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#1
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Acid for drain cleaning?
I am going to meet with a friend of mine in a couple of hours to see if I
can help him with a clogged/slow drain issue. I haven't seen it yet, but so far, he seems to be saying that it is mostly a bathtub (and maybe a sink in the same bathroom) that has a slow drain problem. I think he said he tried to unclog it before but had some problems with it, and he wants to know if by looking at it if I could figure out how to correct the problem. Of course, we'll be doing the routine stuff -- using a plunger, a snake, one of those plastic hair-cleaning gadgets, maybe Liquid Plumber, etc. But, I was wondering if anyone has ever tried using acid -- probably not something too strong, but maybe diluted acid or whatever. I know about keeping acid off of porcelain, and I know about adding acid-to-water and not water-to-acid from chemistry classes and past experience. And, since it is someone else's house, I don't want to mess up their drain lines with too much or too strong of acid. Any thoughts or experiences on the acid idea and any specific suggestions would be appreciated. Again, I am going there in a couple of hours, but I'll check here beforehand just in case anyone gets to respond before then. Also, I may just pass on the whole acid idea unless someone here has any suggestions that we may want to try. |
#2
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Acid for drain cleaning?
On Sun, 5 Aug 2012 10:50:12 -0400, "TomR" wrote:
Of course, we'll be doing the routine stuff -- using a plunger, a snake, one of those plastic hair-cleaning gadgets, maybe Liquid Plumber, etc. I recently used a Draino product for a sink and tub. Allowed to sit and then flush with hot water. They claim to give your money back if it did not work (check the container for the claim). It work for me. Consider putting a water hose down the vent pipe from the roof and running water to ensure the vent is clear. Acid will damage metal pipes, drains and a septic system (if not neutralized first). Let us know the final results. -- |
#3
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Acid for drain cleaning?
On 8/5/2012 10:50 AM, TomR wrote:
I am going to meet with a friend of mine in a couple of hours to see if I can help him with a clogged/slow drain issue. I haven't seen it yet, but so far, he seems to be saying that it is mostly a bathtub (and maybe a sink in the same bathroom) that has a slow drain problem. I think he said he tried to unclog it before but had some problems with it, and he wants to know if by looking at it if I could figure out how to correct the problem. Of course, we'll be doing the routine stuff -- using a plunger, a snake, one of those plastic hair-cleaning gadgets, maybe Liquid Plumber, etc. But, I was wondering if anyone has ever tried using acid -- probably not something too strong, but maybe diluted acid or whatever. I know about keeping acid off of porcelain, and I know about adding acid-to-water and not water-to-acid from chemistry classes and past experience. And, since it is someone else's house, I don't want to mess up their drain lines with too much or too strong of acid. Any thoughts or experiences on the acid idea and any specific suggestions would be appreciated. Again, I am going there in a couple of hours, but I'll check here beforehand just in case anyone gets to respond before then. Also, I may just pass on the whole acid idea unless someone here has any suggestions that we may want to try. Don't do what I did the first month after I moved into my house: I failed to check for copper drains before adding not so diluted acid into a slow/clogged drain. Lost part of a nice fibreglass acoustic suspended ceiling from the floor underneath the copper drain about 4 hours later. The acid ate a hole in the 44 year old copper pipe but the water from the first shower afterwards didn't leak straight down from the hole, it trickled and ran along a 16 foot support tee that held up the ceiling, so that about 8 or 9 ceiling tiles soaked up the water and stained the next day. Don't be like me: Stay in school and never take the hard way to learn... |
#4
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Acid for drain cleaning?
TomR wrote:
I am going to meet with a friend of mine in a couple of hours to see if I can help him with a clogged/slow drain issue. I haven't seen it yet, but so far, he seems to be saying that it is mostly a bathtub (and maybe a sink in the same bathroom) that has a slow drain problem. I think he said he tried to unclog it before but had some problems with it, and he wants to know if by looking at it if I could figure out how to correct the problem. Of course, we'll be doing the routine stuff -- using a plunger, a snake, one of those plastic hair-cleaning gadgets, maybe Liquid Plumber, etc. But, I was wondering if anyone has ever tried using acid -- probably not something too strong, but maybe diluted acid or whatever. I know about keeping acid off of porcelain, and I know about adding acid-to-water and not water-to-acid from chemistry classes and past experience. And, since it is someone else's house, I don't want to mess up their drain lines with too much or too strong of acid. Any thoughts or experiences on the acid idea and any specific suggestions would be appreciated. Again, I am going there in a couple of hours, but I'll check here beforehand just in case anyone gets to respond before then. Also, I may just pass on the whole acid idea unless someone here has any suggestions that we may want to try. My favorite solution to plugged pipes is using a garden hose and a couple rags. Stick the end of the hose down the drain. Wrap a rag around it and stuff it down the drain to form a seal so water can't come back out. Press another rag over the overflow drain, if any, and holding both rags firmly in place, have your assistant turn on the hose, going up to full blast if the water is not all just forcing it's way back out past the rags. Pull everything out - problem solved. |
#5
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Acid for drain cleaning?
