Rockport Timms Plumbing Drain Cleaning
Timms Plumbing will clean your drains with the latest equipment to give you professional service.
There are six major types of drain cleaners sold today.
Caustic liquid
The most common type are liquid caustic solutions containing sodium hypochlorite NaOCl(bleach), sodium hydroxide (lye), or potassium hydroxide (caustic potash) in concentrations up to 50% percent. These are used to dissolve grease and hair clogs. Other caustic mixtures come as two-part cleaners that are mixed as they are poured in the drain opening. There, the two solutions react to release a gas, and surfactants trap the gas as a dense foam. The hypothetical reason behind this foaming action is to coat the entire inside of the drain pipe and remove more of whatever substances might form a clog.
Caustic solid
A more concentrated caustic drain cleaner consists of solid granules of sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide. These are also used for hair and grease clogs. In some patented cleaners, aluminum turnings are added to the solid hydroxide, where they react with water in the drain to heat the caustic mixture to the boiling point.
Enzymatic cleaners
The third type are the liquid solutions containing bacteria cultures and enzymes that gradually eat away the organic material on pipes that cause slow drains. While most of these are generally used as routine maintenance for proper flow, as the are incapable of clearing a completely clogged drainpipe, bacterial enzymatic products of very high concentrations are emerging which can clear impassable clogs in less than one hour. These products are also completely safe and effective for use in toilets, bathtub/showers, garbage disposals, and septic systems.
Acid liquid
A different type includes a liquid solutions containing sulfuric acid, usually in concentrations around 95 percent. These are very corrosive and hazardous if misused, and often create intense heat that can cause the water in the drain to boil, creating a violent eruption from the drain. These acidic cleaners are often the only products that will effectively dissolve paper, rags, sanitary napkins, and similar blockages. Many of these products are intended for professional use by plumbers and janitors, but are legal to sell to the general public in the US, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, despite much debate during the last few decades.
Air burst cleaners
The fifth type of drain cleaner uses forcibly accelerated CO2 (carbon dioxide), air or other gas to rupture a membrane. The "air-burst" accelerates the gas (and any backed-up water) to a high velocity, creating enough force to physically dislodge clogs. Accelerated gas may instantly clear the clog, in contrast to chemical solutions that typically take minutes or hours to work.
High pressure water jetting
This should only be carried out by a competent engineer with jet of water up to 4000 psi and will also clean the drain so blockage is less likely to reoccur.
Boiling water
Boiling water can also be used to clear drains that are clogged by soap and hair.
Vinegar & Baking Soda
Pouring baking soda followed by vinegar down a drain can be used to unclog drains. Baking soda is alkaline, and vinegar is acidic. Consequently, this method combines the use of caustic and acidic drain cleaners.
Usage caution
Caustic and acidic drain cleaners should never be used in combination, as they would neutralise one another, rendering them ineffective, and may also be expected to generate considerable heat and large quantities of gas. This may cause a violent eruption from the drain, and may be otherwise hazardous in and of itself. The mixing may cause severe injury to exposed eye and other tissue, as well as damage to porcelain tubs/showers and toilets.