Lye can deform PVC piping. This caustic can deteriorate metal piping and, in some forms, as when mixed with an aluminum compound to increase its cleaning power, can easily generate enough heat to warp or deform PVC piping.
Lye. The pros of lye are that it's effective against sticky clog-smears like what you find in kitchen sinks, as well as thick hair clogs in bathrooms. The solution is denser than water, so you can pour it right into standing water and it will sink.
An auger — also known as a plumbing snake — or flat sewer rod can clear blockages deep in drain lines. Chemical drain cleaners contain a high concentration of lye, bleach or sulfuric acid to soften and break up clogs.
Plastic. The right kind of plastic container is the best choice for mixing and storing lye solution. Some plastics are resistant to alkali, others are not, so it is important to KNOW, not guess, what a plastic container is made of.
When purchasing lye, know that it comes in a dry granular form for mixing with water to make a solution that is used for homemade soaps. When lye is mixed with water, heat is released, so the container used to mix lye in has to be able to take that heat. Lye will react with metals such as aluminum, cast iron and steel.
- Best Overall: Drano Max Gel Clog Remover.
- Best for Shower: Pequa Drain Opener.
- Best for Sink: Rockwell Invade Bio Drain Gel.
- Best for Septic System: Bio-Clean Drain Septic Bacteria.
- Best for Garbage Disposal: Green Gobbler Refresh Drain & Disposal Deodorizer.
- Best for Hair: Instant Power Hair and Grease Drain Cleaner.
To dispose of the lye, you can mix it with distilled water and pour it down the drain. Lye is actually found in most drain cleaners. If you're worried about your drain, you can also contact your local waste management services to find out how to dispose of hazardous materials.
What is Lye? Lye, or sodium hydroxide, is a very caustic chemical capable of causing serious damage. It can burn skin, cause blindness, and even cause death if ingested.
Lye Wash Cleaning Method: Soak cast iron pieces in lye water. Mix 1 can of lye (i.e., Red Devil) with 4-5 gallons of water in a plastic container.
Under high heat and pressure, lye can turn corrosive enough to disintegrate fat, bones and skin. A lye solution, heated to 300 Fahrenheit degrees (148 Celsius), can dissolve an entire body into an oily brown liquid in just three hours.
It's totally safe.Liquid-Plumr? Full Clog DestroyerTM is completely safe for use with galvanized steel, copper, cast iron, ABS (black plastic) and PVC (white plastic) drain pipes-even old pipes. Plus, it's safe for all septic systems.
Using a plastic scrub brush or sponge, rinse the pan thoroughly, removing the rest of the buildup. Cast iron can remain in the lye bath indefinitely without damage to the iron. Though the solution will turn black from the removed buildup, it can still be used repeatedly for up to a year.
Why Drano is DangerousDrano sits in a pipe until the clog dissolves, continually reacting and generating heat. PVC pipes can soften and eventually break. Old, corroded pipes can be easily damaged, and Drano can quickly eat away at the glue holding pipes together.
Chemical drain cleaners are caustic or oxidizing. When these drain cleaners are used enough in old pipes they can cause the pipes themselves to degrade. Used in plastic pipes, chemical drain cleaners cause damage by creating heat. This heat can warp or melt the pipe, leading to leaks.
Caustic soda or lye at high levels in a septic tank risks killing the bacteria needed to break down sewage pathogens both in the tank itself and also in the soil into which the septic tank effluent is discharged. Over two weeks the lye or caustic soda dilution is multiplied by roughly 7-10 times.
Coke. Coke is a lesser-known fix you can find in your refrigerator. Pour a 2-liter bottle of cola — Pepsi, Coke, or generic brand substitutes — down the clogged drain. Coke is actually quite caustic and effective at clearing away buildup in your drains, but it's far milder than commercial drain cleaners.
Coke and Pepsi contain phosphoric acid, which, if left in your drain for one to 2 hours should dissolve build up in your drains. Then you run hot water down your drains and the gunk should be flushed down the drain. So, Coke doesn't dissolve hair; it actually dissolves the gunk in your drains that is full of hair.
Combining baking soda and vinegar is a natural way to dissolve hair clogs, without resorting to harsh chemicals. Pour a cup of baking soda down the clogged drain first, and then after a few minutes add a cup of vinegar.
The bubbling reaction from the baking soda and vinegar helps to loosen the drain clog, and the boiling water in step 4 helps remove it from your pipes. Baking soda and vinegar can serve as a natural drain cleaner.
Pour one cup of baking soda down the clogged tub drain. Follow immediately with one cup of vinegar. The combination of the vinegar and baking soda will start to fizz. Let the fizzing work its magic.
Take one cup of baking soda, one cup of vinegar and one of salt, if you want some extra power, and make sure there's no water in the tub. Dump the baking soda into the drain, followed by the salt, and finally the vinegar. If everything goes to plan, you should see a lot of froth; satisfying, if nothing else.
Salt is incredible when it comes to sink and bathtub drains. To freshen up your garbage disposal, dump half a cup salt down the drain, then start the disposal while running cold water. The salt will get rid of odors and dislodge anything stuck in the disposal.
Try pouring hot water down the drain, then follow it with one cup of bicarbonate of soda and a cup of vinegar. Leave it for ten minutes, then chase it with more hot water. A combination of the hot water and the natural cleaner mixture can break blockages up.
Adding vinegar (an acid) to lye (a base) creates a chemical reaction that releases more heat. Additionally, the act of putting vinegar on a lye burn hurts. Just use water as the MSDS sheet suggests. This is because the lye solution still has the potential to irritate the skin once mixed with soaping oils.
Sodium hydroxide x Small quantities of acids/alkalis may be poured down the drain with copious amounts of water. Palladium hydroxide x Only in highly diluted aqueous solutions; otherwise disposed of as hazardous waste.
How to use caustic soda for cleaning & unclogging drains?
- Take a large bucket and dilute 3 cups (750 ml) of caustic soda in 3 litres of cold water.
- Use a wooden spoon or stirrer to mix the soda and the water.
- Do not use these containers and utensils for any cooking-related purpose later on.
Caustic soda is a nasty chemical that can burn, but it's very effective for unclogging toilets. To use this chemical, you need to get some rubber gloves and eye protection. You can pick the chemical from the local hardware or grocery stores. Pour a ¾ gallon of cold water into a bucket, and add 3 cups of caustic soda.
Sodium hydroxide produces an exothermic reaction when mixed with water. Do not add too much lye at once or the excessive heat can cause the water to boil or it can melt plastic pipes. Do not touch any water which has lye in it, as it becomes severely corrosive to the skin.
Caustic Soda and VinegarThe reaction can be violent and may damage the pipes, could release harmful gases or may not work at all because only a small portion of the blockage is exposed to the vinegar.
Freshen Drains with Baking Soda and Vinegar
- Mix 1/2 cup baking soda with 1/4 cup table salt and pour down the drain.
- Follow by pouring 1 cup of heated vinegar down the drain (it will foam and bubble)
- Let it sit for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes run hot tap water for 30-60 seconds.