"TomR" wrote in :
I am going to meet with a friend of mine in a couple of hours to see if I can help him with a clogged/slow drain issue. I haven't seen it yet, but so far, he seems to be saying that it is mostly a bathtub (and maybe a sink in the same bathroom) that has a slow drain problem. I think he said he tried to unclog it before but had some problems with it, and he wants to know if by looking at it if I could figure out how to correct the problem. Of course, we'll be doing the routine stuff -- using a plunger, a snake, one of those plastic hair-cleaning gadgets, maybe Liquid Plumber, etc. But, I was wondering if anyone has ever tried using acid -- probably not something too strong, but maybe diluted acid or whatever. I know about keeping acid off of porcelain, and I know about adding acid-to-water and not water-to-acid from chemistry classes and past experience. And, since it is someone else's house, I don't want to mess up their drain lines with too much or too strong of acid. Any thoughts or experiences on the acid idea and any specific suggestions would be appreciated. Again, I am going there in a couple of hours, but I'll check here beforehand just in case anyone gets to respond before then. Also, I may just pass on the whole acid idea unless someone here has any suggestions that we may want to try. I have a bathtub drain that is slow on occasion. Snaking it doesn't help a bit. Drano is not all that effective either. The system has a long horizontal part to the drain that collects silt and stuff. Theonly thing I have found to really work is plugging the tub's and sink's overflow openings and then to use a toilet plunger really hard, with hot water running. It loosens all the sludge and rinses it down the drain. In a bathtub system, you deal with hair and other proteinaceous stuff. While alkali (DRano etc) can dissolve this, acid will NOT, unless you really heat it up. So the acid is standing in the pipe and eating it (metal, PVC excepted of course) as Duesenburg found out. Of course you're free to test this yourself. -- Best regards Han email address is invalid |
#6
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Acid for drain cleaning?
On Sun, 5 Aug 2012 10:50:12 -0400, "TomR" wrote:
I am going to meet with a friend of mine in a couple of hours to see if I can help him with a clogged/slow drain issue. I haven't seen it yet, but so far, he seems to be saying that it is mostly a bathtub (and maybe a sink in the same bathroom) that has a slow drain problem. I think he said he tried to unclog it before but had some problems with it, and he wants to know if by looking at it if I could figure out how to correct the problem. Of course, we'll be doing the routine stuff -- using a plunger, a snake, one of those plastic hair-cleaning gadgets, maybe Liquid Plumber, etc. But, I was wondering if anyone has ever tried using acid -- probably not something too strong, but maybe diluted acid or whatever. I know about keeping acid off of porcelain, and I know about adding acid-to-water and not water-to-acid from chemistry classes and past experience. And, since it is someone else's house, I don't want to mess up their drain lines with too much or too strong of acid. Any thoughts or experiences on the acid idea and any specific suggestions would be appreciated. Again, I am going there in a couple of hours, but I'll check here beforehand just in case anyone gets to respond before then. Also, I may just pass on the whole acid idea unless someone here has any suggestions that we may want to try. No, do *not* use acid. Acid will damage any metal parts in the system and won't do help any plastic parts. Drain cleaners are basic. Use something meant for the task or call a plumber. After using an acid strong enough to do any good, you surely will. I've never had any luck with the liquid drain cleaners. The crystals (sodium hydroxide, IIRC) work well, though. I've found that some brands are better than others (concentration?). Remove any standing water, add the crystals directly to the drain, and add hot water until the drain is full. BE CAREFUL SO YOU DON'T SPLASH WATER and don't breathe the vapors. If it's draining slowly, you can add some more water and crystals. The instruction often say to let stand for a half hour. With stubborn clogs (we had a bathtub drain that the hair and soap would do in) I've left it stand overnight. Then rinse completely. |
#7
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Acid for drain cleaning?
i had a slow shower drain, fortunately it leaked one day and that
showed me the issues. the drum trap was rusting bad but stated to leak.... the main leak was from a long copper drain line that failed after i used liquid plumber.... that line didnt have enough fall, and the lines interior was a pencil sized..... after looking at the job i paid a plumber to do it... all new line from just under the roof to the basement, plumber resloped line, and a standard trap replaced the drom trap. 900 bucks well spent, no more leaks, no more clogs. i took all the old copper line to the scrap yard which paid 100 bucks back....... if theres a repetive problem sometimes its best to dig in and tear down cielings and walls where necessary. my main cast iron soil stack is showing signs of failure, its over 70 years old, and the main terracota underground line is tree root infested as well..... when homes age things wear out |
#8
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Acid for drain cleaning?
