Pre Heat CI for Lye

GTurner

Member
What are your thoughts about preheating CI with hot water before placing it in the lye bath? My water gets to 140-150°F. It appears to make fast work of the gunk.

I won't preheat in an oven only because my tank is plastic and I don't want to melt a hole in it.
 
While true that the warmer the lye solution is the faster it works, it's doubtful the heated pan would elevate the bath temp enough to make a significant difference.
 
If you can put your Lye tank outside in the Sun that would warm the water for you at no cost.
As others will tell you to make sure you have your tank covered and locked with at least a big rock or heavy object.

When I get home from Vacation I will be putting my Lye tank outside during the day and measuring the temperature every few hours to see how much of a increase I get.
 
Living in the Northeast I have to contend with cooler temps so in the spring and fall I use a small fish tank heater to keep the solution warm, but I also keep my tank in the sun and cover it with black plastic.

The volume of liquid you are likely dealing with won't be impacted by a pan heated to that temp.

Hope this helps.
 
Living in the Northeast I have to contend with cooler temps so in the spring and fall I use a small fish tank heater to keep the solution warm, but I also keep my tank in the sun and cover it with black plastic.

The volume of liquid you are likely dealing with won't be impacted by a pan heated to that temp.

Hope this helps.

I didn't think it made a big difference. How much is a fish tank heater and how hot does it get?
 
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