David Jenkins
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| posted on 28/8/21 at 01:06 PM |
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In the mood for a rant!
The outside drain that takes the water from the kitchen sink & washing machine is blocked - that's not the rant, that's just the
background...
I'm only talking about 4 feet from the inlet to the nearest drain cover, so I tried my drain rods... shifted a bit, but the problem was in the
water trap where the rods wouldn't go.
Had a few half-bottles of the 'new and improved' drain unblockers, so I thought I'd try those - not a sausage. Thought I'd
try the old faithful, caustic soda... but have you tried buying any lately? Apparently dodgy characters use it in the process to make methamphetamine
 so it's getting very hard to buy.
Screwfix, B&Q, Toolstation will gladly sell me the 'new and improved' stuff (that doesn't work) at anything from £8 up to £20
for 500ml but, eventually, I found that Homebase sells caustic soda for £3.75p - but I had to drive 15 miles each way to get it. I bought 2, for
future-proofing.
Made up the stuff to the instructions, poured it down the drain and the blockage cleared within 5 minutes...
I'm really getting to detest the "a few nasty/stupid people misuse the product, so nobnody can have it" attitude that's
becoming more and more commonplace... 
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theconrodkid
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| posted on 28/8/21 at 01:34 PM |
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"new and improved" these days means it,s so weak you can drink it, bit like paint stripper.
i had the same problem last year, after spending a fortune i called the water co, half hour later matey turns up with his jetting machine, cleared in
5 mins, never used them before so no charge, he was supprised when i gave him a £20 , i had spent more that that on stuff that didnt work
who cares who wins
pass the pork pies
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Westy1994
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| posted on 28/8/21 at 02:24 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by David Jenkins
The outside drain that takes the water from the kitchen sink & washing machine is blocked - that's not the rant, that's just the
background...
I'm only talking about 4 feet from the inlet to the nearest drain cover, so I tried my drain rods... shifted a bit, but the problem was in the
water trap where the rods wouldn't go.
Had a few half-bottles of the 'new and improved' drain unblockers, so I thought I'd try those - not a sausage. Thought I'd
try the old faithful, caustic soda... but have you tried buying any lately? Apparently dodgy characters use it in the process to make methamphetamine
so it's getting very hard to buy.
Screwfix, B&Q, Toolstation will gladly sell me the 'new and improved' stuff (that doesn't work) at anything from £8 up to £20
for 500ml but, eventually, I found that Homebase sells caustic soda for £3.75p - but I had to drive 15 miles each way to get it. I bought 2, for
future-proofing.
Made up the stuff to the instructions, poured it down the drain and the blockage cleared within 5 minutes...
I'm really getting to detest the "a few nasty/stupid people misuse the product, so nobnody can have it" attitude that's
becoming more and more commonplace...
As soon as I read your last line, my first thought was indeed Paint Stripper as mentioned above, it's not just products such as these though.
I have a certain skin condition that needs a steroidal content to it, I have been using this for years as directed, ie very sparingly and not
everyday. Last month I needed a new tube after using the previous one up, and was told they no longer will give it to me because too many folks
overuse or mis-use the product.... So if someone reading this is one of those Thanks a lot for ruining my skin....
I guess the same will apply to many things, folks just either don't or won't read the directions for use and we as the sensible folks
suffer...
I feel your pain.
http://stopjunkcalls.org.uk/forum
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coyoteboy
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| posted on 28/8/21 at 07:26 PM |
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If you can still get it without a license in a normal retail store, the "few nasty people" reason is nonsense and that's just what
the shop staff said to explain why they don't stock it anymore.
I've been able to find all manner of dangerous chemicals freely available at local shops and online. If I'm not on a list somewhere
I'll be amazed.
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SteveWalker
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| posted on 29/8/21 at 12:03 AM |
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I've found sulphuric acid good for unblocking drains before - now, of course, you can't buy it, except as a registered business, as people
were using it as a weapon (so if found carrying it, they could not be done for carrying a weapon, as it did not fall under the legislation). I have
recently given my last half-bottle to my parents, as they got mortar down the drain during flagging of the path at the back of their house, so now I
have none for future use.
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perksy
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| posted on 29/8/21 at 07:49 AM |
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Trouble is folks have tried unblocking drains with one chemical, had no luck, tried another chemical and ended up creating a noxious gas
iirc there was an incident up north where someone died
The chemical we used to use at work for drain un-blocking has now been 'watered down' to make it safer
Bit like the Nitromoors, the old stuff was great but the new friendly stuff very poor
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BenB
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| posted on 29/8/21 at 10:12 AM |
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Lead-free solder. All I'm saying!!! Grrrr.....
re Sulphuric acid I suspect a trip to the used car batteries at the tip with a bottle and a funnel would be fruitful, they're only after the
lead in them so suspect the acid in them just ensures the drains at the tip stay squeeky clean. Battery acid is 37% whereas anything about 15% is
prohibited on its own.
The restriction on acids is very annoying. I used to have a nice collection of noxious acids for brewing purposes. Now it's all much weaker
(other than the 75% phosphoric acid).
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femster87
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| posted on 29/8/21 at 10:25 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by BenB
Lead-free solder. All I'm saying!!! Grrrr.....
Battery acid is 37% whereas anything about 15% is prohibited on its own.
.
More like an average of 17% these days
www.femsoncuts.co.uk
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James
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| posted on 29/8/21 at 05:35 PM |
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Blocked urinal at work the other day.
I couldn't buy One-shot easily but it seems to have just been rebranded and the new version was available at B&Q.
It didnt work!
The 'plumber' I called showed up with a long bendy spring thing and a drill. Shoved it in the access points and 5 minutes later it was
all cleared.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses, behind the lines, in the gym and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights."
- Muhammad Ali
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Theshed
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| posted on 30/8/21 at 07:48 AM |
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You can still buy all of these exciting chemicals at ReAgent - just order online (I do not recall ever being asked what I wanted it for).I have a
gallon of 98% sulphuric acid in the attic ,,,just in case I need to dispose of a body...
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motorcycle_mayhem
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| posted on 30/8/21 at 10:22 AM |
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As a Chemist (Industrial), I sympathise. You might think it's all sunny in industry land, but increasing regulation has pretty much made
anything a real 'task' to get done, particularly a novel process. Just send out the requirements to China (etc.) and what you need comes
back (as long as the ship doesn't get stuck) before you can even start on the regulatory paperwork here. Hey Ho.
As for drains, I have a septic tank, everything is prone to blocking, regularly. An 15 metre attachment on the pressure washer shoots up all the
pipework like errr.... a rat in a drainpipe (not too uncommon either), clearing everything.
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coyoteboy
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| posted on 30/8/21 at 11:26 AM |
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You can still buy monster sulphuric acid at B&q, it's in a brown card box in the drain section. I got some the other day for anodising.
By far the biggest pain in the ass I've found with this was gunk. I used the red stuff to hot degrease parts, works a treat. Popped into
hafrauds to get more and found they only had green stuff available. Took that, popped it in my warming tub, warned it. Should have read the label
which clearly days "do not heat". Oops.
Opened the lid, got a steamy face full of caustic and spent a night in hospital waiting for my lungs to slough off cells and suffocate me. Since then
I've suffered very irritable lungs! My own daft fault!
[Edited on 30/8/21 by coyoteboy]
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