Will muriatic acid unclog a drain?

Answer 1

I have had a "Gi-Normous" clog in my kitchen sink now for three days! Tried Drain-o, many hours of both plunging and snaking and finally several people mentioned using Muriatic Acid with great results. I was a bit reluctant at first but the clog was beginning to un-nerve me- plus it was amazing the things that I could NOT do without my sink- so down the drain I poured maybe 2-3 cups of Muriatic Acid and waited anxiously - saw a few vapors rise from the drain, heard gurgling noises then---- nothing! Waited a few hours then upon advice from another poured boiling water into the drain (must be very careful not to splash any up on you as the M-Acid is extremely dangerous)- boiling water does little other than rise the level of the standing water. Finally!!!! After 9 hours I hear one side gurgling very loudly and foam and bubbles begin to appear-- I thought to myself "wow, the clog must be really far down the pipeline and the acid is just now reaching the clog after 9 hours! So I stared at the gurgling drain with more interest than I have had in any movie I have seen recently - then I yelled for my husband to come and look the water it was subsiding-- "We did it!!" I exclaimed - You see 30 minutes after the clog first appeared my husband suggested calling a plumber - I have spent many hours watching DIY network and insisted that we could do it ourselves and save a bundle- and now FINALLY, I have my proof. I needed him to see it, to witness it- to you know look at me lovingly and say, "Gee Honey, you were right, again" maybe even a pat on the back. My husband joins me to watch the excitement of the subsiding water then our sock feet become wet and cold- there was water coming from under my sink!!! Yes, my drain was draining, but it had nothing to do with the clog- but the acid had eaten holes (yes, plural) in the casing of my garbage disposal- so after running to Lowes to purchase a new garbage disposal I returned to the house and made the call and I sit here (together with the clog) now on day 3 waiting for the plumber to arrive.

So in closing, I do not recommend using Muriatic Acid in your drain. Karen - Memphis, TN

Answer - You might have better results taking off the u-turn in the Plumbing under the sink and cleaning that out.