cheapass draino

[gigglethrough]

draino, (i don't know if it's an australian thing) is this stuff that comes in crystals, which technically you are supposed to mix with a cup of water and pour down a clogged drain. my (rented and falling apart) house is ancient, and the drains keep clogging insanely

Comments

[hiddensinful]

I used the liquid drainer from the dollar store once, and it worked just fine for me.

[gigglethrough]

thankyou babe, i looked but there was no draino at the dollar store, that's why i had to buy more expensive than dollar store, but way less expensive draino crystals than real draino crystals from the supermarket.

my question is, since you can cut corners with the expensive brands (ie, not mix with water, and leave for way longer), is it SAFE to do the same thing with the cheap brand?

i don't want to do it tomorrow morning before work and come home to find a hole in my house.

[mayavada]

Be *very* careful using a knock-off draino in old pipes. That shit can be bad for older plumbing.

What brand did you get? What are the ingredients? Go with something that says "safe for all pipes, even old ones...etc" or ring up your local plumber - they could probably tell you if it's safe.

I live in a house that was built in 1905. Trust me - I know these things the hard way :)

[gigglethrough]

thanx for the advice!

my house is so old that there is a little trapdoor from the outside that goes straight into the cupboard under the sink that back in the day the milk man used to put the milk in there.

and the plumbing. oh. my. god.

i think this is one of those things i might be better off taking back and spending the extra money to get the real thing. hey?

[libwitch]

One trick you can try in the future as a way to avoid needing drano and other stuff is to dump baking soda in your drain, follow with a cup of white vinegar, the follow that with a teakettle or so of boiling water. It helps keep everything clog free and clean, without corroding the pipes.

I do it all the time - my house was built in the early 1900's and the plumbing is about as old as it gets. It keeps it all running pretty smoothly since i started doing it, and it used to clog up all the time.

[gigglethrough]

i'm gonna go get the expensive stuff, but i will do that afterwards... prevention is better than cure!

i am SO glad i asked this question before using it.

[southwest]

if it is a rented house - isn't the landlord supposed to fix the problems?

also, I find it quite more effective to use the snake on clogged drains, sometimes removing the P-trap first

works great, it's cheap, and lasts a long time

[gentlemaitresse]

I agree. There is also a special plunger you can use for sinks.

[justbreathe247]

We got one of those blaster things.. it's fun, but we had to keep using it... you pump it up and lean over the sink so it doesn't blast water all over the room. You can put a towel around it to catch most of it.

Fun stuff! lol

[jackierhoffman]

I've never had any luck with any kind of draino (brand name or dollar stuff). We live in an apartment complex where everything is so cheap and falling apart though. The only success I've had in unclogging a drain is to fill the sink with a few inches of water and use a plunger, it works almost instantly.

Good luck!

[gigglethrough]

thanx mate.

[thrashbluegrass]

I'd suggest snaking the drain. You can pick a drain snake up for cheap, and it's better on the pipes, and generally works better than, chemicals.

Snake a drain every year, and the chances of it clogging to almost to nil.