Hey all, just filled a tub in the back yard with a caustic soda mix to
clean up an old 2 stroke exhaust but it's just occurred to me that
there will be approximately 3 or 4 gallons of caustic soda / rust mix
to dispose of.

I am assuming I can dump it down the outside drain as caustic soda can
actually be used to clean drains?
--
Donnie

Donnie wrote:
Hey all, just filled a tub in the back yard with a caustic soda mix to
clean up an old 2 stroke exhaust but it's just occurred to me that
there will be approximately 3 or 4 gallons of caustic soda / rust mix
to dispose of.

I am assuming I can dump it down the outside drain as caustic soda can
actually be used to clean drains?

Is the outside drain connected to a surface water sewer that goes to a local
stream? The aquatic wildlife might not like that! If it connects to a foul
sewer - OK.

Are you connected to a local foul sewer that goes to a sewage works? If so,
then down the kitchen sink or a bog would be the best bet.

Clot wrote:

Donnie wrote:
Hey all, just filled a tub in the back yard with a caustic soda mix
to clean up an old 2 stroke exhaust but it's just occurred to me
that there will be approximately 3 or 4 gallons of caustic soda /
rust mix to dispose of.

I am assuming I can dump it down the outside drain as caustic soda
can actually be used to clean drains?

Is the outside drain connected to a surface water sewer that goes to
a local stream? The aquatic wildlife might not like that! If it
connects to a foul sewer - OK.

Are you connected to a local foul sewer that goes to a sewage works?
If so, then down the kitchen sink or a bog would be the best bet.

Ohhh that hadnt crossed my mind, I guess the bog will be the best
really then

--
Donnie

"Donnie" wrote in message
...
Hey all, just filled a tub in the back yard with a caustic soda mix to
clean up an old 2 stroke exhaust but it's just occurred to me that
there will be approximately 3 or 4 gallons of caustic soda / rust mix
to dispose of.

I am assuming I can dump it down the outside drain as caustic soda can
actually be used to clean drains?
--
Donnie


Yep, sure can - be aware that any fat in the drain will turn to soap though,
and swells about 50% in the process, so running some *hot* water through
before and after could be a good idea if your drain's already a bit clogged?

On the subject of soda and cleaning steel, have you heard of the Bubbling
Electric Gunge Tank method for removing rust? Big plastic tub, battery
charger, half a cup of *washing* soda to each bucket of water, then connect
the +ve from the charger to a piece of scrap iron, -ve to the piece to
clean, leave for a few days - saves all that tiresome messing about with
wire brushes, strong acids etc., and often does a good job of stripping
paint too! (Google "electrolytic rust removal" for more details) The
leftover liquid's drain-safe as long as you don't use stainless for the +ve
electrode (which will eventually dissolve into the solution), stainless will
make lots of hexavalent chromium in the solution, which is Very Bad Stuff.

Dave H.
--
(The engineer formerly known as Homeless)

"Rules are for the obedience of fools, and the guidance of wise men" -
Douglas Bader

Dave H. wrote:


"Donnie"

SNIP

Yep, sure can - be aware that any fat in the drain will turn to soap
though, and swells about 50% in the process, so running some hot
water through before and after could be a good idea if your drain's
already a bit clogged?

It's not but I guess it never does any harm to pre flush the pipe just
in case

On the subject of soda and cleaning steel, have you heard of the
Bubbling Electric Gunge Tank method for removing rust? Big plastic
tub, battery charger, half a cup of washing soda to each bucket of
water, then connect the +ve from the charger to a piece of scrap
iron, -ve to the piece to clean, leave for a few days - saves all
that tiresome messing about with wire brushes, strong acids etc., and
often does a good job of stripping paint too! (Google "electrolytic
rust removal" for more details) The leftover liquid's drain-safe as
long as you don't use stainless for the +ve electrode (which will
eventually dissolve into the solution), stainless will make lots of
hexavalent chromium in the solution, which is Very Bad Stuff.

I'd heard something like this before I must admit but never did give it
a try, could be interesting to experiment with it.

--
Donnie

"Donnie" wrote in message
...
Hey all, just filled a tub in the back yard with a caustic soda mix to
clean up an old 2 stroke exhaust but it's just occurred to me that
there will be approximately 3 or 4 gallons of caustic soda / rust mix
to dispose of.

I am assuming I can dump it down the outside drain as caustic soda can
actually be used to clean drains?
--
Donnie

Depends what you mean by the outside drain. The ones in the street usually
go straight into a watercourse, though some on busy roads go into big soak
always to clean up the water a bit first. Car cleaning in the street can be
bad news for local river life, and garages with car washes, were, on a
survey I once did, the most common source of local river pollution - the
next being people plumbing in foul waste to the surface water pipes by
'mistake'.

So best to check first and see where the waste goes when you flush the loo -
or pour a bucket at a time down the loo.

The solution in your tub will gradually turn to sodium carbonate solution
from contact with the air's CO2: this is 'washing soda', so what you would
be doing by pouring it down the foul sewer would not be greatly different to
doing a lot of washing. For other chemicals - like the chromium salts
mentioned in another reply - pouring down *any* drain is generally a no no.

S

Spamlet wrote:


"Donnie" SNIP

So best to check first and see where the waste goes when you flush
the loo - or pour a bucket at a time down the loo.