TomR wrote:
But, I was wondering if anyone has ever tried using acid -- probably not something too strong, but maybe diluted acid or whatever. I know about keeping acid off of porcelain, Strong (full-strength) muriatic acid (HCL) is great for taking mineral film off porcelain. It won't harm it one bit. But as a drain un-blocker, it's completely stupid to use for that. Buy a can of draino crystals and dump 1/4 or 1/3 of the can down the drain, add about a cup of hot water while you're doing that so the water carries the crystals to the site of the blockage. Then cap the drain with a plug and close the bathroom door and open a window and give it 8 to 12 hours and then flush the tub (or sink) with a lot of water. That will ALWAYS work. |
#9
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Acid for drain cleaning?
Acids are used for calcium based drain clogs.
Alkalai (Hydroxide) cleaners are used for grease, soap, hair. Bathroom sink clogs are usually grease, soap, hair. If the clog is calcium based, then vinegar should help. Just pour it in, acetic is a mild acid by nature. Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus www.lds.org .. "TomR" wrote in message ... I am going to meet with a friend of mine in a couple of hours to see if I can help him with a clogged/slow drain issue. I haven't seen it yet, but so far, he seems to be saying that it is mostly a bathtub (and maybe a sink in the same bathroom) that has a slow drain problem. I think he said he tried to unclog it before but had some problems with it, and he wants to know if by looking at it if I could figure out how to correct the problem. Of course, we'll be doing the routine stuff -- using a plunger, a snake, one of those plastic hair-cleaning gadgets, maybe Liquid Plumber, etc. But, I was wondering if anyone has ever tried using acid -- probably not something too strong, but maybe diluted acid or whatever. I know about keeping acid off of porcelain, and I know about adding acid-to-water and not water-to-acid from chemistry classes and past experience. And, since it is someone else's house, I don't want to mess up their drain lines with too much or too strong of acid. Any thoughts or experiences on the acid idea and any specific suggestions would be appreciated. Again, I am going there in a couple of hours, but I'll check here beforehand just in case anyone gets to respond before then. Also, I may just pass on the whole acid idea unless someone here has any suggestions that we may want to try. |
#10
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Acid for drain cleaning?
On Sunday, August 5, 2012 7:50:12 AM UTC-7, TomR wrote:
I am going to meet with a friend of mine in a couple of hours to see if I can help him with a clogged/slow drain issue. I haven't seen it yet, but so far, he seems to be saying that it is mostly a bathtub (and maybe a sink in the same bathroom) that has a slow drain problem. I think he said he tried to unclog it before but had some problems with it, and he wants to know if by looking at it if I could figure out how to correct the problem. Of course, we'll be doing the routine stuff -- using a plunger, a snake, one of those plastic hair-cleaning gadgets, maybe Liquid Plumber, etc. But, I was wondering if anyone has ever tried using acid -- probably not something too strong, but maybe diluted acid or whatever. I know about keeping acid off of porcelain, and I know about adding acid-to-water and not water-to-acid from chemistry classes and past experience. And, since it is someone else's house, I don't want to mess up their drain lines with too much or too strong of acid. Any thoughts or experiences on the acid idea and any specific suggestions would be appreciated. Again, I am going there in a couple of hours, but I'll check here beforehand just in case anyone gets to respond before then. Also, I may just pass on the whole acid idea unless someone here has any suggestions that we may want to try. I never use acid and I have been doing plumbing for many years. Acid WILL eat through the pipes no matter what it says on the bottle. Once you can get a snake to go through the point where a clog is at then you don’t need acid. You have to have patience and persistence when running the snake. If you don’t want to bother with frequent snaking install a strainer in the tub or shower drain and make sure it’s the kind that can’t be easily removed by someone too lazy to clean it. As for a lavatory sink make sure the pop-up plug is in place after you clear the drain or they do make strainers that fit lavatory drains also and tell people to place a towel or newspaper over the sink when combing their hair. You can use copper sulfate on the main sewer line to kill roots but that’s as far as you should go with using any chemicals. |
#11
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Acid for drain cleaning?
"TomR" wrote in :
I am going to meet with a friend of mine in a couple of hours to see if I can help him with a clogged/slow drain issue. I haven't seen it yet, but so far, he seems to be saying that it is mostly a bathtub (and maybe a sink in the same bathroom) that has a slow drain problem. I think he said he tried to unclog it before but had some problems with it, and he wants to know if by looking at it if I could figure out how to correct the problem. Of course, we'll be doing the routine stuff -- using a plunger, a snake, one of those plastic hair-cleaning gadgets, maybe Liquid Plumber, etc. But, I was wondering if anyone has ever tried using acid -- probably not something too strong, but maybe diluted acid or whatever. NOT NOT NOT if you've tried Liquid Plumber or Drano first!!! NEVER EVER mix alkali and acids! When I was in junior high school, one of our shop teachers learned about that the hard way. Some knucklehead student dumped a bunch of sawdust down the sink drain in the wood shop, which of course clogged it. Teacher poured some Drano in there. No effect. Next thing the teacher tried was muriatic acid. The [entirely predictable] reaction with the alkali that was already there blew the acid back in his face. He wasn't wearing safety goggles, either. Fortunately for him, the wood shop was next door to the boys' locker room; couple of students dragged him in there and threw him in the shower -- the doctors said that's what saved his sight. But it wasn't quick enough to prevent some really horrible scarring. And consider this: why do you suppose that commercial drain cleaning products such as Drano, Liquid Plumber, and so on are alkaline? If acids worked better, wouldn't these products use acid instead? |
#12
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Acid for drain cleaning?
