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Daily Discussion Thread: Mon 24 Jul 2023

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Since I'm in a cleaning mood I thought I'd share some hints for you so let's talk about drains. Now people will tell you just "pour some bi carb and vinegar down there and it'll unblock it. It works for me" and I say no. There's more to it.
Blocked drains: Step 1. Go outside and locate your overflow relief gully (org). It's usually located outside the toilet. Make sure there's nothing blocking it like leaves and shit.
Step 2: Buy a plunger and plunge the hell out of ALL your drains not just the one that's blocked.
Step3: Now pour some bi-carb and vinegar down ALL your drains. You might as well do them all at once. But add a big squirt of dishwashing liquid down with the bi-carb and vinegar. Plug all your drains. Including your shower just put a scrunched up wet towel over the hole. Close lids on toilets. Step 4: Go and make a coffee. You've earned it.
Step 5: Go and fill up all the bathtubs, sinks, basins, troughs, etc with cold water.
Step 6: Release the biggest one (usually the bathtub) and all the other sinks and basins. Flush all the toilets. This causes pressure in all your pipes dislodging anything that might be blocking a pipe. I call this "El flusho" and it's quite fun. Please note: Keep the shower hole blocked with a wet towel otherwise you might have raw sewerage coming into your shower which ain't pretty.
Step 7: Do these steps on a regular basis (around every 6 months or so) to keep your pipes free. It'll save you time and money when your midnight shit doesn't go down and all of a sudden you've flooded the bathroom floor. Prevention is better than paying out $$$$$ for a plumber.
Smelly drains: The most underrated chemical you can use for this is Cloudy Ammonia. Found on the bottom shelf in the cleaning aisle of the supermarket it's cheap and pretty harmless. Pour a half a bottle down a stinky pipe hole and let it sit. Repeat if necessary. The most common reason for funky pipes is stagnant water. Cloudy Ammonia will help this.
You are welcome people. ☺
- Step 1. Go outside
  Bull immediately plummets 11 storeys to his death
  
  Well if Bull does, Bull needs help. Please proceed to step 2.
  
  Poor Bull, cows can't go down stairs, only up. Must have been stuck up there for a while.
- Ammonia warning about mixing it with bleach. It produces Phosgene gas aka Mustard Gas which will totally ruin your souffle.
  
  Phosgene isn’t mustard gas. Phosgene is COCl₂ – it works by disrupting the blood-air barrier, eventually causing pulmonary edema. You won’t produce that by mixing ammonia with chlorine bleach.
  Mixing ammonia with chlorine bleach can potentially produce nitrogen mustards. These work by producing cyclic aminium ions, and are cytotoxic.
  Note that it’s an incredibly bad idea to mix ammonia and chlorine bleach, but it’s still better to avoid misconceptions about chemistry.
- NOTE: there are different types of plungers for sink drains, floor drains, and toilets. One size does not fit all.
  
  That's true. I have 3 of various sizes.
- Don’t bother with the sort of plunger that Rayman fires at things. Go straight to the accordion type.
- Thanks for the tip, particularly re ammonia. Whenever the kitchen drain gets stinky I’ve been pulling the pipes underneath apart and cleaning them. I like your method much better
- Would it be easier to just melt whatever is blocking your drain with lye?
  
  That’s what I was thinking. Draino works a treat. If it’s tree roots though causing it you are fucked.
  
  You could but I wouldn't use caustic soda in my pipes. A bit of overkill and it may not work everytime.

305 comments