Three Chemical Cleaners To Remove Clogs

    Fix Clogged Drains Today with these Tips

Let's imagine this horrible scenario: you've got family arriving in 3 Hours and (clearly), you need everything to be perfect. While making preparations for the party, you discover that the drain seems to have stopped working...yes...it's clogged. You quickly pull all the dishes out the sink, but, alas, the drain is clogged.

The way to Fix a Clog

Exactly why do drains clog? The short answer is due to the way we make use of them. Obviously, despite the fact that it's not supposed to happen, water isn't the only thing going down most drains. Inside the kitchen sink, grease and small particles of food tends to make their way into the drain. The bathrooms and bedrooms, shampoo, hair, and soap scum are your biggest offenders. As things progress over time, hair (and other substances) build up, lining the drain, then one day Eleven months later, another piece of food drops in the drain and clogs it.

A drain can also have foreign objects (like toys, bottle tops, a food) fall into it and clog it. If you've got foreign objects clogging your drain, a drain cleaner isn't going to solve that type of problem. Try as hard as you can to remove the foreign object (or objects) by yourself. If that fails, then call a plumber to help you.

If you don't think the problem is from a foreign object, then first do your best to try and locate the clog. Take out the stopper (found at the entrance of the drain) and give it a good cleaning. Remove any object you can reach then pour hot water down the drain. Next, plunge the drain for 5 minutes and see if that fixes the problem. If not, try a sewer snake (or auger) on the drain.

Three Chemical Drain Cleaners & How to Use them

Be they liquid, gel or powder form, most of the drain cleaners you'll find on store shelves use strong chemicals, and they come in liquid, gel and powder forms. All chemical reactions involve moving electrons, and drain cleaners work by either taking or giving electrons to the clogging substance, generating heat in the process.

How to Unclog the Drain with One of these Chemical Cleaners

Caustic drain cleaners have substances like caustic potash or lye. These substances are what chemists call "bases." What happens is that these bases give extra electrons to the clog while their hydroxide ions create the reaction which removes the clog. These alkaline (or basic) chemicals cause heat to be released, turning grease into a soap-like substance that's more easily dissolved. What's interesting is that these chemical drain cleaners and heavier than water. This allows them to reach through the clog (through standing water) and unclog it.

The Oxidizing Chemical Drain Cleaners have substances like peroxides and nitrates (household bleach). In this chemical reaction, the chemicals added causes the clog to "loose" electrons and become oxidized. What happens is that these chemical drain cleaners and heavier than water. This allows them to reach through the clog (through standing water) and unclog it.

The last type of Chemical Cleaners are called Acid Drain Cleaners. You usually can't find these in stores and these are usually sold to plumbers. These typically contain high concentrations of sulfuric acid or hydrochloric acid, substances that increase hydronium ions in a solution and attract electrons from the clog. The hydronium ions react chemically with the material in the clog, and the reaction releases heat, which is necessary to melt congealed grease.

Try of these Chemical Cleaners on your clogged drain and see if that unclogs it. Most of these Chemical Drain Cleaners ask you to wait for Fifteen Minutes (or more) after pouring the product down the drain. If this doesn't fix the problem, repeat the process.