While sodium hydroxide is used in commercial drain unblockers, you can actually make your own bottle of the good stuff at home:
- Fill a container, like a bottle or a bucket, most of the way with cold water. ...
- Add 3 cups of sodium hydroxide to the water and stir with a plastic or wooden spoon. ...
- Pour your aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide into your sink or drain and wait for 30 minutes before rinsing with boiling water
Is sodium hydroxide bad for drains?
Many drain cleaning products contain sodium hydroxide (lye and caustic soda). It’s highly corrosive and can burn eyes, skin and lungs. Long-term exposure may lead to ulceration of the nasal passages and chronic skin irritation. 1. Use a drain basket or screen to keep hair and food scraps out. 2. Never pour grease down the drain.
What is the best way to unclog a clogged drain?
When you need to unclog a drain, start with plunging before anything else. Use a sink and drain plunger with a flat bottom. Fill the sink or tub with a few inches of hot water (unless there's already standing water), place the plunger's cup over the drain, and plunge forcefully up and down several times.
How do you unclog a clogged kitchen sink with baking soda?
If you need to dissolve clogged food in a kitchen sink, the reaction created by combining baking soda and vinegar may be enough to break down the food. Pour 1 cup of baking soda into the drain followed by 1 cup of white vinegar. Cover the drain with a rubber stopper to keep the foaming mixture inside the pipe. Flush with hot water after 15 minutes.
How do you use lye to unclog a drain?
Lye works because it is caustic and actually dissolves hair and grease, which are the root causes of the drain clog. Put on gloves, eye protection and a mask before opening the lye. Lye is extremely caustic and will burn your skin. Place 2 to 3 tsp. of lye directly into the hole of the clogged drain.
Does sodium hydroxide clean drains?
Use Sodium Hydroxide to Unblock Your Sink Using such a caustic chemical on household appliances may sound dangerous, but sodium hydroxide is actually the active ingredient in nearly every serious drain cleaner – so you have probably used it before without even realising.
Will sodium hydroxide damage pipes?
How else will it break down grease, hair, and any other items that might clog drains. The problem is, while sodium hydroxide (lye) and sulphuric acid break down organic material well, people are also organic material! It is also corrosive for the pipes themselves.
Why sodium hydroxide is used as a drain cleaner?
Sodium Hydroxide in Cleaning & Disinfectant Products Drain cleaners that contain sodium hydroxide convert fats and grease that can clog pipes into soap, which dissolves in water.
How long does lye take to clear a drain?
15-30 minutes100% lye quickly & easily clears the toughest drain Powerful 100% lye formula creates heat to melt and dissolve grease, hair, soap, scum, and other drain clogging material. Clears drain lines in 15-30 minutes. For use in kitchen and bathroom sinks, tubs, and showers.
What acid do plumbers use to unclog drains?
Hydrochloric acidHydrochloric acid, otherwise known as muriatic acid, is commonly used by plumbers around the world to clear a clogged rain. It is a strong acid that can cause serious injury if it is not used with care.
Will sodium hydroxide eat through plastic?
PVC has excellent resistance to NaOH or KOH. Unfortunately this plastic softens when warm and can deform or stretch.
Does sodium hydroxide dissolve hair?
Lye. Lye, known to scientists as “sodium hydroxide,” is an extremely caustic base. Remember high school chemistry? Bases are the opposite of acids, but just as powerful at dissolving things like hair, grease, and bits of food.
How does sodium hydroxide work?
It quickly absorbs carbon dioxide and water from the air. When near moisture, sodium hydroxide can burn or eat away at animal and vegetable tissue and some metal. Sodium hydroxide mixes easily with water, alcohol and glycerol. It generates heat while dissolving.
What is the best thing to unclog drains?
Baking soda and salt work similarly to baking soda and vinegar. Again, combine a 1/2 cup of baking soda and 1/2 cup of salt. Let this sit in the drain for at least 30 minutes or as long as overnight and then pour hot water down the drain. Repeat this process if necessary.
What happens when you mix lye and vinegar?
