General Question

jholler's avatar

Best drain cleaner?

Asked by jholler (2389points) July 30th, 2008 from iPhone

For PVC pipes and a septic system, I might add.

Observing members: 0 Composing members: 0

4 Answers

AtSeDaEsEpPoAoSnA's avatar

A 15 dollar(or 20) snake from home depot. Cleaner just makes holes in whatevr is blocking the pipe, the snake will remove the blockage. It will be orange with a black handle and it will have a thin winding of metal for pulling out the obstruction(hair, food, etc.).

cheebdragon's avatar

I’m going to have to say draino…...mainly because it’s the only one I can think of….....

If you have children, keep these kinds of products up high and out of their reach

WakeUp's avatar

Pure Sodium Hydroxide (lye) or Potassium Hyrdroxide. Thats all the cleaners are anyway, just diluted and dressed up with a brand name.

Be careful handling it though. Have some vinegar around in case you get any on you, as water will only exacerbate the burning (serious, to the bone, burning). Vinegar neutralizes it.

However, if you want a less chemical approach, you can use enzyme based products. You can actually make your own from the leachate of vermiculture, or buy ready made household enzyme based products, or buy pond enzymes, “organic digester” type of thing from a pool store.

evelyns_pet_zebra's avatar

I use vinegar and baking soda in my drains. Pour a couple tablespoons down your drain, add the vinegar, and stuff the drain hole with a damp rag for about half an hour. It will eat through a clog, and then you just pour some of each down your drain once a week to keep it clear. Avoid putting those nasty chemicals into your drain, they really don’t need to end up in our waterways, and you can get burned if they splash up on you.

A sewer snake will work too, but be mindful of the size you buy. I bought a pretty big one and it was too stiff to go through my smaller pipes.

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