Personal Consumer Issues • Lye products for metal pipes?

I have a tub/shower that hasn't been used in 10 or so years and is slow-draining. I don't know if it's a calcium buildup, something organic...or something entirely different. But I have determined that there is no hair caught behind the overflow plate and a "drain weasel" hasn't picked up any hair down the drain. A plumber suggested I try some home remedies (which I did to no avail) and said to contact him for a snaking if the home remedies didn't work

In the meantime, a friend of mine who does occasional plumbing work gave me bottle of a commercial product that is basically liquid lye. He instructed me to pour the entire bottle down the drain and leave overnight. (The bottle itself instructed to use a smaller amount and only for 30 minutes. )

Well, I remain skeptical. I'm dealing with old pipes of undetermined metal composition -- but they are metal -- and I want to prolong the life of the pipes. Which makes me afraid of any product that could be corrosive. Some Boglehead threads and internet articles have suggested lye was good for PVC pipes but either neutral or bad for metal pipes.

So, should I go with the drain snaking, which will cost $150-200 or should I try the free lye product on the theory that using it just once won't hurt anything and may help.

Statistics: Posted by roamingzebra — Sun Jul 14, 2024 1:25 am — Replies 0 — Views 89

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