TomR wrote:
I am going to meet with a friend of mine in a couple of hours to see if I can help him with a clogged/slow drain issue. I haven't seen it yet, but so far, he seems to be saying that it is mostly a bathtub (and maybe a sink in the same bathroom) that has a slow drain problem. I think he said he tried to unclog it before but had some problems with it, . . . , Any thoughts or experiences on the acid idea and any specific suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks everyone. Here's the outcome: I checked all of the responses that were posted before I left to go there. The one about Drano caused me to also try checking out the Drano.com website to see what they say. Basically, the Drano website said to use Drano Gel if the tub doesn't drain at all, or Drano Foaming-something if the problem is a slow drain and not a completely clogged drain. So, I bought those on the way there. When I got there, it was two tubs -- one on the second floor and one on the first floor below that. The upper tub would not drain at all and the lower one was a slow drain. The good news was that each one had an access panel in the wall behind the tub plumbing fixtures. By opening those, we could see the way in which the tub drain lines ran. For both, the overflow pipe ran straight down past where the drain ties into that pipe, and continues straight down to into a regular "U" trap and then continued on to the rest of the drain line. That meant that we could take off the overflow cover, take out the piece that is used to plug the tub drain, and drop a 1/4-inch snake in there and easily snake it out. We also used one of those cheapie plastic drain hair cleaner devices in each drain but no real hair etc. came out. So, the clogs were in the regular drain line and not right at the tub drain itself. The upstairs one could only be snaked out about 2 feet in and then hit a clog or obstruction. The downstairs one was easy to snake out completely. Snaking out the downstairs one solved that problem right away. After trying to snake out the upstairs one and hitting a clog or obstruction, we then did some serious plunging while sealing off the overflow and that cleared that clog. For both, we ran lots of hot water while snaking and plunging. We ended up not needing to use any drain cleaner, and definitely not acid. I read enough here to give up on the whole acid idea both before and after going there to do the job. So, thanks again. Problem solved, and I now know to delete all of the acid thoughts that I was conjuring up in my brain beforehand. |
#13
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Acid for drain cleaning?
On 8/5/2012 5:12 PM, Doug Miller wrote:
"TomR" wrote in : I am going to meet with a friend of mine in a couple of hours to see if I can help him with a clogged/slow drain issue. I haven't seen it yet, but so far, he seems to be saying that it is mostly a bathtub (and maybe a sink in the same bathroom) that has a slow drain problem. I think he said he tried to unclog it before but had some problems with it, and he wants to know if by looking at it if I could figure out how to correct the problem. Of course, we'll be doing the routine stuff -- using a plunger, a snake, one of those plastic hair-cleaning gadgets, maybe Liquid Plumber, etc. But, I was wondering if anyone has ever tried using acid -- probably not something too strong, but maybe diluted acid or whatever. NOT NOT NOT if you've tried Liquid Plumber or Drano first!!! NEVER EVER mix alkali and acids! When I was in junior high school, one of our shop teachers learned about that the hard way. Some knucklehead student dumped a bunch of sawdust down the sink drain in the wood shop, which of course clogged it. Teacher poured some Drano in there. No effect. Next thing the teacher tried was muriatic acid. The [entirely predictable] reaction with the alkali that was already there blew the acid back in his face. He wasn't wearing safety goggles, either. Fortunately for him, the wood shop was next door to the boys' locker room; couple of students dragged him in there and threw him in the shower -- the doctors said that's what saved his sight. But it wasn't quick enough to prevent some really horrible scarring. And consider this: why do you suppose that commercial drain cleaning products such as Drano, Liquid Plumber, and so on are alkaline? If acids worked better, wouldn't these products use acid instead? Stormin got it right. It takes alkaline to remove hair. I cringe at some of these drain cleaners. A 1% caustic solution in the eyes can cause blindness. It is a good idea to protect eyes when using these products. |
#14
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Acid for drain cleaning?
Frank wrote in news:jvmv1t$8i5$1@dont-
email.me: I cringe at some of these drain cleaners. A 1% caustic solution in the eyes can cause blindness. It is a good idea to protect eyes when using these products. Yes. Alkali dissolves protein (cornea). Acid denatures protein, making a "protective" layer, but it doesn't keep on eating away at the eye. I got a very small droplet of "chromic acid" (an excellent glassware cleaning solution, long since banned because of the carcinogenity of chromium compounds). It hurt like hell, but I barely remembered a day later. I think it was my right eye, and ever since (and before) I have been a leftie .... -- Best regards Han email address is invalid |
#15
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Acid for drain cleaning?
