ComStar Pure Lye 1 lb - Unique Sodium Hydroxide Beads | Drain Opener & Soap Making | Biodegradable, Eco-Friendly (30-500)

I was amazed how this product worked on my slow moving bathtub/shower drain! I had tried snaking it, plunging it, liquid drain cleaner...nothing helped until this. I watched the videos people posted and thought what the heck, I'll give it a try. Ran hot water for a minute, waited 10 minutes, poured 1/4 cup directly into the drain, added more hot water, saw 1 bubble (burp) waited, repeat ran hot water 1 minute, 10 minutes later added the beads, little more hot water...finally drain opened up completely. Will use as a monthly maintenance to keep functioning.

I have four bathroom vanities, one kitchen sink (open drian and garbage disposal sides) as well as a utility sink. In addition to multiple shower drains, a soaker tub drain and a jetted garden tub drain. It's easy to see that with all of these drains, something will eventually need your attention. Sink drains provide relatively easy access to the trap and with a modest amount of effort they can be cleaned out manually. If however the clogg goes far beyond the trap the repair gets a little more intense. Of course shower and tub drains typically don't have easy access to their drain plumbing. This is the answer for these scenarios. Not only will it open up the drains, it will do so quickly and as an added benefit it will help to keep things downstream from clogging in the first place. I have also found that it works well in laundry drains where soap scum and fabric softener buildup can become problematic. It can be used preventatively in utility drains such as HVAC A Coil condensate drains. Who wants to find their AC system shutting down because the condensate tray is backing up? Or worse yet, find out that the system didn't shut down but instead overflowed onto your carpet, hardwood or even worse, into your ceiling if the unit is upstairs or attic located. This stuff works well for opening clogged drains quickly and preventing clogs when used as a maintenance aid. I typically by this in either the large container or in two packs as I want to have it on hand when needed. I also restock quickly when low.

This product is amazing!!! I’ve used it intermittently over the past 10+ years, and it’s always worked great for me. I used it in a home we bought new, and it worked so well I never needed to ask my husband to help with a slow drain. We eventually moved into an older home with a septic tank, and my husband’s retired now, so when he noticed a slow drain, he tried Drano, with minimal success. I ordered this, as it’s no longer available in stores in my area, and it worked like magic! My husband was so impressed! It’s easy to use, and the effects last! I would recommend this to everyone! It’s definitely worth the money!

Works quickly!

I didn't get the benefit of hearing a "whoosh" or anything so incredible when I used this on my bathroom sink drain, which is about a century old, which has been getting backfilled with stagnant water when I leave the sink on for more than 5 seconds. After first trying a drum auger I found with no luck, I decided lye might be the solution and used it as part of a trifecta of clog removal solutions. The clog was very obviously deep in my wall instead of being immediately accessible and I'm just a typical 30-year-old with no knowledge of plumbing really... For me, there was no explosion or craziness, but I did don a mask and a full-length coat just in case something crazy did happen (and you should as well if you buy this). After the first pass through with the lye, I didn't notice any change, so I decided to do it again, this time mixing it in a plastic container with the hot water in advance and then pouring it down the drain all together (Do not do this unless you have the gloves and the protective glasses!) and letting it sit for a few hours. When I poured hot water into the sink after letting the lye sit for about 6 hours, it immediately backfilled and I was really bummed out, but I decided to actually *boil* some hot water and pass that through the pipes. A lot of people say not to do this if your sink has a PVC pipe in it but I passed about 10 quarts total of boiling water and started seeing a bit of an improvement at that point. I finished everything up by allowing the sink to fill some and using a plunger on the drain. At this point, all sorts of disgusting black stuff was coming up... but the sink finally returned to a somewhat functional state. I'm sure this clog pre-dated me living in my house and unclogging it felt like a serious effort. In retrospect, I would have probably just paid for a plumber to come out because it ended up eating my entire Sunday. On the other hand, I would recommend the lye as a PREVENTATIVE maintenance tool for stubborn and clog-prone sinks. Personally, I think the plunger technique was the most effective, but this lye definitely jumpstarted the process. I'm guessing if you don't live in a super old house, this stuff will do the job much more easily... in which case, you should buy this instead of Drano because it's way cheaper, but you should also try not to be a Darwin Award winner and maintain a healthy fear of lye, because the stuff is really dangerous to play around with if you're not taking all the precautions.

While skeptical at first I have to admit first product to work as described. I followed the directions and the tub is draining without any issues still. If needed again we will not hesitate to purchase this item again

2 dogs + I have extra long hair - we always cause drains to slow. This Lye worked on the first shot!

Buen producto