Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Any advice or anecdotal info would be appreciated! . But, if handled appropriately, carefully, and with due respect, it is a perfectly acceptable means of cleaning cast iron cookware. Salt speeds up the corrosion process. Hunker may earn compensation through affiliate links in this story. Simply coat your item in Easy-Off (well-ventilated area and wear eye protection and gloves) and then place in a plastic bag. When exposed to heat, both plastic and old metal pipes can bend, warp or even break open. Are Drain Cleaners Bad for Pipes? You could also try making a homemade drain cleaner. Advertisement Video of the Day 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 . Milk will also neutralize lye and can be used if the lye is accidentally swallowed. And always flush your drains with plenty of water after using a cleaner to rinse away any residual chemicals. The problem is even worse when a drain is completely clogged, forcing the chemicals to sit in one place rather than moving along. There is such a thing as food grade lye. I have used the same batch of lye for more than a year to clean dozens of pieces. 5 days agoDrano harms different Sewer Pipe materials differently. You may recall from high school chemistry that chemical reactions can produce heat, and some produce quite a bit of it. Regarding this, will Lye damage plastic pipes? Once drain has cleared, flush with cold water. 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. . When the lye dissolves the grease, it releases explosive hydrogen. Since lye is so basic and caustic, it can harm PVC piping. The answer is yes and no. Lye is available in liquid, pellet, flake or powder from most home improvement or hardware stores. Lye is available in liquid, pellet, flake or powder from most home improvement or hardware stores. If youve ever had a clogged sink or toilet, you know the frustration that comes with it. Vinegar can neutralize lye, but in doing so it generates heat as a by-product. When adding a second batch of lye to standing water, be very careful not to splash. 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. 3. While safe for occasional use on slow drains, drain cleaner chemicals can damage your pipes and lead to expensive repair bills. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". of lye directly into the hole of the clogged drain. Cast iron rusts, and cast iron drain pipes fail. Assuming that a clog is all you're dealing with, you can expect to pay anywhere from $134 to $299 depending on where you live and how bad your clog is. If drain remains clogged, repeat steps 1-5. Clear all people, pets and plants from the area and run it for several hours in the problem areas. 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. Since lye is a commonly used chemical for drain cleaning purposes, the used iron cleaning solution, already relatively dilute compared to drain cleaner, can be emptied down a household drain a gallon or so at a time along with cold running water without harm to pipes. I use one by Enerzen and it works well. In the case of plastic pipes, the caustic materials can cause a chemical reaction, which produces heat and can melt or warp the pipe. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". The good news is it is fixable and you should not get rid of your pan, but it does require some work to restore the cast iron to its original state. Lye can burn the skin and damage the eyes in the dry or wet form. Let it solidify and put it in the trash. Navigation~ Forums TOS One way to reduce corrosion of pipes is to produce water that is non-corrosive to metals such as cast iron, lead and copper. Toilet bowls can crack. As long as its used properly, lye is generally safe for use in PVC drains. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. In many instances, lye works extremely well, and one treatment is enough to get the job done. Lye that encounters a solid clog will accumulate there. A Michigan Tech Explains, Will Lye Dissolve Tree Roots? Safety First! Will lye damage cast iron pipes? Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Add another tablespoon of lye to the drain if the water still drains slowly as you flush out the lye or if you still have standing water. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. It's very easy, and inexpensive, to prepare a homemade version as a substitute. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. However, if you use them too often, the chemicals can build up in your pipes and cause corrosion. Epoxy Pipe Coating Does Not Coat Evenly. Lye used to be available in the supermarket but not anymore. 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. Will lye damage PVC pipes? If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. When the lye dissolves the grease, it releases explosive hydrogen. At the concentration recommended for cast ironcleaning, it is still a skin irritant and potentially damagingto the eyes. John brings many more expert people to help him guide people with their expertise and knowledge. