Sulphuric acid

[Matt887]

I have a kitchen sink waste that is blocked after the trap somewhere under the floor the waste is inaccessible. Is sulphuric acid the best drain cleaner for this. The pipe is all plastic that I can see. I think I spoke to someone who said there was two grads of it? Thanks

 

[Old Salt]

Whatever you do, do NOT put sulphuric acid down your waste pipe.

 

[Matt887]

Think the one I was looking at was called one shot?

 

[Matt887]

It's diluted

 

[fixitflav]

I have a kitchen sink waste that is blocked after the trap somewhere under the floor the waste is inaccessible. Is sulphuric acid the best drain cleaner for this. The pipe is all plastic that I can see. I think I spoke to someone who said there was two grads of it? Thanks

No, use dilute hydrochloric. Much easier and safer. And if it's calcium carbonate sludge sulphuric probably won't clear. It as calcium sulphate is nearly insoluble (solubilty about 1.6 gm/litre if memory serves)

 

[Matt887]

Have you got a brand name for the best one? It's a kitchen sink one so likely grease. Thank you

 

[Madrab]

It's diluted

unfortunately one shot is only 9% diluted, it's 91% sulphuric acid so very concentrated, I've only ever seen one grade.

Has every other avenue been explored? Wetvac, drain worm, pump plunger, pressure plunger etc?

As someone that does this for a job, experience has shown that acid shouldn't ever be used on waste pipe. The environment impacts not withstanding, it is down right dangerous and if the blockage isn't cleared and the acid sits in the pipe then the heat generated can warp, sag and burst the plastic waste pipe. I walk away from jobs where the client has intimated that they have used an acidic drain cleaner, just not worth the risk.

I've had a bottle of one shot in the garage for about 15yrs and the only time I've used it is to clean out plate heat exchangers.

 

[Matt887]

No just some normal drain cleaner has been used previously. Would a plunger have much effect? I imagine it's a build up of grease etc

 

[Matt887]

Could a wet Vax pull it out?

 

[Matt887]

Is that any good?

 

[CountryFan]

Could a wet Vax pull it out?

Depends on what the blockage is. Ime, I’ve used bicarbonate of soda/soda crystals, sometimes with vinegar and boiling hot water. Sometimes it’s successful, other times not. Don’t know why folks want to shove a load of chemicals down.

 

[DP]

No just some normal drain cleaner has been used previously. Would a plunger have much effect? I imagine it's a build up of grease etc

Plunger creates pressure in the drain pipe
Have the openings and branches been sealed so that the pressure created by the plunger will act on the blockage?

 

[ree]

OP,
Best & most efficient method would be to use a small Drain Cleaning Machine? Hire one?
Perhaps theres a rodding point beyond the blockage from where you could rod back up the waste pipe?

After dealing with the present blockage you could end up with the same problems at a later date?
So, if at all possible, you would be best bringing the trap as close & accessible to the sink as you can?
Or you could abandon the inaccessible trap line & run an entirely new waste & accessible trap to its discharge point?

 

[Madrab]

No just some normal drain cleaner has been used previously. Would a plunger have much effect? I imagine it's a build up of grease etc

Could a wet Vax pull it out?

Yes to both - specific type of plunger, not the usual rubber ones but power plunger - either pump type or pressure type

A wet vac could also do it, yes, blockage dependent

 

[Matt887]

Wet dry vac pushed in/over the 40mm waste pipe?