Blocked Drains Caused by Sodium Alginate

[justcookit]

Yes, this was an extremely silly thing to do but I've managed to block my drains by absentmindedly pouring alginate solution down the sink.

We live in a hard water area so the alginates have reacted with the lime in the water and created a rather nasty jelly in my drains.

My bad.

Once you've stopped pointing and laughing, does anyone have any ideas about how to fix this? It might just stop me from sleeping on the sofa for the next six months.

thanks in advance

[nickrey]

Well we know it's not water soluble as we rinse our products off in water.

Sodium alginate is also a compound in Gaviscon, which creates a raft of material stopping acid from causing reflux. My bet is that it won't dissolve in an acid.

Sodium alginate is extracted from seaweed by the application of an alkali, normally sodium carbonate which makes it water soluble.

The alginate gel seems to have done what fat does when blocking pipes and has become caught on the rough surfaces of your pipes, hence the blockage.

We can leave it to the chemists to tell you what to do and there are a number who read and respond to the forums. But why not try an experiment (carefully)? Try using some alginate solution that you have solidified in calcium chloride. This is likely to be the solid that is jamming up your pipes.

Next take a strong alkali (Drano is an alkali, look for sodium carbonate or the like on the label) and add it to the solidifed mass (carefully, a bit at a time, and wearing protective clothing and safety goggles). If the mass dissolves, which is likely, you have the way of cleaning your drains.

If not, wait for the chemists to respond or call a plumber and they will use one of those drain cleaning attachments that will physically clear the blockage.

Good luck.

Edited May 17, 2009 by nickrey (log)

[prasantrin]

If the chemists don't respond and you don't want to pay exorbitant plumber fees, you can buy your own auger or snake at your local hardware store. Cheap ones start at $10-ish dollars, but you can also rent more expensive electric ones.

http://www.zhoujichem.com/english/cpjs-1.htm says:

Sodium alginate doest not dissolve to methanol, ethanol, acetone and chloroform; dissolve to sodium hydroxide liquid and water; monatomic base alkali salt, such as soduim salt and sylvite, as well as ammonium salt, magnesium salts and mercury salt all dissolve to water and become into thick liquid. Multivalent metal salt of algin does not dissolve to water, except magnesium salts and mercury salt.

[blackp]

Sodium alginate doest not dissolve to methanol, ethanol, acetone and chloroform; dissolve to sodium hydroxide liquid and water; monatomic base alkali salt, such as soduim salt and sylvite, as well as ammonium salt, magnesium salts and mercury salt all dissolve to water and become into thick liquid. Multivalent metal salt of algin does not dissolve to water, except magnesium salts and mercury salt.

←

Yikes! should we eat it???

[justcookit]

Thanks so much - I took the direct approach and nipped out to get an auger.

After much pushing, shoving and wiggling the blockage was removed and problem solved. Lesson learnt.

[Lisa Shock]

FYI: NaOH (aka lye or caustic soda) is used in lab tests of sodium alginate containing medications to simulate the body digesting the medication. It's also the main ingredient in many drain openers.

[ermintrude]

Had a similar problem. Causic soda didn't shift the block but concentrated sulphuric acid did!