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Posted: 4/16/2017 9:17:11 PM EDT
[#1]
I have used the lye based ones just let them sit at least overnight for best results. Didn't have much luck with the thicker gel based stuff just didn't seem to work as good as the cheaper shit.
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Posted: 4/16/2017 9:20:57 PM EDT
[#2]
http://www.oatey.com/products/drain-and-waste-system-cleaners/liquid/clobber-for-professional-use-only-not-for-retail-sale
This is heavy duty stuff. Probably best to just snake it if it is just grease. |
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Posted: 4/16/2017 10:26:29 PM EDT
[#3]
No matter what you do, take apart the p trap and clean it out first.
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Posted: 4/16/2017 10:52:50 PM EDT
[#4]
I use this stuff for slow shower drains.
It is sodium hydroxide instead of acid. http://www.insta-flo.com/ |
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Posted: 4/16/2017 10:56:31 PM EDT
[#5]
Snake it and be done with it
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Posted: 4/17/2017 12:07:59 AM EDT
[#6]
The chemical drain cleaners really only work for hair clogs. If you pour dangerous chemicals into the pipes and the clog doesn't clear you have clogged pipes full of dangerous chemicals.
Snake it. |
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Posted: 4/17/2017 8:42:34 AM EDT
[#7]
I bought a rubber bladder that fits on the end of a hose recently and used it to unclog my kitchen sink. I put it down the stack on the roof about 10 feet so it was past where the sink drops in. Turn on the hose and unclogged almost instantly. About $10. Not sure how effective it would be on a slow drain though vs a stopped drain.
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Posted: 4/17/2017 10:54:24 AM EDT
[#8]
I can remove a p-trap and eliminate the clog there if necessary, most of mine over the years have been downstream from that.
My dad used a garden hose (wet rag as a seal) either in the drain or roof vent. I've been successful with this but also use a canister snake...IIRC Harbor Freight might have a power auger. Snake it but give the water hose a shot. Be careful if you're sure the lines are tied elsewhere...watch for a blow hole 
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Posted: 4/17/2017 11:38:12 AM EDT
[#9]
I have one of those chrome water fire extinguishers that you can use and refill as often as you want. It does a fantastic job of clearing toilet clogs without making a mess (like plungers do). If you spot one for cheap BUY IT; they are very useful!
After use just refill the water to the proper level and recharge about 120psi with an air compressor and it's ready for the next fire or clog.  Attached File |
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Posted: 4/18/2017 3:51:19 AM EDT
[#10]
I fought a drain from my kitchen sink that goes into my basement and under the concrete for 4 years. It is cast iron and old, figured I would have to chisel it up and replace it when I poured about everything down it, bought the small hand snake from the hardware store, always ran slow. It is about a 30 feet span under the floor
Last resort hired a guy to snake it with a bigger unit. Cost $100. Was worth it and would of saved a ton of hassle if I had just done it the first time. |
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Posted: 4/19/2017 4:31:21 PM EDT
[#11]
Lye based 'cleaners' work well on hair. They can attack and dissolve it.
Sulfuric acid based cleaners work on lint (cotton) by dissolving it. Sulfuric will work on hair also so it is the more common 'go to' for a pro. Lye does almost nothing for cotton lint though. If either does not work you have a real PITA dangerous problem. A pipe with corrosive (to humans) chemicals. I still try and use an auger first and at least poke a hole to drain. If you check the auger when you pull it back you can often get a better idea of what was in the pipe. You can clear a wash towel with sulfuric acid fron a toilet line. Snagging it with an auger and pulling it back is still better. |
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Posted: 4/19/2017 4:46:35 PM EDT
[#12]
I have been using septic enzyme digesting treatments on my normal to sewer drains. Just a few ounces down each once a month or so. The shower is the only place I can see it change, but it does seem to clean out some of the random non-hair gunk down there.
So maybe try something that uses biology to eat the grease. Side bonus, it's safe to touch so it's not going to burn you if you gotta dig the pipe out later. |
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Posted: 4/19/2017 10:37:56 PM EDT
[#13]
Quote HistoryQuoted:If either does not work you have a real PITA dangerous problem.
