I’ve got a clogged sink, and have been reading the labels on a bunch of different products lately. I’d always assumed that they were a strong acid of sorts, which would dissolve whatever sort of material was built up in the pipes. But I’ve noticed that a lot of these products specify that they’re non-corrosive, so I’m not sure what other sort of mechanism may be at play here.
A lot of these use strong bases, like sodium hydroxide, that will dissolve fats and proteins but leave most metals and plastics unharmed. (except aluminum)
You’re correct, and that’s why sometimes they work really well and sometimes they make the problem much worse and profoundly annoy the plumber you’ll eventually call to fix the issue.
A strong base + lipids stuck together in a pipe means a solid block of soap after a while, sometimes too big and clogged to be effectively rinsed with water, meaning you just made the blockage worse.
Most drain cleaners are not acids but bases - same basic idea but the other end of the pH scale. Bleach is an example of a corrosive base you’re probably familiar with. Bases were used because they were more compatible with the solder that connected copper pipes in older homes. For non-corrosive cleaners they fall into a couple classes:
Fizzy things. These loosen clogs by bubbling them apart. They are typically made by mixing a weak acid with a base - hello vinegar and baking soda! The acid may help a bit with dissolving some clogs. These can take a while
Enzyme based cleaners. An active enzyme will digest some of the bonds in hair and other components of the clog. These can take hours to be effective so don’t be in a rush.
Temperature based. Fats often make up a big component of clogs. Something as simple as boiling water can do a lot to loosen up a clog. There are fancier mixtures that will warm up the pipe to try to get things flowing.
Bases were used because they were more compatible with the solder that connected copper pipes in older homes.
Bases are much more effective at breaking up organic matter than acids. You can pour concentrated acid on your hand to little effect if you rinse it off quickly. You will not be able to do this with strong bases (think that scene from Fight Club). Strong bases rapidly destroy organic matter.
If you need to dissolve a body, use lye, not some acid.
Yep. Strong bases feel soapy to the touch, not because they are, but because they’re literally turning your skin into soap almost instantly.
I learned this about bleach a while back! I remember wondering why bleach felt slimy to the touch, even though it looked like it had roughly the same consistency as water. Turns out it wasn’t the bleach that was slimy, it was me. I am the slime.
Also, adding heat can really help a drain cleaner work.
I pour a pot/kettle of boiling water down the drain, add the cleaner, wait whatever it says to on the bottle, then dump a second pot of boiling water down to rinse.
They react with aluminium foil and make nice bombs when sealed inside a plastic bottle
lmao, we used to call them “Works bombs” as a kid, because we’d use The Works cleaner for it.
I’m not aware of any that are acid, usually they’re strong alkaline, NaOH or KOH which is extremely corrosive, but there are some that are enzymatic that are supposed to break down organic material, not very well in my experience.
Yeah, I cheaped out and bought a bottle of a store-brand cleaner which I think may be the enzyme type. It’s made a bit of progress, but not much so far. :(
Most are strong bases and/or super strong industrial soaps.
Many of them contain lye, which is alkaline. Always read the label to check for compatibility with your pipes. Note that drain pipes can be made from a different material than your supply pipes. PVC and ABS are common, but there are other kinds.
They are caustic bases, like lye, and will eat through material that is causing a clog
