If the drain backs up, turn off the water and wait a bit longer. Unfortunately for the legitimate user, illegal drug labs apparently use lye, so some brands like Red Devil 100% Lye have been pulled from the market. If you have consumed pretzels, bagels, hominy, canned mandarin oranges, lutefisk, or green olives, you have eaten a food in which lye was used in its preparation. Properly diluted for disposal, a lye solution will not even kill lawn grass. Lye and bleach can lead to serious chemical burns on the skin, in the eyes and in the respiratory system if not handled properly with full protective gear. Clearing a Cast Iron Sewer Pipe Clog. Within 60 seconds the drain is clear - even on the most difficult drain blockage. Some advanced hobbyists use sodium hydroxide aka lye to achieve a double-acting electrolyte/cleaning solution, but for most, the simpler . This is not to say that lye is not dangerous. Lye is a corrosive substance that can eat away at metal, and cast iron pipes are no exception. Is lye safe for PVC pipes? Additionally, if Drano is used too often, it can build up in the pipes and create clogs itself! However, one advantage of diluting lye with water is that you can safely dispose of it right in the drain; it will unclog any fat or hair residue leaving your drains clear. As long as its used properly, lye is generally safe for use in PVC drains. Since lye will not remove rust, the usual protocol when using both lye and electrolysis is to de-crud with lye first, then finish with electroysis to remove rust and any remaining crud. Hydrochloric acid Lye can help with very slow drains but never use it in a drain that you suspect to be clogged solid. The lye in Drano eats through organic matter and pipes. Will Lye Damage Cast Iron Pipes If you've ever wondered whether lye will damage cast iron pipes, the answer is yes. If the second treatment doesn't do it, you'll need to call a plumber. Using one of these chemical cleaners to unclog your drain could cause more harm than good in the long run. 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 and bleach are corrosive. Remove the bucket from your drain and flush it with cold water. The chemical should not react with the surface of the PVC piping, but if used incorrectly at high concentrations, it could eat away at a crack or flaw in the piping, causing it to fail. Chemical drain cleaners can be effective at clearing clogs, but they can also damage your pipes if used too frequently or incorrectly. However, it is also very corrosive and can damage pipes if used too frequently or incorrectly. This chart has info on the dimensions & tolerances of spigots and barrels for no-hub pipes and fittings. While safe for occasional use on slow drains, drain cleaner chemicals can damage your pipes and lead to expensive repair bills. On the other hand, if you try to pour bleach down the drain in big amounts, then yes, your drain pipes will definitely be damaged and you can just throw them. Herein, will Lye damage cast iron pipes? Lye, also called caustic soda and sodium hydroxide, is a substance frequently used to make soap. At the strength used to clear clogged drains, lye is absolutely hazardous to anything organic it contacts. . This heat can warp or melt the pipe, leading to leaks. Similarly, will Lye damage plastic pipes? If it's still slow or if standing water remains, call a plumber. Lye can form a solid crystal plug and pressure can build beneath it and blow it right into your unprotected eyes. Is it OK to use lye in a drain? | Als Plumbing Plano Texas, Why Not to Use Drano to Unclog Your Drains Einstein Pros, will lye damage cast iron pipes tunisiaonline.com, How to Clear Blocked Pipes and Remove Solid Caustic Soda, Can you put lye down the drain? Possibly if not used as directed. Place 2 to 3 tsp. Learn more about our unclogging services by visiting our drain cleaning service page. Allow the lye to sit in your drain for 15 to 30 minutes. Lye used to be available in the supermarket but not anymore. quite effective. Finally, avoid lye if you have a septic system. We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Amazon and other companies linked to on this site. 2 Can I pour sodium hydroxide down the drain? Although it won't melt them, lye is still highly corrosive and can damage cast iron pipes as well. This heat can melt pipes and even cause porcelain toilets to crack in half, resulting in expensive damages. Hydrochloric acid, also known as muriatic acid, is the most common acid used by plumbers to unclog drains. Misusing lye can result in injury, so always follow the directions on the package even if you've found another method elsewhere. Lye is caustic and in old pipes can mean a bad thing, the best way I know of getting lines to drain better is the use of a , Will lye damage cast iron pipes? While the lye-based formula is tough on gunk, it's gentle enough for pipes made of plastic and copper. When you call your local cast iron sewer pipe repair service, there are a few things that can be done with and for your sewage pipes. It can take awhile for drain cleaning chemicals to move through a slow drain, giving them plenty of time to heat up your pipes along the way. The sinks, especially the kitchen sink, were often clogged. Cast iron can remain in the lye bath indefinitely without damage to the iron. Sometimes