Safety Tips

I posted this in the HHOInfo forums and feel it's good to repeat here. I may update the post from time to time so it might be good to review it occasionally.

1. I use vinegar in a 1 quart spray bottle to neutralize NaOH or KOH if I suspect I've come in contact with it, then rinse off with fresh water. Keep the vinegar spray bottle within arm's reach of the test location.

2. Eye Goggles and rubber gloves are necessary when working with NaOH or KOH at all times.

3. I wear a good quality rain coat obtained at the local thrift store when running closed tests with NaOH or KOH. For open container tests it isn't so important.

4. I built a test enclosure to perform closed tests in as I've already had the top blow off a Smack's Booster trying to run it on the start(75 Amp) setting of my battery charger. Made a nice dent in the 10 foot ceiling of my garage and might have reached 40-50 feet altitude if outside. I believe the ignition cause was heat in the lead wires, but have not eliminated spark as a possibility.

5. Do not use glass for enclosed tests. Just too unsafe.

6. SS Wire leads in the electrolyzer container should be bulky whenever possible to reduce heat in the leads. If a wire isn't thick enough then wrap multiples together by twisting with vice-grips to produce a larger wire. SS Plate steel straps should be considered in place of SS wire leads due to the greater total cross section of the strap over wire(and thus less heat). SS straps can be made from cooking utensil handles in a pinch like Smack suggests on his website. If you don't like the cost, then get the utensils at the local thrift store, Dollar Tree, or garage sale. If there is a local scrap yard, inquire about purchasing what you need from them - at scrap prices.

7. Any Ammeter reading above 25 Amps during testing is flat dangerous in my opinion as the one blow off I've experienced was measuring 30 Amps at the time. If this sort of experiment is conducted, then make absolutely certain you have properly calculated and provided the required lead size in your container. I still haven't eliminated the possibility of arcing between the leads as the electrolyzer container is essentially a capacitor and over-energizing a capacitor will cause an arc.

8. Do not inhale the gas as you just don't know what is in there besides the HHO and some of the possibilities can mean an immediate and very long dirt nap.

9. If testing inside make sure to vent the gases to the outside as the Hydrogen will build up on the ceiling and ANY electrical spark will ignite it.

10. When using NaOH be sure you have a good quality source, such as Roebic Heavy Duty Drain Cleaner or Technical Grade NaOH with stated purity over 99%.

11. NaOH concentration should be low, 1/4 teaspoon per gallon of water is usually plenty. A high Ammeter reading(greater than 15) in low temps(less than 125F) indicates too much NaOH which should be replaced or diluted with fresh water. The exception to this rule may be when testing a large number of plates, which I haven't progressed to yet.

12. If using city tap water, place it in a container to sit uncapped for at least 24 hours before using to allow any Chlorine gas to vent out. Granted the potential amount is small, but the less Chlorine you are dealing with the better.

Plate Conditioning Brown Scum Observations

I perform a 34 minute test to further condition the simpleton plate assembly and provide observations as I go.




What I learned.

1. The "scum" forms within 2-4 minutes.

2. The "brown" begins forming shortly afterward and slowly builds concentration throughout the test.

3. The "scum" doesn't seem to progress in volume along with the test.

4. The "scum" leaves a film on a spoon that is inserted into it while the "brown" does not seem to stay on the spoon with the "scum".

5. The "scum" isn't impermeable as larger bubbles trapped in the scum will pop. Tiny bubbles do not seem to pop as readily leading me to think the scum surface tension is higher than just the electrolyte.

6. The scum with trapped bubbles behaves like thick wet soap bubbles. To watch it during electrolysis, it behaves nearly like oil on water when it's disturbed by the fluid motion caused by electrolysis. So it has its own composition which is unlike the water/NaOH mixture.

7. After stoppng electrolysis, the "scum" dissapates rapidly, almost as fast as the trapped bubbles do.

8. The "brown" goes into a kind of suspension and hovers near the surface but not necessarily on the surface.

9. Disturbing the "brown" causes it to slowly sink.

My Theories

1. The "scum" and the "brown" are seperate compounds.

2. The scum seems to be a byproduct of the electrolysis, but to a limited extent.

3. The brown evidently is rust, but requires chemical analysis.

4. The scum may or may not be a distinct compound resulting from the electrolysis. It does seem to dissipate shortly after electrolysis stops.

Results of Running Plate Conditioning at the 75 Amp Setting

I discover what happens when I attempt to condition plates at the 75 Amp Setting of the battery charger. Yet another disaster diverted.

Technical Change to the Smack's Booster Test Cap Assembly

I discovered a leak in the electrode assembly of the Smack's Booster Test Cap and discuss how I fixed it.

Blooper of the Day - What Happens When You Don't Know the Camera is Running

Yea, I'm human. In this case I don't know the camera is running.

Smack's Booster Test Plate Conditioning

I do the blah blah blah while watching my Smack's Booster test plates undergo conditioning. Nice brown scummy water!

Warning about Drain Cleaners in Hydroxy Gas Production

I had a reader warn me about the problems associated with using drain cleaners as an electrolyte in Hydroxy Gas production. Namely, most cleaners have other chemicals in them and can result in the release of Chlorine gas in addition to Hydroxy.

This concerned me greatly so I proceeded to investigate the product I bought for this purpose, Roebic Heavy Duty Crystal Drain Opener.

Here's the film clip for those that are interested.




And here is an email response to my inquiry by Mr David Lawler, Senior Microbiologist and Vice President Product Development.


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Charlie,

Our Heavy Duty Crystal Drain Opener is 100% sodium hydroxide. It is technical grade, not USP grade, meaning there could be trace amounts of impurities, but nothing in high enough levels to be of concern in most applications.

Thank you for choosing ROEBIC products.

David Lawler

ROEBIC LABORATORIES
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I believe this means I can use this particular Drain Cleaner with some assurance that harmful byproducts are minimized. If anyone can show that USP grade Sodium Hydroxide is vital to safety, then please let me know as soon as possible.

Roebic Heavy Duty Crystal Drain Cleaner - Material Safety Data Sheet