Drano Gel - Oh yes - clog is gone all over the floor - yucky
Written: Dec 08 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: A lot of people have good luck with Drano which is why I tried it.
Cons: The "proof" was all over my floor. Old home owners beware.
The Bottom Line: If you have an older home, plunge often, use Dawn in the kitchen, and replace pipes when you can.
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| CyndiA's Full Review: Drano Max Gel Clog Remover |
Yes. The water did clear out of my sink and right in the cabinet and onto the floor when I used Drano Max Gel Clog Remover.
While this product can and does work for many drain problems, if you have older pipes, then do know that Drano can be the last straw and mean a call to the plumber.
My house was built in the 50s. The pipes are smaller than should be in a 3-bedroom house. The plumber suggested redoing the entire pipe system, and I’ll plan on that when I save up some money or hit the lottery. In the meantime, we can not turn on the water in the kitchen or flush the second toilet when anyone is showering. This may sound like a hardship and difficult to remember, but once you are in the shower on the hot end of a toilet flush elsewhere, you do remember to consider your family and friends.
My bathroom sink was standing in water which makes brushing teeth rather an adventure, so I decided to take the bull right by the horns and went to the IGA and bought Drano Max. The idea here is that this product is thicker and sticks so can drag down the gunk built up and clogging the pipe. I had visions of a clear running sink dancing in my head. Oh yes. This is going to be a good thing.
From reading the bottle, I would think this was terrorist gell. Oh geez. They put some heavy duty stuff in here. So, you do not want to touch or breath this stuff. If you get it in your eyes or get a gulp of it, then you need to be in a supervised environment and also need to see the doctor. The top is child proof, but it would be a really good idea to keep this in a locked cabinet. Your kid may not drink strange stuff, but my youngest got a gulp of lighter fluid when he was 2. Getting cleaned out at the hospital is not a fun evening for child or for parent.
The idea is that you pour this carefully in the sink and wait 15 minutes typically and 30 minutes for a bad clog. Then, you can flush the sink with hot water. And, you’re good to go.
If this does not work, then you are up the creek. You do not want to plunge the sink with chemicals mixed in. You do not want to dip and discard, because where would you put tainted water? Not in the toilet as this is not for those kinds of clogs. A messed up sink is bad. A messed up toilet would be really bad. Not in the yard where it might mess up the soil. I like my flowers and vegetables and grass. Hauling buckets out to the town drain system seems wrong on many levels. It would probably also be illegal.
My sink was still sitting full of water after 24 hours. Oh sigh. Sometimes I do not want to be the grown up.
I decided to take a clothes hanger and try to nudge out the clog. This is an old family fix and works sometimes.
I poke and prod. Suddenly, the water sucks down. Hallelujah!
I am standing there full of myself and feeling mighty proud when I notice my socks are starting to get wet.
Yep. You guessed it.
Hole in the pipe.
Now, the sink can not be used at all. Plus, I have Drano water all over the place. I read the bottle again and decide we will have to move. This is toxic stuff. Naw. We can not change houses like underwear. It took 8 years to get a house. I will suck this up and hope that gloves and throwaway towels will do the trick. If I am going to die, I hope it is not while cleaning dirty water under the sink.
The plumber came at this point.
“Do not put Drano in your pipes,†he tells me. DUH. Like I’m going to do this again. “Use a plunger. Switch to Dawn for the kitchen. And, replace the pipe system as soon as you can.â€
This has been a couple of years. I continue to plunge fairly often and even use my vacuum to push clogs through the system. That is the main thing that sold me on the Kirby G6 reviewed at:
http://www.epinions.com/content_62335389316
I also use Dawn dish washing liquid exclusively in the kitchen where the pipe is reinforced with duct tape. Gotta love a good plumber with a roll of tape. Oh yeah, my kinda man. He figured it would last a few months. Heck, I may never buy pipes. I will just duct tape the whole shebang. In any case, it certainly seems that Dawn is easier on the pipes than sale brands. My review on Dawn is at:
http://www.epinions.com/content_87798812292
I do think Drano works well for many families. If you have a newer home, then go for it. This stuff will probably fix you right up and save a house call from the plumber. If you do have an older home, then do not buy into that “safe for all pipes†notation. It probably is generally safe but not for ALL pipes. Mine are proof positive that some do not need the Drano treatment. A slow sink is better than no sink at all which is what you have been you knock a hole in your pipe and have the water running out all over the place.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
CyndiA
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 in Home and Garden |
 - Top 50 |
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Member: Cyndi
Location: out in the yard grilling
Reviews written: 1158
Trusted by: 634 members
About Me:
Get some sleep and dream of rock 'n roll - Bread.
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