A new sewage system usually does not cause problems if it is well designed and properly installed. Traffic jams and fatty blockages appear some time after use. In order to prevent the formation of blockage, you need to know what means to use for prevention and which will help in emergency cases.
Types of means for cleaning sewer pipes
By chemical composition, the agents are divided into alkaline and acid. Acid dissolves hair well, so it is better to use them in bathrooms and showers. Alkalis work better with fats and are mainly used to clean kitchen drains even with severe clogging.
Alkalis
The main component of alkaline liquids is caustic soda. This substance is extremely aggressive, so when working with it you need to use gloves, a face mask and glasses.
Pros of use:
- It copes with long-standing blockages of organic origin.
- It will help remove brown soot from cast iron and metal pans and pots, except for aluminum products or coated with Teflon.
- It works even after washing the pipes, so after use for punching the sewer, the effect lasts a long time.
- It works fast. It takes only about 15 minutes for the alkali to dissolve the cork and completely clean the sewer.
- Suitable for cast iron pipes.
- It is used in local sewage to eliminate distant blockages. To do this, the substance is diluted with water and poured into the system. After that, you can’t use the sewers for a couple of hours to enable the chemicals to do their job.
Minuses:
- Caustic can corrode damaged pipes, so use with caution.
- It is able to gradually destroy the enamel on the bathroom or sink. It is advisable not to allow the substance to enter the visible part of the plumbing.
- In general runoff, bacteria are killed if an aerobic method of eliminating odor and processing organics is used in sewers.
- It's hard to buy in a store. You can order powder on sites that sell soap products at home.
- Requires exact proportions when diluted with cold water.
- The substance is combustible and explosive - must be kept in a place protected from children.
In addition to sewerage, caustic is used for washing and bleaching things from cotton and linen, in gardening against fungal diseases of plants, for making soap and other purposes.
When dissolved in water, alkali releases heat, some materials can withstand short-term temperature increases of up to 100 degrees, so before use it is necessary to clarify what material the pipes are made of.
Acidic
Acid-based products are available that can be used for all types of pipes. But they may be weak and will not eliminate the blockage. On the forums you can find the advice of "practitioners" who write that hydrochloric acid helps well. This is not entirely true:
- If PVC pipes are installed in the apartment, concentrated hydrochloric acid will corrode them within 30 minutes.
- In apartment buildings, the riser and main line are most likely made of cast iron, in which acid can make holes and the whole system will have to be changed.
- Acid can cause a chemical burn if you do not use protective equipment. Vapors from the substance are toxic and can cause respiratory problems.
First you need to try to dilute hydrochloric acid to 5 - 10% concentration and pour into the sewer.35% of the substance is able to dissolve the plastic and cause an accident in the whole house - the pressure in the clogged pipe increases and it heats up. The use of sulfuric acid gives the same effect.
In everyday conditions, acetic, orthophosphoric, oxalic, sulfamic acids are used. The problem is that in addition to acetic acid or essence, you can rarely find any of the above in stores.
Blockages can have a different origin: calcium deposits, silicate, metal oxides. To eliminate them with acid, you must call a qualified craftsman. Knowing the material of pipe manufacturing, he will advise a safe but effective way.
Release Forms
If the alkaline substance is concentrated, it will be sold in the form of granules or white powder. Funds in stores are packaged for single use, as they are used approximately once every six months, and if stored improperly, they lose their quality. Caustic can not be bought by weight in the store - it is ordered via the Internet. To preserve properties, caustic soda is stored in a tightly closed container. Shelf life - 1 year from the date of manufacture.
There are liquid solutions that are sold in plastic containers. They have child protection in the form of a hard-to-open lid. These are mainly acid-based solutions. They are concentrated enough to cause burning on the skin without gloves, but safe for pipes.
Means in the form of tablets are used more for prophylaxis than for the control of old caps from fat and hair. You need to use them regularly - once a week, to prevent stagnation of water and overflow.
Application features
Liquids from the store act faster than bulk products that need to be dissolved in water for the effect. If there is water in the sink, it must be poured out so as not to dilute the product, because water neutralizes the acid and reduces its effectiveness. The same goes for pills.
Loose concentrated alkalis are able to work even in water, but more substance will be required. If the blockage is very strong and the bathroom is completely filled with water, then it is better to scoop it out in the toilet, and then fill in a substance that will corrode the organics in the pipes and clear the passage for water.
Criteria for choosing a tool for cleaning sewer pipes
The concentration of the substance is selected based on the degree of blockage. If preventive maintenance is regularly carried out in the kitchen, vinegar and soda or some purchased product is sufficient.
For cases when simple tools no longer help, and you need to act urgently, it is recommended to keep alkali in your home in small quantities so that you can thoroughly rinse the pipes at any time.
It is best to use both mechanical and chemical means. A plumbing cable will help eliminate the cork, and chemistry will wash away the residue of plaque on the pipes so that the effect lasts longer.
Overview of the most effective tools
Rating of the best tools for cleaning pipes and eliminating sewage blockages:
- Deboucher is an alkali that is not advertised, so it costs an order of magnitude cheaper. Cope with all types of sewage blockages. Use with cold water because sodium hydroxide gives off a lot of heat. First pour water, then gel and again a glass of water. It is important to have time to move away from the sink when the reaction begins. Use gloves and glasses.
- Chirton is a granular caustic soda preparation. Cope in 15 minutes with any blockage. The plus is that the product is packaged in disposable bags.
- Bugs Pothan - a potent alkaline-based product. Requires caution when used in everyday life. It is used in extreme cases, when weaker substances do not help.The tool is expensive, but economical and fast, so it is recommended to have it in case of serious problems in the pipes. One minus - there are no small packages for one-time use, but a large package lasts for several cleanings.
- Tiret - has several varieties designed for blockages of varying degrees. However, no hostess can say for sure how serious the situation is, so it is recommended to immediately buy the strongest Tiret. He will not create problems with pipes, but if the blockage is small, then the problem will be resolved faster. Before washing, water is removed from the clogged sink and the product is poured into the hole. If it works, the water will slowly go down.
Less concentrated products:
- Mister Muscle. The manufacturer claims that it can cope with a clogged sewer in 15 minutes, but the experience of use says the opposite. Sometimes you need to pour the whole bottle into the sink and wait a long time until the water comes off a little. Perhaps in the first years of release, the product met the standards, but now it’s more profitable to buy something more expensive, but more efficient. Suitable for preventing fat deposits in the kitchen and hair in the bathroom.
- Mole. It happens granular (cheaper) and in the form of a gel (more expensive). According to reviews, the granular agent better copes with blockages of moderate and light severity. To dissolve, you need hot water, in cold powder sticks to stone.
- Sanox is an inexpensive prophylactic. With severe blockages copes slowly. It may take a few bottles if there is nothing stronger on sale.
- Selena Antizasor - a tool based on soda ash. Because of its cheapness, it is sold more often than expensive drugs, but the effect will have to wait a long time, and often be used, which, in fact, reduces the savings to nothing.
Of the purchased products, alkaline drugs are considered the most powerful and fastest. In order not to experiment with concentrated acids, which, if you do not know the chemistry, can cause the destruction of pipes - plastic, cast iron, metal or copper - it is recommended to choose from safer ones. They are designed for any materials used in the construction of sewers.
