[DeTomaso] question for the brain trust

[JDeRyke at aol.com]

In a message dated 4/19/10 7:38:25 AM, larry at ohiotimecorp.com writes:

> I would like to seal the tank from the inside. The sealer needs to be 
> able to hold up to the heat of the burner, seal well and NOT be poisonous, as 
> I drink this water.
> 
Larry, I once fixed a leaking hot-water heater from 300 miles away. Or to 
put it another way, by following my phone directions, Judy fixed the water 
heater in our house while I was in another state!   Sodium silicate, 
'water-glass', also known as egg-preservative, is only soluble in COLD water; in warm 
water, it precipitates a hard, glasslike coating to the bottom, effectively 
glass-lining a tank.

1)- Drain about half the water. Remove a pipe and thru the top, add sodium 
sliicate solution   at 1 pint per 40 gallons to the cold water thats left, 
and add more cold water to stir up the mix if you can't shake the tank. 
Maintain the 1 pint per 40 gallon ratio with added water. Sodium silicate is 
available at drugstores and big hardware stores at about $2 a pint. it is a sort 
of thick, faintly tan translucent liquid with no taste whatsoever. Its used 
to preserve fresh eggs when there's no refrigeration available. A coated 
egg is good for about 6 months sitting on a shelf.

2)- Turn on the heater. As soon as heat hits the mix, the 'glass' will 
begin to drop out of the mix, coating the hottest parts of your tank. As the 
heat continues, it will coat up to the water level. Your leak should stop 
permanently in half an hour or so. Then drain the remaining water/mix and add 
clean water. Our repaired water heater was still leak-free 2 years later when 
we sold the house and moved. 

This plugs rather large holes, is completely inert and darn near 
bullet-proof once set up. Even if it doesn't work for some reason, you're only out $2 
a bottle and an hour of watching. 

Note-not my idea; I got the suggestion from a Chrysler employee who used it 
to plug porosity in experimental magnesium intakes & water pumps during 
Chrysler's 'hemi' racing days. 

FWIW, cheap 'stainless' will always rust, especially if the welder did NOT 
use high-nickel welding rod. Welding heat burns up the nickel in stainless 
so you need extra nickel in the rod or you wind up with mild-steel welds. 
Which rust. Stellite-C is best but very expensive.
Good luck- J DeRyke