Ok, so as you noted at the end, sulfuric acid was a bad idea for the pipes.
The problem you will quickly run into is that you poored many chemicals in your pipe, so new chemicals might react with them. It is especially dangerous when you mix bleach and acid, as that can make deadly combat gas (I don’t remember exactly what produces what, but as a rule, avoid cooking various chemicals together, it’s very dangerous).
Bleach is not a dissolvant, it’s a disinfectant. It’s of no use to free a pipe.
To my limited knowledge, the best chemicals are acid chlorhydric or soda. Never ever use both. acid chlorhydric might be bad for the pipes though, so soda is usually better. Acid chlorhydric is best to remove limestone. Soda is best to remove biomater. Both of these are very cheap.
But you already poured chemicals in the pipe, so you need to clean that first. Have water flow in this for some time before you pour anything more into that.
PS: I forgot about the warning : working with chemicals is dangerous. Get gloves, and if possibles, glasses. A chemistry jacket would also protect your clothes, and sometimes your skin.
Ok, so as you noted at the end, sulfuric acid was a bad idea for the pipes.
Not exactly. The sulfuric acid likely solved my problem (in combination with a plunger). It overflowed a little & attacked radiator pipes due to me underestimating the foam expansion rate (user error - perhaps poured too fast), but AFAIK it did not harm the drain pipes. Sulfuric acid would not be a good early stage choice, but when most chemicals and techniques have been exhausted it’s one of the most effective options.
The problem you will quickly run into is that you poored many chemicals in your pipe, so new chemicals might react with them.
That’s good general advice. But note that my episode spans many weeks. I know not to mix them (acid & bleach in particular). Every chemical went in on a different day with a water flush in between (which often took ½ day or a full day).
Bleach is not a dissolvant, it’s a disinfectant. It’s of no use to free a pipe.
I’m a bit confused on this because many of the consumer grade drain cleaners seem to rely on bleach as the active ingredient. Some of them are simply “thick bleach” (in a gel form).
To my limited knowledge, the best chemicals are acid chlorhydric or soda. Never ever use both. acid chlorhydric might be bad for the pipes though, so soda is usually better. Acid chlorhydric is best to remove limestone. Soda is best to remove biomater. Both of these are very cheap.
Do you mean hydrochloric acid & caustic soda (aka sodium hydroxide/NaOH)?
The hair-specific drain cleaner I have is based on sodium hydroxide.
The 2-component one was based on sodium hydroxide & sodium hypochlorite (aka bleach). I don’t recall what the other cleaners were.
Another point of confusion: chemists told me consumer drain cleaners are useless against hair. Then I noticed hair-specific drain cleaners on the shelf, which somewhat supports the idea that universal/generic drain cleaners lack effect on hair. But then the hair-specific drain cleaner I bought only mentions sodium hydroxide as an active ingredient, and this is the same common ingredient in many non-specific drain cleaners.
Ok, so the names can be very confusing because they’re very different in my language.
Acid chlorhydric is indeed hydrochloric acid. HCl.
What I called soda is indeed caustic soda, or sodium hydroxide, NaOH.
Bleach for me is also sodium oxychlorid, NaClO.
The first 2 are meant to dissolve things. The third is disinfectant. Never use bleach with an acid, because it makes Cl2 which is a deadly gas (used in ww1). But apparently you know how to take safety precautions, which is good.
I don’t know for where you leave, but the only drain cleaners I ever used where based on caustic soda. You don’t always need it to be gel form. The gel form is meant to stay longer while falling along the pipe and is safer for the user because it doesn’t splash. To my limited knowledge, consumer drain cleaner will usually make the soda less dangerous or smell better, but also usually less concentrated.