On 06 Aug 2012 00:27:59 GMT, Han wrote:
Frank wrote in news:jvmv1t$8i5$1@dont- email.me: I cringe at some of these drain cleaners. A 1% caustic solution in the eyes can cause blindness. It is a good idea to protect eyes when using these products. Yes. Alkali dissolves protein (cornea). Acid denatures protein, making a "protective" layer, but it doesn't keep on eating away at the eye. I got a very small droplet of "chromic acid" (an excellent glassware cleaning solution, long since banned because of the carcinogenity of chromium compounds). It hurt like hell, but I barely remembered a day later. I think it was my right eye, and ever since (and before) I have been a leftie ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Han, we all knew that. ;-) |
#16
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Acid for drain cleaning?
On Aug 5, 7:50*am, "TomR" wrote:
I am going to meet with a friend of mine in a couple of hours to see if I can help him with a clogged/slow drain issue. *I haven't seen it yet, but so far, he seems to be saying that it is mostly a bathtub (and maybe a sink in the same bathroom) that has a slow drain problem. *I think he said he tried to unclog it before but had some problems with it, and he wants to know if by looking at it if I could figure out how to correct the problem. Of course, we'll be doing the routine stuff -- using a plunger, a snake, one of those plastic hair-cleaning gadgets, maybe Liquid Plumber, etc. But, I was wondering if anyone has ever tried using acid -- probably not something too strong, but maybe diluted acid or whatever. *I know about keeping acid off of porcelain, and I know about adding acid-to-water and not water-to-acid from chemistry classes and past experience. *And, since it is someone else's house, I don't want to mess up their drain lines with too much or too strong of acid. Any thoughts or experiences on the acid idea and any specific suggestions would be appreciated. Again, I am going there in a couple of hours, but I'll check here beforehand just in case anyone gets to respond before then. Also, I may just pass on the whole acid idea unless someone here has any suggestions that we may want to try. OP- I guess it's all moot since you;ve got the clog cleared. But surprising as it may seem... there are several acid based drain cleaners. This may seem contrary to "common knowledge" but acid based cleaners can clear drains without harming pipes. I'm not suggesting the use of plain acid but acid based drain cleaners are very effective (and surprisingly stinky) http://www.amazon.com/Sulfuric-Liqui.../dp/B005E0N95Y http://www.alpharubicon.com/kids/superdraino.htm Nearly 30 years ago my dad helped me clear a clog with a product, as I recall, named "Mule Kick". I believe it was sulfuric acid based and it worked great but stunk up the house. cheers Bob |
#17
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Acid for drain cleaning?
" wrote in
: On 06 Aug 2012 00:27:59 GMT, Han wrote: Frank wrote in news:jvmv1t$8i5$1@dont- email.me: I cringe at some of these drain cleaners. A 1% caustic solution in the eyes can cause blindness. It is a good idea to protect eyes when using these products. Yes. Alkali dissolves protein (cornea). Acid denatures protein, making a "protective" layer, but it doesn't keep on eating away at the eye. I got a very small droplet of "chromic acid" (an excellent glassware cleaning solution, long since banned because of the carcinogenity of chromium compounds). It hurt like hell, but I barely remembered a day later. I think it was my right eye, and ever since (and before) I have been a leftie ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^ Han, we all knew that. ;-) I knew you'd pay attention, Keith! -- Best regards Han email address is invalid |
#18
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Acid for drain cleaning?
Thanks, glad to hear a good word, now and again.
Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus www.lds.org .. "Frank" wrote in message ... And consider this: why do you suppose that commercial drain cleaning products such as Drano, Liquid Plumber, and so on are alkaline? If acids worked better, wouldn't these products use acid instead? Stormin got it right. It takes alkaline to remove hair. I cringe at some of these drain cleaners. A 1% caustic solution in the eyes can cause blindness. It is a good idea to protect eyes when using these products. |
#19
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Acid for drain cleaning?
On 2012-08-05, TomR wrote:
Also, I may just pass on the whole acid idea unless someone here has any suggestions that we may want to try. I also have a tub with a slow drain. I've tried them all, including an acid based drain cleaner sold by True-Value. It's called Rooto Professional Drain Cleaner and it's sulfuric acid based. Comes in a white/red 33 oz bottle fer about $12. It didn't seem to work much better than one of the drain cleaner gels you can get at any supermkt. Temporarily Improves drainage, but not as much as I like to see. I know for a fact the tub has a rather horizontal run, so I may try cleaner along with some of the other suggestions I've read. nb -- "Do you recognize me? No! ....cuz I don't work here" Support labelling GMO foods http://www.nongmoproject.org/ |
#20
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Acid for drain cleaning?
