How Does Caustic Soda Unblock Drains Info

For weeks, that clog had been a sticky empire of congealed bacon grease, hair, and soap scum. The fatty acids in the grease were long, tangled hydrocarbon chains—too big to wash away.

Marta stared at the standing water in her kitchen sink. It had been an hour since she’d washed the greasy roasting pan, and the water still hadn’t drained. The faint, rotten-egg smell told her it wasn’t a simple clog—it was sludge. how does caustic soda unblock drains

But caustic soda is a base with a pH of 14. It is a master of . The hydroxide ions from the soda attacked the fat molecules like a pair of molecular scissors. They sliced the big, stubborn grease into two smaller, water-soluble parts: glycerol (a soap-soft liquid) and fatty acid salts (which are, literally, soap). For weeks, that clog had been a sticky