting with sand or slurries…), water blasting is the most environmentally friendly and cost-effective process for commercial or industrial cleaning .
What is water blasting?
Water blasting is an excellent choice to clean surfaces covered in debris, paint, or other materials that need to be repainted or recoated. When water blasting is done properly, the surface will be left with a matte-like exterior since the surface isn’t being hit with abrasive material (which can have a polishing effect). This texture will provide more surface area for paint to stick to, giving longevity to the protective coatings on your buildings or machines
Water blasting is also great for removing rust. Rust comes from the presence of water between iron and steel, so tanks, pipes, boilers, and other standard industrial structures made out of corrosive material will be more prone to rust. Corrosion can be expensive to deal with, since it can weaken foundational structures and even effect the materials passing through them.
If corrosion goes untreated, it can eat holes into your property and eventually cause the collapse of your structures, ensuring further expenses. However, rust is not permanent if treated correctly and water blasting makes the process of removing brittle rust an easy one.
What kinds of water blasting techniques are there?
There are four main levels of hydroblasting, differentiated by the pressure at which the water is jetted out. This variety allows powerful water-blasting techniques to be applied in many different situations. However, it is essential to hire a professional to conduct the actual water blasting. When done without proper training or experience, it can lead to erosion and scarring on the surface from too much pressure in too small an area.
The first level of the water blasting system is called low pressure water cleaning. This level is best as a pre-preparation for the main cleaning in order to dispel loose debris. The next level is a high pressure water jet system, which is commonly used when you need to remove loose debris from both internal and external surfaces. This type can also be used for light cleaning, rust removal, or paint removal.
The last two levels are High Pressure Water Blasting and Ultra High Pressure Water Blasting. They’re the most common levels used as the main tools for cleaning and surface preparation for painting.
How does water blasting compare to abrasive blasting?
Water blasting is a better choice than abrasive blasting for a number of reasons. Comparatively, water blasting is incredibly eco-friendly. It doesn’t require any harsh chemicals or dangerous materials like plastic or sand in order to clean a surface. Thus, workers won’t be inhaling any dangerous substances. Additionally, water blasting is relatively quiet, so anyone standing nearby won’t be in danger of hearing damage.
Hydroblasting can also clean a wider variety of surfaces as compared to abrasive blasting. The pressurized water breaks down debris into smaller particles. This works better for removing flexible coatings like rubber and other semi-soft plastics that typically resist abrasion. Water blasting will also clean internal and external surfaces and any fine pits or dents on the surface.
However, it’s important to stay aware of flash rusting when using hydro blasting. Flash rusting is when rust occurs minutes or hours after a water treatment, and is thought to occur because of salt contamination or high humidity. The best ways to prevent flash rusting are to use water from a clean source (like distilled water) and make sure the substrate doesn’t have rust in it by adding a rust inhibitor or surface passivator to your water.
By employing water blasting as your cleaning system, you’ll be using a safer and more efficient method for cleaning your property.