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. Although vinegar should not be used to treat lye burns on skin, it can be used as precaution during the cleanup process.
Is lye the best drain cleaner?
Lye. We do not recommend using caustic lye (potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide) based drain openers even though they're frequently rated as “most effective.” Yes, they're great at breaking down organic matter such as hair and they even convert grease into soap!
Does sodium hydroxide damage PVC pipes?
For instance, sodium hydroxide generates excessive heat that raises the temperature beyond the PVC pipes' boiling point. While these chemicals are caustic by nature, it's the kind of heat they generate from their chemical reactions that make PVC pipes soften and eventually melt.
Does lye eat through PVC?
The caustic materials in the cleaners can eat through the pipe itself while they clear through the clog. It doesn't matter what type of pipes you have, either: Chemical drain cleaners can damage PVC, galvanized steel, copper and iron pipes.
How long does it take for NaOH to dissolve?
Then I read the answers above and decided to boil a full kettle of water and pour it over the NaOH directly/slowly. After about 20 seconds the NaOH started to dissolve and bubble and then it completely drained away and the pipe is fully clear now.
Why doesn't pouring water work?
Pouring water doesn't work because the water already present, along with the grid, reduces the flow above the NaOH layer, meaning it will dissolve very slowly or perhaps not at all.
Can a partially clogged kitchen sink pass water through the pipe?
My partially clogged kitchen sink would allow small amounts of water to pass through the pipe. I've been using a plunger when it was getting clogged (snake was ineffective).
Is NaOH corrosive?
Be careful with this water since it contains large amounts of NaOH and is corrosive.
Does acid react with NaOH?
Initially, the acid reacted with the NaOH (I could see bubbles coming out), but then it stopped completely. WARNING: Acid and NaOH reactions can be very violent. In my case there was enough water to act as a heat-sink preventing boiling and splashing, and I was adding acid slowly.
Does the grid at the entrance of a pipe reduce water flow?
The grid at the entrance of the pipe reduces water flow . My assumption is that the excessive amount of NaOH you used, along with the reduced water flow right after, caused the NaOH to boil instantly the small amount of water that was already present and formed the solid NaOH layer which you described.
Can water pass through a NaOH sink?
No water would pass through. The sink was completely clogged now, because the NaOH formed a solid "bathtub plug" inside the pipe! (I could see solid white NaOH) Pouring more water had no effect, so I carefully threw citric acid grains (a weak acid, contained in lemons), hoping the acid would react with the base (NaOH).
In This Article
Heavier than water, lye is a popular chemical often used to clear clogged drains. Because it doesn't float, you can use lye in drains even when there is standing water present. The lye will sink to the bottom of the drain and clear the clog quite effectively. Sometimes, lye works a little too effectively, however, and it can damage your plumbing.
When to Avoid Lye
Scientifically known as potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide, lye does an excellent job of cutting through organic matter, like hair and other common drain cloggers. Unfortunately, it generates heat as it does so, making it best to avoid using lye in PVC and other plastic pipes.
How to Clean a Drain With Lye
When using lye to open a drain, always read the directions on the product label first. While the basics of lye use are generally the same, every manufacturer may have its own special instructions for its product. Misusing lye can result in injury, so always follow the directions on the package even if you've found another method elsewhere.
Step 1: Prepare Yourself
Lye is an extremely caustic chemical, and it can burn your skin if you come into direct contact with it. To protect yourself, always wear protective gear when using it.
Step 2: Add the Lye
If you are adding lye to a sink or tub full of standing water, make sure the water is cold. If it isn't, leave it to sit or add cold water until it is. Lye gets hot enough to boil water as it works in the drain, so it's important to start out with cold water rather than making hot water even hotter.
Step 3: Rinse and Repeat
In many instances, lye works extremely well, and one treatment is enough to get the job done. Once in a while, however, you have to add a second batch of lye to remove tough clogs. If the second treatment doesn't do it, you'll need to call a plumber. Don't just keep dumping increasing amounts of lye down the drain.
