Cleaning sewer clogs with caustic soda: recipes, tips.

Description of the cleaning method

Caustic soda effectively fights food residues and unpleasant odors. The principle of operation of this product is that within 2-3 hours it corrodes and peels off organic deposits on the walls of the pipes. The remains of these substances are washed off with water, and the patency of the pipes is completely restored.

Caustic soda is commercially available in 3 types:

dry (powder, granules, scales);
liquid (solution);
gel.

In addition, it is contained in almost all drain cleaning products. Including as part of the popular and effective product “Mole”.

Pipes become clogged not only as a result of hair or food debris getting into the drain. Processes that contribute to clogging also occur in the pipeline itself: sewer pipes rust and salts are constantly deposited in them.

Caustic soda effectively removes the following types of contaminants:

hair;
protein deposits;
fat layer;
soap layers;
leftover food;
fish scales;
animal fur.

But it copes poorly with some blockages. This:

construction suspensions;
dirt;
Earth;
sand;
garbage;
cement chips.

If caustic soda is not available, you can use soda ash.

Sequence of work

To clean a septic tank with caustic sodium, you will need a protective suit, including gloves, a mask, and a respirator. Also prepare a 10 liter bucket, a small shovel or scoop. Fill the container with water, add caustic soda granules weighing 2-4 kg. The amount of caustic depends on the size of your hole.

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The composition should be mixed well. When sodium hydroxide reacts with water it will heat it up. After 10 minutes, the water temperature will exceed 65 degrees. The loan mixture must be poured directly into the septic tank. The solution is effective within 5 minutes. After this, the procedure should be repeated.

Expert opinion

Attention!

Important! The product is potent, it is alkali, it corrodes almost everything. You should not forget about safety rules and personal protective equipment.

Advantages and disadvantages

Caustic soda perfectly removes blockages due to the decomposition of fat and protein deposits. The advantages of this method include:

accessibility and ease of use;
excellent penetration effect. Can completely corrode organic matter, including hair, which often causes pipes to become clogged;
elimination of all kinds of roughness inside the pipes, which often cause the rapid deposition of dirt.

But there are also negative factors, which include:

toxicity, so when working it is necessary to use a mask, goggles and rubber gloves;
decomposition of organic matter only;
insufficient removal of earthen deposits. To achieve the desired result, you need to clean the pipeline several times;
the likelihood of pipe damage;
If it gets on a sink or bathtub, the enamel will corrode over time.

Where to buy caustic and how much is needed?

Caustic sodium is not something rare, so it can be found freely in hardware stores, household chemicals departments in supermarkets. The product is inexpensive, but has a lot of benefits.

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If you need to clean the pipes and septic tank of a private or country house, then prepare 3-5 kg of soda. To carry out work in the apartment you will need 2 kg of this product. It costs to flush the pipes of a private house twice, but once will be enough for an apartment.

Benefits of caustic soda:

active components are able to cope with any contaminants;
eliminates roughness and unevenness on the inner walls of pipes on which dirt deposits form;
can be used as needed, and also as a means of preventing pollution;
ease of use;
availability of sale.

The disadvantages of using caustic are the following:

unsafe and toxic;
more effective only in combination with other chemicals;
does not remove earthen dirt;
It cleans sinks and bathtubs well, but gradually corrodes the enamel.

Expert opinion

Did you know that...

A septic tank is a necessary element of a country house. But he requires regular care. Caustic soda is a good option to do everything quickly, simply, without involving specialists in the work.

Rules for using caustic soda

Cleaning drain pipes with caustic soda is an effective way to get rid of dirt for a long time. But before using caustic alkali, you need to know the rules for its use:

When cleaning pipes with this product, you only need to wear rubber gloves, safety glasses and a mask;
when working with caustic soda indoors, open the window;
the caustic substance is not suitable for cleaning plastic pipes, it can corrode them;
it can only be used to clean metal sewer pipes;
sewer cleaning time should not exceed 3-6 hours;
At the end of cleaning, it is necessary to flush the pipes.

Read more: Using caustic soda.

When should you clean your septic tank?

A cesspool, if it is created using the right technology and is systematically maintained, can last quite a long time. There are signs that indicate it's time to clean the container.

The main ones are:

the appearance of a persistent unpleasant odor;
formation of silt at the bottom of the pit;
rapid overflow of the container;
Strong factions settle on the walls, which are almost impossible to get rid of.

If one or more of these signs are present, then immediate cleaning should be done. Many owners claim that if the septic tank is very dirty, caustic soda will not help, but one of the modern biological agents will. Nowadays there are quite a lot of them on sale, you can choose exactly the one that is completely suitable.

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Precautionary measures

Sodium hydroxide is a caustic substance classified as hazard class 2. Therefore, the following precautions must be observed when using it.

You should always use a thick mask, goggles and rubber gloves to avoid contact of the caustic substance with the skin and mucous membranes.
When cleaning sewer drains, you must follow the instructions and proportions of combining caustic alkali with water or other substances.
This product should be stored out of the reach of children and always tightly closed.

If caustic soda gets on the skin or mucous membrane, serious burns may occur. And if in the eyes, it can damage the optic nerve, which will subsequently lead to complete loss of vision.

If the substance gets on the mucous membrane, it must be immediately and thoroughly rinsed with slightly warm running water.