broken pipes, encroaching tree roots and other plumbing issues masquerade as clogged pipes when the problem is much more serious. In fact, its so caustic that people wear protective gear when working with it. When the lye dissolves the grease, it releases explosive hydrogen. Lye is available in liquid, pellet, flake or powder from most home improvement or hardware stores. When the lye dissolves the grease, it releases explosive hydrogen. The warmer the lye solution is, the faster it works, so in a sunny spot is best. Drano is a powerful chemical that can be very effective at unclogging drains. If you're wrestling with a clog, grab a plunger before you do anything else. Plastic and concrete pipes tend to be resistant to corrosion. Copyright All rights reserved. Will lye damage cast iron pipes? | Als Plumbing Plano Texas. John loves to research the things he deals with in his everyday life and share his findings with people. It doesn't matter what type of pipes you have, either: Chemical drain cleaners can damage PVC, galvanized steel, copper and iron pipes. To purchase lye, you want 100% lye crystals. It will not cause any damage to the pipes. So whats the best way to deal with a clogged drain? Lye can help with very slow drains but never use it in a drain that you suspect to be clogged solid. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Commercial Photography: How To Get The Right Shots And Be Successful, Nikon Coolpix P510 Review: Helps You Take Cool Snaps, 15 Tips, Tricks and Shortcuts for your Android Marshmallow, Technological Advancements: How Technology Has Changed Our Lives (In A Bad Way), 15 Tips, Tricks and Shortcuts for your Android Lollipop, Awe-Inspiring Android Apps Fabulous Five, IM Graphics Plugin Review: You Dont Need A Graphic Designer, 20 Best free fitness apps for Android devices. When the lye dissolves the grease, it releases explosive hydrogen. Be sure to rinse the piece well before proceeding with initial seasoning. The lye in Drano eats through organic matter and pipes. Hunker may earn compensation through affiliate links in this story. Do not pour grease down the drain. This could detonate your drains, except the hydrogen gets safely absorbed by the sodium nitrate. Lye is an alkaline chemical that is known for its caustic nature. Wear nitrile or latex gloves when handling lye. The glass might frost if it continued or stayed on for too long. When using lye to open a drain, always read the directions on the product label first. Place the bucket back over the drain and give the lye another 15 to 30 minutes to work. If you're using lye to unclog a kitchen sink, clear the sink first. Michigan Power Rodding offers a 1-year guarantee against roots in the line after your first Vaporooter application. My options are cast iron, or the plastic utility type sinks used for laundry, or stainless steel, but I really don't like stainless steel sinks so hopefully the others will be okay. This is your one-stop encyclopedia that has numerous frequently asked questions answered. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. For example, reactions involving lye can generate heat that can reach boiling points. There are caustic cleaners that use lye (sodium hydroxide) or potash, oxidizing cleaners that use bleach or peroxide, and acidic cleaners that use sulfuric or muriatic acid to clean pipes. Polystyrene is brittle and will shatter easily when dropped or bent. Do not mix lye with other chemicals. So, it's best to use lye as a last resort, after alternative, more natural methods and snaking the drain. The pros of lye are that its effective against sticky clog-smears like what you find in kitchen sinks, as well as thick hair clogs in bathrooms. The answer is yes and no. If you do not want a lye tank, you can use the garbage bag-Easy Off method. Caustic soda is alkaline and vinegar is acidic, so it makes sense at first glance to pour vinegar into the drain and let it react with the hardened material to produce a salt that is far less harmful and will dissolve in water. If youre worried about your drain, you can also contact your local waste management services to find out how to dispose of hazardous materials. Silverline 395010 Drain Unblocker 6 m x 6 mm Diameter. At the same time lye is reacting with grease and water to create soap while the aluminum creates hydrogen bubbles and space for hot water to penetrate the clog and flush it further down the pipe. We only recommend using steel wool or a metal scrubber to remove rust before reseasoning. Chemicals used to unclog a toilet may end up helping, but using them is a huge risk. 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. Sodium hydroxide (NaOH), also known as caustic soda or lye, is a highly versatile substance used in a variety of manufacturing processes. Lye is available in liquid, pellet, flake or powder from most home improvement or hardware stores. The chemical should not react with the surface of the PVC piping, but if used incorrectly at high concentrations, it could eat away at a crack or flaw in the piping, causing it to fail. Copyright2022AnswerFoundry.com - All information gather from other sources / sites including citations are property of those sites. Lye, known to scientists as sodium hydroxide, is an extremely caustic base. 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