I know my loo pipe goes to sewage already so this will be the best
route of disposal i guess.

--
Donnie
Honda CB500R "Look out, Donnie's about!"
Lambretta Series 2 186cc "The ****ter"
Lambretta LD 175cc "The Chopper"

In message , Donnie
writes
Spamlet wrote:


"Donnie" SNIP

So best to check first and see where the waste goes when you flush
the loo - or pour a bucket at a time down the loo.

I know my loo pipe goes to sewage already so this will be the best
route of disposal i guess.

If it is an older house (pre ww2? it probably depends a lot, but it
applied to our 1930's semi in Leeds) then you may well fin the foul
water sewer and the rain water drain combined.

It's easy enough to check - open a manhole and watch to see if both
foul water and rain water go down the same drain.
--
Chris French

Donnie wrote:
Hey all, just filled a tub in the back yard with a caustic soda mix to
clean up an old 2 stroke exhaust but it's just occurred to me that
there will be approximately 3 or 4 gallons of caustic soda / rust mix
to dispose of.

I am assuming I can dump it down the outside drain as caustic soda can
actually be used to clean drains?
yes. Or mix oil with it to form the sort of detergent the drains cope
with every day.

With enough water in it, its not that evil a mix.

"The Natural Philosopher" wrote in message
...
Donnie wrote:
Hey all, just filled a tub in the back yard with a caustic soda mix to
clean up an old 2 stroke exhaust but it's just occurred to me that
there will be approximately 3 or 4 gallons of caustic soda / rust mix
to dispose of.

I am assuming I can dump it down the outside drain as caustic soda can
actually be used to clean drains?
yes. Or mix oil with it to form the sort of detergent the drains cope with
every day.

With enough water in it, its not that evil a mix.



You actually have to boil vegetable oil or animal fats with caustic for some
time for specification. and it is not possible for mineral oils or paraffin
waxes:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saponification
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unsaponifiable

In testing oils, one key test of purity is its 'sap value'.

When oils are emulsified they are actually more polluting than when they are
separated out from the water environment: the difference would be like you
walking through a puddle of oil as opposed to having it sprayed at you in a
mist that you could not avoid breathing in.

S

"Spamlet" wrote in message
...

"The Natural Philosopher" wrote in message
...
Donnie wrote:
Hey all, just filled a tub in the back yard with a caustic soda mix to
clean up an old 2 stroke exhaust but it's just occurred to me that
there will be approximately 3 or 4 gallons of caustic soda / rust mix
to dispose of.

I am assuming I can dump it down the outside drain as caustic soda can
actually be used to clean drains?
yes. Or mix oil with it to form the sort of detergent the drains cope
with every day.

With enough water in it, its not that evil a mix.



You actually have to boil vegetable oil or animal fats with caustic for
some time for specification. and it is not possible for mineral oils or
paraffin waxes:

Grr just noticed what the spell checker has done! Saponification not
'specification' stupid dumb dictionary!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saponification
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unsaponifiable

In testing oils, one key test of purity is its 'sap value'.

When oils are emulsified they are actually more polluting than when they
are separated out from the water environment: the difference would be like
you walking through a puddle of oil as opposed to having it sprayed at you
in a mist that you could not avoid breathing in.

S

On 26/08/2010 20:56, Spamlet wrote:
"The Natural wrote in message
...
Donnie wrote:
Hey all, just filled a tub in the back yard with a caustic soda mix to
clean up an old 2 stroke exhaust but it's just occurred to me that
there will be approximately 3 or 4 gallons of caustic soda / rust mix
to dispose of.

I am assuming I can dump it down the outside drain as caustic soda can
actually be used to clean drains?
yes. Or mix oil with it to form the sort of detergent the drains cope with
every day.

With enough water in it, its not that evil a mix.



You actually have to boil vegetable oil or animal fats with caustic for some
time for specification. and it is not possible for mineral oils or paraffin
waxes:


Vegetable oils can be saponified (or personified, magnified, stratified,
if your spell checker prefers :-)) at room temperature. Solids, such as
wax, need to be heated, but only to their melting point.
Beeswax e.g. can be emulsified (i.e. made virtually soluble in water) at
70 degsC with the mere hint of alkali, or completely saponified (and
turned back into a solid) by adding more. Somewhere in between should be
a water based wax polish.

On Aug 26, 4:20*pm, "Donnie" wrote:
Hey all, just filled a tub in the back yard with a caustic soda mix to
clean up an old 2 stroke exhaust but it's just occurred to me that
there will be approximately 3 or 4 gallons of caustic soda / rust *mix
to dispose of.

I am assuming I can dump it down the outside drain as caustic soda can
actually be used to clean drains?

Couldnt you freecycle it as caustic drain cleaner?


NT

Tabby wrote:

On Aug 26, 4:20*pm, "Donnie" wrote:
Hey all, just filled a tub in the back yard with a caustic soda mix
to clean up an old 2 stroke exhaust but it's just occurred to me
that there will be approximately 3 or 4 gallons of caustic soda /
rust *mix to dispose of.

I am assuming I can dump it down the outside drain as caustic soda
can actually be used to clean drains?

Couldnt you freecycle it as caustic drain cleaner?


heh

--
Donnie