On 06 Aug 2012 10:33:28 GMT, Han wrote:
" wrote in : On 06 Aug 2012 00:27:59 GMT, Han wrote: Frank wrote in news:jvmv1t$8i5$1@dont- email.me: I cringe at some of these drain cleaners. A 1% caustic solution in the eyes can cause blindness. It is a good idea to protect eyes when using these products. Yes. Alkali dissolves protein (cornea). Acid denatures protein, making a "protective" layer, but it doesn't keep on eating away at the eye. I got a very small droplet of "chromic acid" (an excellent glassware cleaning solution, long since banned because of the carcinogenity of chromium compounds). It hurt like hell, but I barely remembered a day later. I think it was my right eye, and ever since (and before) I have been a leftie ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^ Han, we all knew that. ;-) I knew you'd pay attention, Keith! I can read. ;-) |
#21
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Acid for drain cleaning?
"TomR" wrote in message
... I am going to meet with a friend of mine in a couple of hours to see if I can help him with a clogged/slow drain issue. . . . But, I was wondering if anyone has ever tried using acid . . . If your hardware store has more than one type of acidic drain cleaner, it should be able to explain the difference. Muriatic acid (dilute hydrochloric acid) seems to be the most common. You may wish also to consider whether the drain pipes are metal or plastic or ceramic (each of which responds differently to various acids, resisting some but not others.) -- Don Phillipson Carlsbad Springs (Ottawa, Canada) |
#22
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Acid for drain cleaning?
On Sun, 5 Aug 2012 10:50:12 -0400, "TomR" wrote:
But, I was wondering if anyone has ever tried using acid -- probably not Back in the late 60's I dropped acid a few times. It was a decent trip, but after seeing some friends get busted by the cops for the stuff, I quit taking it. It's some pretty groovy stuff and the best acid is really far out, but it's still illegal and you could go to prison for possession. If you have any, toss it in the garbage before the pigs come. They'll be oinking outside your door before you know it. If you wanna get buzzed, just smoke pot and drink beer. It's much safer and legal in most places. |
#23
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Acid for drain cleaning?
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#24
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Acid for drain cleaning?
"DD_BobK" wrote
But surprising as it may seem... there are several acid based drain cleaners. I never never never recommend any acid or alkali based drain cleaners. I always recommend using a snake. The reason is that acids can weaken rubber washers on drain connections causing leaks. Strong acids can eat pipes. Alkalis (such as Drano) are extremely dangerous if they "flash back" at you, and they also tend to cake at the bottom of the trap, sometimes forming a cement-like plug. Snakes not only are great for clearing organic blockages, but they can also find things that have gotten stuck such as toothbrushes, and other items. |
#25
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Acid for drain cleaning?
On Aug 6, 2:08*pm, "David Kaye" wrote:
"DD_BobK" wrote But surprising as it may seem... *there are several acid based drain cleaners. I never never never recommend any acid or alkali based drain cleaners. *I always recommend using a snake. *The reason is that acids can weaken rubber washers on drain connections causing leaks. *Strong acids can eat pipes.. Alkalis (such as Drano) are extremely dangerous if they "flash back" at you, and they also tend to cake at the bottom of the trap, sometimes forming a cement-like plug. Snakes not only are great for clearing organic blockages, but they can also find things that have gotten stuck such as toothbrushes, and other items. "Strong acids can eat pipes." This statement is true....(about some pipes) but acid drain cleaners are not merely strong acids. Saint Joseph's Hospital (Orange, CA) used that acid based drain cleaner (Mule Kick) for years with no ill effects. Chemical drain cleaners are generally safe for drain plumbing materials. "No-Hub" rubber connectors can easily withstand the minimal exposure to any kind of drain cleaners they reasonably encounter. Check out the Fernco website for chemical resistance. Just as drain cleaners that are improperly used, an inexperienced snake operator can damage drain plumbing just as well. cheers Bob |
#26
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Acid for drain cleaning?
On 8/6/2012 9:22 AM, Don Phillipson wrote:
wrote in message ... I am going to meet with a friend of mine in a couple of hours to see if I can help him with a clogged/slow drain issue. . . . But, I was wondering if anyone has ever tried using acid . . . If your hardware store has more than one type of acidic drain cleaner, it should be able to explain the difference. Muriatic acid (dilute hydrochloric acid) seems to be the most common. You may wish also to consider whether the drain pipes are metal or plastic or ceramic (each of which responds differently to various acids, resisting some but not others.) Hydrochloric is easily available for uses like etching concrete. Every acid drain cleaner I have seen is sulfuric acid. Sulfuric acid attacks organic materials. |
#27
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Acid for drain cleaning?
