the superintendent at my apt building used acid to unclug my bathroom sink?

Question

should he have like used drano or somthing i have small kids and not sure if that was a good idea theres a smell in my bathroom now ?

Answer 1

first ventilate the room. then the next time the drain is clogged
make sure they do it by using a hand auger. if this dude worked in my region i would write him up or fire him. my company does not allow the use of chemicals to unclog drains, they are dangerous, short term at the least, will damage the plumbing, and are a lazy way out to a really simple job. DO NOT ADD anymore chemicals to the drain, just water. it sounds like they used hydrochloric acid to burn away the clog, it gives off the worst smell. draino is NaOH4 in a reduced form, an alkali not an acid (sodium hydroxide). watch what you allow in the sinks like don't ever pour grease down one even if you have the hot water running because downstream of your drain it will build up into a clog and back up sewage to not just you but all of your neighbors.
that is one thing you do not want to wake up to at three in the morning with raw sewage backing up into your house. it's not pleasant. try to keep hair out of the drains maybe by getting a hair trap at a hardware store. good luck and happy holidays.

Answer 2

Traditional Drano is Sodium hydroxide, which is a very strong alkali. Do not combine it with acid unless you are looking for a violent chemical reaction. Sulfuric Acid can also be used to clean out pipes but it does have a rather bad odor (especially if it is working). Like a couple of the other people said run lots of water. If that doesn’t take care of the smell try lemon juice, which is a mild acid and won’t react with any sulfuric acid residue. You can also use vinegar, which is also a mild acid to cover the smell.

Answer 3

They sell the acid at most hardware stores for just that reason. It is a lot more powerful then drano or any other chemical...but don't mix any other cleaner with it...I would wait a few days before you bleached the sink. Just turn on the bathroom fan and run the water for a minute or two. The smell should be gone soon enough.

Answer 4

First of all Drano is the same thing just not as strong. Just rinse it really well, and be a little careful. The kids should be fine, just air it out. Next. Don't use it anymore....oh wait. If it isn't your house you don't have to worry. Any plumber will tell you that Drano and acid is bad for your pipes. It eats them away. Call a regular plumber if you ever have your own place. A drain snake is much better for your pipes (wow the sexual applications to what I just said...lol). Anyway, you should be fine. Good luck.

Answer 5

It's o.k. to use an acid to clear pipes as long as it has been thoroughly rinsed after wards. If you still smell the acid, run cold the water in the sink for about 10 minutes. Also check to be sure he didn't spill any elsewhere in the room.

Answer 6

That is better than Ecstasy...
Just kidding, the smell will go away, Drano by the way is also acid.

Answer 7

Drano has a mild acid in it also. This is a common practice, but repeated use is not good for pipes.

Answer 8

Running water works too. the other option is to use a Base to counter act the acid and smell. You might try baking soda solution as well.

Answer 9

i might call the plumber at present. curiously there's a hollow interior the piping someplace, and the sulfuric acid ought to have eaten by way of despite replaced into clogging that hollow. I doubt that it will end leaking via itself, to no longer point out that acid is possibly leaking into your kitchen at present.

Answer 10

run water till the smell goes away