PLUMBER HELP! can anyone recommend a strong acid for unblocking a bath?

Question

i have a blocked bath and the water isnt running away properly! (the joys of having a family of woman if you know what i mean!!) if a plumber could recommend a strong acid which will hopefully clear the problem it would be much appriciated. thanks

ps im obviously not in the trade so i can only buy from retail shops.

Answer 1

Muratic acid is available at the depot. This is one of it's usees.

PS I'm not a plumber but do have a house full of hair.

Answer 2

Before you do all this other junk consider this. You mentioned being in a house full of women. The clog is most likely caused by hair. Hair almost always builds up in the cross piece which is part of the drain shoe that the tub stopper fits into. If this is the case, all you have to do is remove the stopper and then remove the hair beneath it. If it's a pop up stopper it should just unscrew. If it is the type that is mounted to a post, there will be a small s***w on the side of the stopper which will need to be loosened ( but not removed ) before you can lift it off of the post.

Answer 3

Be careful with acids, like the first guy said it could damage your plumbing is plastic, If you go to a Drug Store or a Chemist you should find products that you can pour down the waste hole that you leave over night so it can free your syphon.  

Answer 4

a good quality plunger plenty of elbow grease and costic soda.

Answer 5

Not a plumber, but know of the situation.  What you got to do is first: go to the kitchen and put on the stove some of the biggest pots you got (and tea kettles and boil water)  Now while that is warming the water, you have to  bail out as much water as possible that is in the tub(dump it down the toilet as it all goes to the same place) so that only a minor level is in there.

  hot water out of the tap ain't near as hot as boiling(maybe 160, maybe120-but not 200+)

      Now, go back into the kitchen and grab a pot of steaming hot water and go back to the tub.     Now, pour it down the tub drain like a waterfall from a standing position so that the hot water pounds its way down the drain.   Nothing may happen with the first pot and all the water is sitting in the tub.  That is OK, leave it.  Get another potful and continue the waterfall action .   And again with a 3rd pot or tea kettle.  Let it sit.   The water should start draining(if nothing more, at least slowly)  Wait till the water cools enough to bail it out and dump in toilet and repeat the boiling water down the drain thing.  I have never had to go more than 3 pots worth. before it broke thru.

    Once the water starts draining, run the hot water out of the faucet directly down the drain, LOTS of it.  You want to wash the insides of the piping clean.

  

      What is happening.   You have a hair/dirt/soap ball in the ptrap that is stopping the water from flowing.  The hot water is melting the soap into liquid soap consistency(instead of bar soap solidness) and now is moving out of the ptrap into the straight part of the plumbing lines.

I poured the water down from a height because I did not have a plunger either, but you can use a plunger in the hot water as well to speed things up to start going.

I done it a dozen different times in different bathrooms, sinks, and even toilets.  It works.

Answer 6

I use a long piece of wire with the end bent to form a small hook. I then push it down the hole turning it as I push it. I then pul it back up and remove the hair ande sludge and do it again and again. The wire must be strong but not too rigid if it needs to go round the bend

Answer 7

Well, can we assume that you have use Liquid Plumber or Drano?  If so then there is really nothing else to help unclog that will not damage the PVC in your plumbing.  My shower drains are made out of cast iron so I used a product called Clobber.  This is a blend of some acid and something else and is extremely dangerous.  Kind of smells like rotten eggs when you pour and you do not need much.  This is safe for most metal drains.  My father who is a master plumber recommended this.  You may need to seek a plumber with the right tools to help with the clog.  

Answer 8

try a plunger on it first.  put a few inches of water in tub, and plunge away.

if that doesnt work,  just below the faucet there should be a metal plate,  with 2 screws and a lever switch thingy,  it opens and closes the drain stopper.  take the 2 screws out,  pull out entire device and clean it.  it has a rod and spring at the bottom.  i'll bet that it is covered with disgusting material and is preventing the flow.

it is a simple fix.  you can do it.

these  pour down the drain products do not work very well.  they will open up a small hole in the clog.  the water will drain slowly.  the hole will stop back up in no time flat.

Answer 9

DO  NOT USE ACID. What you normally use is lye or caustic soda as this dissolves the protein in the hair as well as the fats in the soap deposits. Let it sit overnight they try to flush through. If still clogged use a plunger with safety glasses as you not want to get any lye in your eyes.

Answer 10

You should not be putting acid sown the drains!!!!!!!!!!!!

If the U trap is blocked, access it by probably removing the side panel of the bat if you have one, then un-s***w the U trap and clean it out.

The clean ot the women!!! Mine does exactly the same!!! Short back and sides and a lot of the top due soon!!!

Answer 11

Fantastic stuff sold in Tesco's...no idea what it's called but it comes in a black plastic bottle (shaped a bit like toilet duck stuff). Have no idea what on earth is in it but it cleared my bath drain of gunk in about half an hour tops. Brilliant !!  

Answer 12

Acid type stuff is just a bodge. temporary fix , or most often no fix.

Most likely its blocked up with hair. (any family members have long hair?)

Remove the Bath side panel and the bath trap and clean out all the hair matted together in the bath waste.

90% of the time hair is the problem. Acid will not work on hair. Unless the acid is supper strong, but then it will damage the rubber seals and your trap will leak.

(plumber)

Answer 13

Get a plumber. You want nothing with strong acids. You will possibly damage things beyond repair. The trouble is probably in the U-bend where the water leaves the bath. This is not easily accessible to a novice and it requires some strength to turn the nuts holding it. Your best bet is to get a professional to do the job.