Vocal Voices

by **meriad** » 31 Jan 2016, 19:05

years back (about 10 or so) in my previous flat I had a blocked drain. Toodled off to the local hardware store (the one on the corner that sold EVERYTHING) and they recommended sulphuric acid, so I bought two bottles. Used one on the day and it worked a charm.

Fast forward 8 years and my external drain in my current flat was blocked this evening. I remembered I had the 2nd bottle still tucked away in the back of the cupboard so poured that down the drain and glory be and hallelujah it seems to have done a very good job - but it's still a tad slower draining that it should be.

I've done a quick google search but haven't had much luck - can one still buy sulphuric acid or is there an equivalent that works as well?

by **Workingman** » 31 Jan 2016, 19:41

Ria, google "Buy sulphuric acid" and you will find places to get it online.

As an alternative you could get battery acid from a garage or Halfords. It is dilute sulphuric at about 35%. It should do the job but to make it stronger it needs to be left to stand in an open vessel for about a week - somewhere where it cannot be knocked over.

You would not get me handling it without wearing goggles, rubber gloves, a plastic apron and having a bowl of very salty water nearby.

by **Diflower** » 31 Jan 2016, 21:09

If you google 'drain unblocker' quite a lot comes up, eg from Tesco for £3 - on kindle so tricky doing links;

by **Kaz** » 31 Jan 2016, 21:17

Yikes! We tend to use the drain unblocker gel stuff for indoors (shower drain etc) and Jeyes Fluid outside. Be careful Ria xxxxx

by **saundra** » 31 Jan 2016, 21:39

Don't go blowing your self up
Be careful

by **TheOstrich** » 31 Jan 2016, 22:36

saundra wrote:Don't go blowing your self up
Be careful

This was what happened the last time she used it on a blocked drain ......

http://www.itv.com/news/london/2015-10- ... -sinkhole/

:mrgreen:

by **Suff** » 01 Feb 2016, 00:25

Ria Caustic Soda is one alternative. Not quite as dangerous as Sulphuric but slower to get the same result.

It seems that the trade cleaners have sulphuric acid in them..

BTW Sulphuric acid is what they use in car batteries. It's also what every lowlife scumbag uses to damage the faces of women who displease them... Hence it gets harder to buy. Also it is more damaging to the environment immediately.

Enjoy..

by **meriad** » 01 Feb 2016, 09:38

Diflower wrote:If you google 'drain unblocker' quite a lot comes up, eg from Tesco for £3 - on kindle so tricky doing links;

Di, the stuff you can buy from Tesco unfortunately will not have done a thing with this blockage. I'm struggling to think what's caused it and the only thing I am coming up with is building residue from when I had the bathroom ceiling redone and maybe even more years ago (5 or so) when I had other building work done? I also removed quite a bit of what looked like chalk / washing powder consistency from the drain, but that was just a huge build up that I was able to remove - but again no idea where it's come from as I use liquid detergents and I'm fairly certain the drain didn't look like that last year. I'm just really really confused. The drain itself is used only by my washing machine, dishwasher and kitchen basin and I'm pedantic with not putting anything fatty in the dishwasher / washing up so it cannot be a fat build up.

I ran a really hot wash in the machine yesterday evening and that seemed to have cleared some of it as well and I'll get some more hot water down there tonight when I get home

I'm loathe to use more acid. but it was necessary yesterday, nothing would have shifted whatever it is clogging the drain, but as Suff said it's damaging to the environment. I just wish I could figure out where the rodding points are for that drain because then we could try open them and see what's going on, but I can't where they are.

Oh well.... definitely something I'll be keeping a very close eye on

by **pederito1** » 01 Feb 2016, 15:05

I have always used hydrochloric which used to be sold here as "Spirits of Salts" I dont know if it still is sold. Buy it anywhere in Spain as "Agua Fuerte". The sale of concentrated sulphuric is I believe banned to the general public because it is very good for Molotov cocktails among other nasty uses.
Our drain clearers here use a jet hooked up to a fire hydrant.