What can I safely use to speed up a slow drain?

Question

I'd like something non-caustic and natural if possible. I'm on septic. Boiling water has not helped.

Answer 1

go to home depot or lowes or any hardware store buy some ENZYME based drain cleaner ...those little enzymes eat the clog away

Answer 2

Well Im a plumber so here you go.
1st you might not have a clog
A few things you must do first.
Remove the P-Trap under the sink. Most of the time you can re use the washers and trap if not a new 1 is only a few bucks.
Make sure the trap is clear Use a flaslight and look into the wall where the trap goes and make sure its clear. If anything is blocking either part clean it out.
Next I wish you would of said it was a bathroom sink,tub,kitchen etc.
That does make a little bit of a difference
If everything is clear there are only a few things left it could be.
the line from the wall to the main line is blocked or
the pipe venting is blocked.
The vent pipe allows air into the pipe behind the water to let it run good and fast if it blocked by anything it wonly work correct.
Also make sure your tank is not full. Alot of people think if everything else is running fine it cant be the tank well I hate to say this they are wrong.
In 20yrs of plumbing I have seen it all And if it was done correct (I Mean the plumbing) then your fine but if it was done worng well it can do odd things.
Also its good that you dont want to use caustic! Most people dont get that it will ruin pipes PVC/CAST/ABS etc.
Also if you were to use it and have to remove the pipe or trap then you have it spilling out under the sink (Not a good thing).
Anyways If you could give me just a bit more info I would be happy to help you more.
Let me know where the sink is, When it started, If its a house or mobile home
This might seem strange but it does matter.
So either edit your ? or drop me a line at
[e-mail]
Goodluck
PS- I would give you some good stuff to use but I have learned in 20yrs it only helps for the moment and its not a permenant fix.
After you get the problem sloved then you can use stuff to protect you line Just basic maintenance and they will run fine

Answer 3

product at Wal-mart @ $10/gallon
called Main Line Cleaner

it is safe for septic tanks - worked in two houses I lived in - even helped a drain for the rain gutter/ without hurting the gutter part

sink with 30 years grease on a slight incline (what a clog)
bath tub ran slow (not anymore)
another sink -

use it overnight - then flush with hot water
the rain drain I flushed with a garden hose - the first was 'hot' because it was laying out in the sun

good luck!

Answer 4

There's a couple of things you can try. You can use bleach or you can use baking soda and vinegar. Let it sit for a few minutes then try running the hot water. It also gets the smell out of the drain.

Answer 5

I have answered this many times and your best bet is Bleach. Pour some down the drain regularly unitll performance improves.

Answer 6

Plunger

Answer 7

Stick sewer rods down it to remove any blockage.

If it's down to a fundamental problem, like not enuf slopage, then it will take remodeling.

Answer 8

What ever you do, don't try a flammable liquid and start it on fire. A friend of mine did that yesterday and I had to put the fire out, setting my hand on fire. I'm o.k., but he is the official idiot of the week. lol

Answer 9

Try plunging it. It may shift the clog causing the blockage and release it.

Answer 10

try a steady stream of as hot water as you can get, for an hour of so