A pipe with corrosive (to humans) chemicals. Some years ago I was at a Thanksgiving dinner at a friend-of-a-friend. I noticed the hostess was peeling potatoes into the sink and I warned her that she should NOT try to put those down the disposal. Like all halfwits she didn't listen and ran the disposal to make the potato peels go away.  She laughed when they disappeared and everything was fine. After dinner someone came out of the bathroom with the news that the bathtub was filling with sewage.  Every time someone flushed the toilet it reappeared in the tub. She poured some chemical drain cleaner into the sink confident it would clear the clog. That's about the time I went home.
A couple days later I heard the epilogue to the story. She may or may not have tried more chemical drain cleaner; that part isn't clear. In the end the bill for the plumber reached four figures.
Hey, I tried.... |
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Posted: 4/19/2017 11:12:40 PM EDT
[#14]
Just use lye, might be hard to get seems like it is used in making making meth.
The guy at the hardware store grilled me about what I was using it for. |
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Posted: 4/21/2017 4:48:30 PM EDT
[#15]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Just use lye, might be hard to get seems like it is used in making making meth. The guy at the hardware store grilled me about what I was using it for. The lye dissolves in water and then attacks the aluminum chips creating heat to try and soften grease. |
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Posted: 4/22/2017 12:03:22 AM EDT
[#16]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Old style Drano was lye with aluminum chips added. The lye dissolves in water and then attacks the aluminum chips creating heat to try and soften grease. Drano if it was lye based couldn't have had aluminum chips because it would explode the bottle due to the volume of hydrogen gas produced. That's why juveniles would put aluminium foil and drano in a pop bottle and screw the lid on. Much like the same with dry ice. |
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Posted: 4/23/2017 11:48:16 AM EDT
[#17]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Adding a strong lye to water is like adding strong acid to water. It creates heat and cause it to boil violently. Lye reacts with aluminium to release hydrogen gas which is also flammable. Drano if it was lye based couldn't have had aluminum chips because it would explode the bottle due to the volume of hydrogen gas produced. That's why juveniles would put aluminium foil and drano in a pop bottle and screw the lid on. Much like the same with dry ice. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Old style Drano was lye with aluminum chips added. The lye dissolves in water and then attacks the aluminum chips creating heat to try and soften grease. Drano if it was lye based couldn't have had aluminum chips because it would explode the bottle due to the volume of hydrogen gas produced. That's why juveniles would put aluminium foil and drano in a pop bottle and screw the lid on. Much like the same with dry ice. It was a dry mix of lye and some aluminum chips. |
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Posted: 4/24/2017 12:17:47 AM EDT
[#18]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Old style Drano was not a liquid. It was a dry mix of lye and some aluminum chips. |
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Posted: 4/24/2017 9:09:05 AM EDT
[#19]
A couple years ago I switched over to Bio Clean and haven't looked back. It's essentially the same bacteria stuff that's used at sewage plants to dissolve solids. No crazy chemical mixtures, no heat...not really dangerous at all. Just dump a mixture down the drain and let it sit overnight while you sleep. Wake up in the morning and run the water.
Link |
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Posted: 4/28/2017 1:43:00 AM EDT
[#20]
Before dumping caustic chemicals in your sinks I would dump in some baking soda followed by white vinegar, then after a few minutes dump in a pot of hot water.
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Posted: 4/29/2017 12:32:41 AM EDT
[#21]
My master bath has had a slow drain for the 16 years I have used it. My local Fred Meyer had a gallon jug of lie based cleaner.
The instructions said to use the whole bottle and it worked well. There was a warning about explosive blow back sometimes. Two years later and the drain is slow again but I'll try another bottle. I think the backup is far enough away from the tub that gallon volume is needed. I follow with a tub of hot water. I used to spend a fortune on the quart size bottles. |
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Posted: 4/29/2017 10:06:16 PM EDT
[#22]
Look for a liquid drain cleaner called "Liquid Fire" in a red plastic bottle.
Pour in a dry drain and let sit for 15-30 mins. Flush with water. |
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