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Wear nitrile or latex gloves when handling lye. Call us at 734-761-7154, or email us at info@michiganpowerrodding.com today. This could detonate your drains, except the hydrogen gets safely , Oct 28, 2021While safe for occasional use on slow drains, drain cleaner chemicals can damage your pipes and lead to expensive repair bills. In cast iron pipes, the accumulation of rust is called tuberculation. Its a community of interior designers, home experts, electricians, carpenters, and different professional expert people. It doesn't matter what type of pipes you have, either: Chemical drain cleaners can damage PVC, galvanized steel, copper and iron pipes. We only recommend using steel wool or a metal scrubber to remove rust before reseasoning. Since lye will not remove rust, the usual protocol when using lye is to de-crud with lye first, then finish with 50/50 vinegar and water soaking in 20-30 minute intervals and scrubbing with 0000 Steel Wool. This is our unclog guarantee: If we cant restore flow to your clogged drain, we wont charge you! There is also food-grade sodium hydroxide, sold in some specialty cooking stores. This will allow him to protect himself from any lye still present. Hydrochloric acid Lye should not be used to clean enameled cast iron pieces; it will dull the finish. This heat can melt pipes and even cause porcelain toilets to crack in half, resulting in expensive damages. At the concentration recommended for cast iron cleaning, it is still a skin irritant and potentially damaging to the eyes. 1. May 30, 2022Will lye damage cast iron pipes? Do not mix lye with other chemicals. Mix thoroughly and allow to sit for 24 hours. If you must use a caustic drain cleaner, be sure to follow the manufacturers instructions carefully and flush your pipes thoroughly with water afterwards. You can nest as many as you want. If you're using lye to unclog a kitchen sink, clear the sink first. Suspend pieces utilizing steel coat hangers. If you use a caustic drain cleaner, such as lye, it can damage your PVC pipes. Lye will react with metals such as aluminum, cast iron and steel. 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? Lye can safely be used to clean nickel or chrome plated pieces. Drano contains chemicals that can severely damage your pipes. 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. Coming in at number three is your best option for cleaning out cast iron pipes and really give them new life: it's a fairly new technology called "picote" that uses high powered spinning air. If you use drain cleaners regularly, or if they dont seem to be working as well as they used to, its time to call a plumber. Properly diluted for disposal, a lye solution will not even kill lawn grass. Lye is a caustic substance, meaning it has a pH that is extremely alkaline. This is your one-stop encyclopedia that has numerous frequently asked questions answered. It should be stored and mixed in ceramic, stoneware, glass or heat-resistant plastic containers. Silverline 395010 Drain Unblocker 6 m x 6 mm Diameter. Lye, known to scientists as sodium hydroxide, is an extremely caustic base. This could detonate your drains, except the hydrogen gets safely absorbed by the sodium nitrate. When the lye dissolves the grease, it releases explosive hydrogen. Using lye products weekly will clean the plumbing and septic tank. Since lye is so basic and caustic, it can harm PVC piping. Thanks for posting! It should . If you do not want a lye tank, you can use the garbage bag-Easy Off method. Ace Hardware is also good, though you may have to ask at the counter. Label your tote all around with Corrosive/Toxic and Lye/Sodium Hydroxide. You want to use something that will hold 5-10 gallons, with about 6-12 at the top for a small-to-medium size tank. Some use a stronger solution. Costs to Replace Cast Iron Drains. Unclog drains with lye. But they're very corrosive to pipes (including galvanized steel, copper, and iron) as well as fixtures and fittings. Although. 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. Chemicals used to unclog a toilet may end up helping, but using them is a huge risk. Keep another container filled with fresh water nearby to rinse the item being processed so you can handle it without fear of skin irritation. Chemicals, Oils, Paints: Do not flush these chemicals into the septic system in any quantity: Furniture polish. Privacy & Legal Place the bucket back over the drain and give the lye another 15 to 30 minutes to work. Depending on how thick the build-up on the piece is, it will take from a few to several days for the lye to soften and dissolve the crud. Palladium hydroxide x Only in highly diluted aqueous solutions; otherwise disposed of as hazardous waste. Usually several days to a week for really dirty pieces will be enough. Lye should not be used to clean enameled cast iron pieces; it will dull the finish. Cabling uses a plumbing snake and cables to manually clear. <br> <br>But if you want to outsmart the system, remember that there's a . Using rubber gloves is advisable. For example, reactions involving lye can generate heat that can reach boiling points. }); Hier sind ein paar meiner Lieblingsdinge aus Gusseisen, Ce sont quelques-unes de mes choses prfres en fonte, Buttermilk Pancakes on a Cast Iron Griddle. enable_page_level_ads: true Similarly, will Lye damage plastic pipes? Similar products which expressly state a composition of 100% lye (sodium hydroxide) can also be used. CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON SERVICES LLC. Additionally, if Drano is used too often, it can build up in the pipes and create clogs itself! Carefully pour several teaspoonfuls of lye directly into the drain. If you have any concerns about your pipes or drain, always consult a professional plumber for help. Navigation However, Drano can actually damage your pipes if used too frequently or incorrectly. While the basics of lye use are generally the same, every manufacturer may have its own special instructions for its product. 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