I’ve got a clogged sink, and have been reading the labels on a bunch of different products lately. I’d always assumed that they were a strong acid of sorts, which would dissolve whatever sort of material was built up in the pipes. But I’ve noticed that a lot of these products specify that they’re non-corrosive, so I’m not sure what other sort of mechanism may be at play here.
If you have PVC drains (probably unless very old) most likely you can unscrew the fittings by hand, very simple. Take the trap off (the curved part) and just pull out the clog. It’s not hard at all, take photos as you dismantle it if you’re worried about remembering how it goes back together.
there is one at Home Depot that is a black bottle inside a plastic bag, contains hydrofluoric acid that eats all the organic material clogging the drain. etched some of the metal of the plug when I used it, pretty strong stuff. only used half a bottle, drains been clean since.
always check the opening for hair and debris, almost always the culprit. I have a set of needle nose pliers in the bathroom for this specifically.
The chemicals almost never work and they will make the plumber mad they have to deal with such toxic stuff.
I usually start with a plunger (we have one for the sink, and another for the toilet) If that doesn’t work then it’s better to just snake it. They sell little snakes and manual ones.
A lot of these use strong bases, like sodium hydroxide, that will dissolve fats and proteins but leave most metals and plastics unharmed. (except aluminum)
You’re correct, and that’s why sometimes they work really well and sometimes they make the problem much worse and profoundly annoy the plumber you’ll eventually call to fix the issue.
A strong base + lipids stuck together in a pipe means a solid block of soap after a while, sometimes too big and clogged to be effectively rinsed with water, meaning you just made the blockage worse.
I unblocked a toilet with concentrated lye once, it turned the shit into black soup and was generally quite terrifying. I’m glad it didn’t dissolve the plumbing because I don’t think I could have handled the devastation. Anyway my point is they’re not made from acid, though I’ve used that on horrendous limescale.
Lye is the bomb. I keep loads of it around for making soap and other uses. You were all good, it won’t dissolve the plumbing.