On Sunday, August 5, 2012 10:50:12 AM UTC-4, TomR wrote:
I am going to meet with a friend of mine in a couple of hours to see if I can help him with a clogged/slow drain issue. I haven't seen it yet, but so far, he seems to be saying that it is mostly a bathtub (and maybe a sink in the same bathroom) that has a slow drain problem. I think he said he tried to unclog it before but had some problems with it, and he wants to know if by looking at it if I could figure out how to correct the problem. Of course, we'll be doing the routine stuff -- using a plunger, a snake, one of those plastic hair-cleaning gadgets, maybe Liquid Plumber, etc. But, I was wondering if anyone has ever tried using acid -- probably not something too strong, but maybe diluted acid or whatever. I know about keeping acid off of porcelain, and I know about adding acid-to-water and not water-to-acid from chemistry classes and past experience. And, since it is someone else's house, I don't want to mess up their drain lines with too much or too strong of acid. Any thoughts or experiences on the acid idea and any specific suggestions would be appreciated. Again, I am going there in a couple of hours, but I'll check here beforehand just in case anyone gets to respond before then. Also, I may just pass on the whole acid idea unless someone here has any suggestions that we may want to try. I agree wiht the poster about using a snake. I noticed some of the chemical drain cleaners now also come with a short plastic snake. I think that probably does more for the clog than the chemicals. On a system without age related or chronic problems clogs are almost always at or near the fixture drain. The pipes just get bigger as you move further away from the fixture.. |
#28
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Acid for drain cleaning?
On 8/5/2012 10:50 AM, TomR wrote:
I am going to meet with a friend of mine in a couple of hours to see if I can help him with a clogged/slow drain issue. I haven't seen it yet, but so far, he seems to be saying that it is mostly a bathtub (and maybe a sink in the same bathroom) that has a slow drain problem. I think he said he tried to unclog it before but had some problems with it, and he wants to know if by looking at it if I could figure out how to correct the problem. Of course, we'll be doing the routine stuff -- using a plunger, a snake, one of those plastic hair-cleaning gadgets, maybe Liquid Plumber, etc. But, I was wondering if anyone has ever tried using acid -- probably not something too strong, but maybe diluted acid or whatever. I know about keeping acid off of porcelain, and I know about adding acid-to-water and not water-to-acid from chemistry classes and past experience. And, since it is someone else's house, I don't want to mess up their drain lines with too much or too strong of acid. Any thoughts or experiences on the acid idea and any specific suggestions would be appreciated. Again, I am going there in a couple of hours, but I'll check here beforehand just in case anyone gets to respond before then. Also, I may just pass on the whole acid idea unless someone here has any suggestions that we may want to try. Here is my personal theory: in a bathroom drain, it isn't likely kitchen grease. For kitchen grease, a pot of boiling water with some added Dawn poured slowly into the drain. If kitchen slime, hot water followed by bleach; let sit. In bathroom, both drains at one time suggest downline problem or problem with vent. If it is neither of those, it is likely hair. Damn hard to dissolve hair globs, even with acid. Snake (or coat hanger with a hook end) to try to clear hair globs. If that doesn't work, try longer snake. If that doesn't work, have a pro check out the sewer line. At one house of mine, I called the plumber when tub drain got too slow. He snaked it, pulled out a smallish clump of hair. He also identified the hair as belonging to two different people, which was correct ) At another house, the shower drain got very slow very suddenly. I took of the drain cover, reched in with my trusty coat hanger and the coat hanger went straight down into some mush. Scared me, but I probed a little more and pulled out the nastiest, biggest clump of hair imagineable. Yuck!! Have had drains slow badly after feeding large helping of potato peels through disposal; bad idea. At condo, two toilets backed up withing minutes of each other; obviously, a problem downline. Turned out the line to the sewer was half rusted away along it's bottom. |
#29
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Acid for drain cleaning?
Hi yall my brother poured sulfuric acid down the drain the house smells like crap and I woke up this morning and the walls are stained ? Is this normal
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#30
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Acid for drain cleaning?
On Saturday, February 2, 2019 at 5:16:35 PM UTC-5, wrote:
Hi yall my brother poured sulfuric acid down the drain the house smells like crap and I woke up this morning and the walls are stained ? Is this normal Yes, it's normal. Many brothers are idiots. |
#31
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Acid for drain cleaning?
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#32
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Acid for drain cleaning?
On 2/3/2019 9:26 AM, Meanie wrote:
On 2/2/2019 5:16 PM, wrote: Hi yall my brother poured sulfuric acid down the drain the house smells like crap and I woke up this morning and the walls are stained ? Is this normal Most likely caused an exothermic reaction which produced and released gases that stuck to the walls. The fact you can smell it confirms the release of the gases. That's correct. Concentrated sulfuric acid has a very high heat of dilution and exothermic reaction might have spewed gasses out of the drain if too much was dumped in. |
#33
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Acid for drain cleaning?
"Frank" "frank wrote in message ... On 2/3/2019 9:26 AM, Meanie wrote: On 2/2/2019 5:16 PM, wrote: Hi yall my brother poured sulfuric acid down the drain the house smells like crap and I woke up this morning and the walls are stained ? Is this normal Most likely caused an exothermic reaction which produced and released gases that stuck to the walls. The fact you can smell it confirms the release of the gases. That's correct. Concentrated sulfuric acid has a very high heat of dilution and exothermic reaction might have spewed gasses out of the drain if too much was dumped in. But it doesnt produce gasses that stick to the walls. The original is clearly a pathetic excuse for a troll. |
#34
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Acid for drain cleaning?
