Cleaning pipes with soda ash: how flushing occurs
Cleaning pipes with soda ash is one of the effective ways to remove stubborn grease deposits on internal surfaces. You can also use the product together with baking soda, for example, to clean plumbing fixtures and tiles. Instructions for use are described in detail in this article.
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Soda ash, caustic and baking soda: which is better?
The engine cooling system is often flushed with caustic soda, and it is also used to clean pipes and plumbing surfaces. Although in everyday life they also use soda ash and regular baking soda. The general principle of action of all these products is due to the fact that when dissolved in water, they give an alkaline reaction.
Numerous charged particles (ions) appear in the liquid, which interact with fats and literally break them down. But the described types of soda have different strengths. Therefore, it is useful to know, for example, how to clean aluminum heating radiators or plumbing fixtures. To do this, use the following means:
- Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3).
- Calcined – sodium carbonate (Na2CO3).
- Caustic - sodium hydroxide, or caustic soda (NaOH).
Baking soda has the weakest effect because its alkaline reaction is not so strong. For example, a person can drink a fairly strong solution of this substance as a folk remedy for heartburn.Soda ash, and even more so caustic soda, has a much stronger effect. Their solutions are never used for food purposes and are not even allowed to come into contact with the skin, much less the eyes.
Since caustic soda is particularly dangerous, soda ash is more often used for household purposes. This tool has several advantages:
- perfectly removes fat, including stubborn fat;
- carefully cleans the surface of the toilet, tile, sink, bathtub;
- reduces water hardness;
- kills most known bacteria;
- Helps cope with tissue stains.
If you use sodium carbonate correctly, there are no downsides to it. But you need to remember that the substance absorbs moisture well and is quite dangerous. Therefore, you need to store it in a dry place, protected from children and as far as possible from food.
Instructions for using soda ash
The product can be used in different ways - dissolving in water or even in dry form. For example, to clean pipes, you can use the following instructions:
- Wear gloves, mask and goggles.
- Prepare a 10 liter bucket.
- Using a scoop, measure and pour 2 kg of product.
- Fill with water almost to the top and mix thoroughly.
- You need to be prepared for the liquid to heat up a little, so it is better to use cold water (straight from the tap).
- Carefully pour the solution into the pipe in a thin stream.
It is not worth preparing the entire volume at once, since a 10 liter bucket is difficult to lift and regulate a small flow. In addition, for sewerage in an apartment building, 4-5 liters is quite enough. Therefore, the indicated volume and mass of the product can be divided by 2.
There is another way to use soda ash. It is mixed with food in equal quantities and a little water is added to obtain a paste.This mixture is placed on the sink, toilet, tiles or other surfaces. Let it sit for 30-60 minutes, then wash off with water.
Thus, soda is one of the best remedies for fighting fat deposits. Essentially, it is an alkali of varying strengths. It is most effective to use caustic soda, but soda ash is safer. That is why it is more often used in everyday life.