In case of contact with skin, it should be washed with water and treated with a 2% acetic acid solution. To prepare it, you need 1 tbsp. dilute a spoonful of 9% vinegar in 4 tbsp. spoons of water.

Recipe with essential oils

This recipe, due to its composition, is more gentle on the skin.

½ l vegetable oil;
150 ml distilled water;
70 g caustic;
a few drops of essential oils.

Preparation:

Heat the vegetable oil a little.
Mix caustic soda with water in a separate container.
Add the resulting mixture of soda and water to the container with oil.
Mix the resulting solution with a wooden spatula.
Add 5-6 drops of essential oils and mix again.
Pour the soap solution into the molds.
Place the soap in a dry place to mature, not in a draft.

During the cooking process, you can add herbs if desired, preferably in powder form. When preparing soap, you should use rubber gloves and try not to inhale dangerous caustic fumes.

An indicator that the soap is ready will be the appearance of white powder on its surface. The white powder is soda, which is formed by the reaction of caustic soda with carbon dioxide in the air.

For making homemade soap, caustic with a high degree of purification is better suited. This ingredient is easy to find in specialized stores.

Cleaning recipes

The sewerage cleaning scheme is determined depending on the type of drug. When using caustic soda in the form of crystals, you need to prepare a special solution. Let's figure out how to properly dissolve caustic soda in order to get a noticeable effect after using it?

First, you need to use protective equipment: put on rubber gloves, special glasses and a thick mask. Pour 3 kg of caustic into a 10-12 liter durable plastic bucket with a plastic scoop or shovel. Then pour 7 liters of ordinary water into it and stir until the soda is completely dissolved.

For preventive sewer cleaning, it will be enough to use 2 kg of caustic soda per 7 liters of water.

Those who will be making this solution for the first time need to be especially careful. As a result of the chemical reaction, heat is released, so the temperature of the solution rises to 60 degrees.

At the same time, the cleaning process in a private house and a city apartment has some differences.

Cleaning a sewer in a private house takes place in 2 stages and is carried out according to the following rules:

half of the alkaline solution must be carefully poured into the sewer system. Do not splash the caustic substance - this can damage the decorative surfaces of the plumbing fixtures;
It will take about 3 hours for the caustic to take effect. In this case, you cannot use the bathtub, sinks and toilet;
after the specified time, pour in the rest of the solution, wait again for 3 hours;
After this, you need to rinse the drain with a large stream of running water for 15 minutes. If you do not flush, the pipes may be damaged.

Cleaning the sewer system in a city apartment is carried out in 1 stage:

3-4 liters of alkaline solution must be poured into the sewer;
wait 3 hours for it to take effect;
After this, the pipes must be rinsed with a strong stream of water.

If the sewer is severely clogged, the cleaning procedure can be repeated after 2 weeks.

Some useful tips on how to clear clogs in sewer pipes using caustic soda can be found in this video:

To clean pipes without preparing a solution, you can use a dry substance without diluting it with water. The reaction will occur directly in the pipeline and can damage plastic pipes. Therefore, this method is considered more aggressive. As a result, the effect will be the same as from treatment with a solution.

The procedure consists of the following steps:

First, you need to pour 3 liters of hot water into the sewer system. This will warm up the pipes and prepare them for serious cleaning;
Crystals or caustic soda powder must be carefully poured into the pipeline. For cleaning you will need about 3 tbsp. spoons If the blockage is large, then you can use 5-6 tbsp. spoons You need to pour the soda carefully so that it does not get on the surface of the plumbing;
after this you need to pour in 250 ml of water;
after 3 hours, the caustic alkali should completely corrode the contaminants inside the pipes;
then the drain must be flushed with a large stream of water.

This method is considered the most effective. But when using it you must be careful and follow safety rules. It should be taken into account that the concentration of alkali is very high. Therefore, it corrodes not only blockages, but also the inner surface of the pipes.

We recommend that you familiarize yourself with the detailed video instructions, which show how to clear blockages in the sewer with caustic soda:

You can also clean pipes from dirt using gel-like caustic soda:

The package with the gel must be shaken thoroughly, then pour 250 ml of the product into the sewer drain;
add 250 ml of hot water to the hole and leave for 2-3 hours;
After this, you need to turn on the water and flush the drain for 10 minutes.

In gels the concentration of the substance is lower. Therefore, this method is less effective, but the safest for both humans and the pipeline.

You can use another option and flush the drain with caustic soda and vinegar:

it is necessary to pour sodium hydroxide into the pipe in the same proportion (0.5 cups) and pour in vinegar.
During the chemical reaction, a lot of foam is formed. Therefore, it is recommended to carefully close the sewer hole with a plug for approximately 2 hours.
After this time, boiling water must be poured into it.

Preparation of caustic soda solution

In order to dilute soda with water, you should follow certain rules:

Preparation of the solution

the container must be resistant to alkali, for example, a thick-walled plastic bucket with a capacity of up to 12 liters is suitable;
to prepare the product you need to take only cold water;
You cannot pour water into the alkali, you must add soda to it, otherwise the resulting hot alkali may splash;
since a large amount of heat is released during the dissolution process, the reagent must be added in small portions, with gentle stirring;
a hot solution emits caustic fumes, so it is better to use a gauze mask;
It is preferable to prepare the caustic solution in the open air; if this is not possible, then you should open the window to ventilate the room;
For 7 liters of H2O, usually from 2 to 4 kg of soda is taken, depending on the type of residential building and sewage system.