On 2/3/2019 11:37 AM, Rod Speed wrote:
"Frank" "frank wrote in message ... On 2/3/2019 9:26 AM, Meanie wrote: On 2/2/2019 5:16 PM, wrote: Hi yall my brother poured sulfuric acid down the drain the house smells like crap and I woke up this morning and the walls are stained ? Is this normal Most likely caused an exothermic reaction which produced and released gases that stuck to the walls. The fact you can smell it confirms the release of the gases. That's correct.Â* Concentrated sulfuric acid has a very high heat of dilution and exothermic reaction might have spewed gasses out of the drain if too much was dumped in. But it doesnt produce gasses that stick to the walls. The original is clearly a pathetic excuse for a troll. You are probably right. It would take a very exothermic reaction and spewing out junk. I responded in part because I worked in the lab and used sulfuric acid extensively. Never saw any discolored walls but saw a lot of clothing destroyed by it. |
#35
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Acid for drain cleaning?
"Frank" wrote in message ... On 2/3/2019 11:37 AM, Rod Speed wrote: "Frank" "frank wrote in message ... On 2/3/2019 9:26 AM, Meanie wrote: On 2/2/2019 5:16 PM, wrote: Hi yall my brother poured sulfuric acid down the drain the house smells like crap and I woke up this morning and the walls are stained ? Is this normal Most likely caused an exothermic reaction which produced and released gases that stuck to the walls. The fact you can smell it confirms the release of the gases. That's correct. Concentrated sulfuric acid has a very high heat of dilution and exothermic reaction might have spewed gasses out of the drain if too much was dumped in. But it doesnt produce gasses that stick to the walls. The original is clearly a pathetic excuse for a troll. You are probably right. It would take a very exothermic reaction and spewing out junk. I responded in part because I worked in the lab and used sulfuric acid extensively. Never saw any discolored walls but saw a lot of clothing destroyed by it. Place where I used to work had a plumber employed there and they provided houses for some of the staff. His approach to blocked drains was to pour a full winchester of conc nitric acid down the drain. That was in the days of earthenware sewer pipes tho. Not a great approach with modern plastic sewer pipes. |
#36
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Acid for drain cleaning?
replying to TomR, David wrote:
Rooto Professional is a 93% sulfuric acid says Rooto website: ROOTO PROFESSIONAL DRAIN OPENER 16, 32, 64 & 128 OZ - 93% VIRGIN SULFURIC ACID PVC of the pipes does get affected by sulfuric acid, which is perhaps the main reason you will not see the word "safe" used by this manufacturer or by other companies making similar products. Over time PVC pipe exposed to sulfuric acid will become brittle, develop cracks and eventually fail. But it all depends on the length of exposure time. I have seen results of studies of the effects of sulfuric acid on various pipe plastics, including PVC, based on 97% sulfuric acid. The first signs of trouble start to appear way past the 100 hours mark (more like 300-500hrs). -- for full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/mainte...ng-708343-.htm |
#37
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Acid for drain cleaning?
On Tuesday, August 20, 2019 at 6:44:07 AM UTC-4, David wrote:
replying to TomR, David wrote: Rooto Professional is a 93% sulfuric acid says Rooto website: ROOTO PROFESSIONAL DRAIN OPENER 16, 32, 64 & 128 OZ - 93% VIRGIN SULFURIC ACID PVC of the pipes does get affected by sulfuric acid, which is perhaps the main reason you will not see the word "safe" used by this manufacturer or by other companies making similar products. Over time PVC pipe exposed to sulfuric acid will become brittle, develop cracks and eventually fail. But it all depends on the length of exposure time. I have seen results of studies of the effects of sulfuric acid on various pipe plastics, including PVC, based on 97% sulfuric acid. The first signs of trouble start to appear way past the 100 hours mark (more like 300-500hrs). -- for full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/mainte...ng-708343-.htm Ay Caramba! Who puts 93% sulfuric down any drains? But I suppose it cleans em out as opposed to all the ones I tried that did nothing. I couldn't believe it was 93%, but googling it is and I also came across reports of people being severely injured, eg some guy bought it at a grocery store, it fell off the bottom of the cart, broke open and splashed on his 5 year old's leg causing a sever injury. I'd say selling this stuff in the kind of stores that the average Joe goes to is irresponsible. People are used to things like this being like bleach or typical strength drain cleaner, 93% sulfuric is some really nasty stuff. |
#38
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Acid for drain cleaning?
The pipes in our basement are leaking when the toilet on the first floor is flushed. Should we just disconnect the pipes and unclog or replace? Does this mean we have clogging further down our pipes outside? There Is a large tree in our neighbors yard. We have had issues with roots a few months back.. I see all of the warnings against liquid acid. Would you recommend the crystals instead applied directly to our basement drain?
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#39
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Acid for drain cleaning?
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