 cdruGo ColtsPremium,MVM
join:2003-05-14
Fort Wayne, IN
kudos:7 | reply to UHF
Re: Another clogged drain thread: Bathtub drain clogged said by UHF:Insta-Flo is what I use, and is in fact what the plumber used. Dissolves hair in a matter of minutes. I use it on my bathroom drains whenever they get slow from hair clogs.
»insta-flo.com/
Insta-flow is just an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide (lye). It reacts with the fats/greases to make of all things, soap. And in the process, it also breaks down proteins, which is what hair is almost made entirely of. |
|
|
|
 UHFAll static, all day, ForeverPremium,MVM
join:2002-05-24 | Yep, it is indeed lye. But it works. I think next time I'll try the cheaper jar of lye and see if it works just as well. I suspect that it will. |
|
PrntRhdPremium
join:2004-11-03
Fairfield, CA | Crystal Drano is lye.
Hard on pipes but cheap. |
|
 leiboldPremium,MVM
join:2002-07-09
Sunnyvale, CA
kudos:6
 ·SONIC.NET
| I compared crystal drano "professional strength" and insta-flo and while the active ingredient appears to be the same, the usage instructions differ between cold water (drano) and hot water (insta-flo).
When I bought the insta-flo the cashier at the hardware store warned me not to use hot water, only warm water.
For those that recommended insta-flo and have successfully used it, what water temperature did you use ?
In case it maters, my drain is cast iron (to the best of my knowledge the entire stretch from shower drain to city sewer).
--
Got some spare cpu cycles ? Join Team Helix or Team Starfire! |
|
 KramerPremium,Mod
join:2000-08-03
Richmond, VA
kudos:2
 ·GoDaddy Hosting
Host:
Microsoft Help
Satellite Radio
Wireless Security
| I'm afraid to use lye anymore. Last time I used it it cracked the trap under my bathroom sink using warm water. The trap got so hot you couldn't touch it. No big deal in that case, but if the clog is in your walls or between floors, that's the point where the extreme heat builds up. I would guess cast iron could crack just as easily. |
|
TheSMJ
join:2009-08-19
Farmington, MI | Ever use a cast iron skillet?
It would take a lot more heat than anything lye could provide to make cast iron flinch.
said by leibold:I compared crystal drano "professional strength" and insta-flo and while the active ingredient appears to be the same, the usage instructions differ between cold water (drano) and hot water (insta-flo).
When I bought the insta-flo the cashier at the hardware store warned me not to use hot water, only warm water.
For those that recommended insta-flo and have successfully used it, what water temperature did you use ?
In case it maters, my drain is cast iron (to the best of my knowledge the entire stretch from shower drain to city sewer).
I used near-boiling hot water right out of a kettle. Don't worry about the cast iron plumbing. I doubt the pipe even got noticlbly warm to the touch since they dissipate heat so quickly. |
|
