Concrete Dissolver for Drains Effectively Removes Unwanted Concrete
Wondering how to dissolve concrete in a drain pipe? Using a concrete dissolver for drains is the best way to fix many mistakes made during construction. Construction workers are often under tremendous pressure to stay on schedule to finish a project, and unfortunately, things get overlooked, and mistakes are made. These mistakes sometimes include concrete finding its way into unwanted places like sewer pipes.
Croc Crete concrete mortar dissolver is professionally developed to soften and dissolve concrete, making it easy to remove from unwanted places. This powerful solution attacks concrete at its core, breaking it down into a sand slurry form and allowing it to be cleaned away using a water jet or a wet/dry vac. It’s that easy.
How Does Cement Block a Drain?
During renovations or home repairs, sometimes cement accidentally finds its way into the drains. The cement mixture seeps into the drainage system and settles to the bottom of the pipes where it hardens. This likely occurs in the area where the concrete was introduced into the PVC pipes. As a result, water moves more slowly through the pipes, or the flow may be completely stopped.
In some cases, the blockage is small enough that it’s not noticeable right away. But over time, other particles cling to the concrete and slowly build up, clogging the drain until it backs up. Homeowners try to unclog the drain, and it might work with limited success. Eventually, the pipes become damaged from repeated clearing of the blockages, and once the pipe is broken, you will have much bigger problems to deal with, like breaking up the floor to replace the section of broken and clogged pipe. So, what will dissolve concrete?
How to Clear Cement Blockage From a Drainage System
Clearing concrete from the drainage system before it has cured is the best-case scenario. Of course, that’s only if you realize that it has happened, and you then take immediate action to employ a high-pressure jetting rig and the skilled techs to operate it and remove the concrete before it cures. Since that is rarely the case, we’ll look at some methods that dissolve concrete in pipes once it has hardened.
Use Croc Crete to Remove Hardened Cement
This is the best method of removing hardened concrete from a drainage system. Croc Crete is a cement softener that attacks concrete at its core. It breaks down concrete into sand and aggregate, allowing you to flush it from the drain. This product is the best on the market, it actually works, and it is suitable for residential and commercial applications. So, it’s safe for sewage and septic systems.
The following methods are not as effective. They also risk expensive damage to the pipes.
Plumber’s Snake
This is a common method used by plumbers to clear the drainage system from normal clogs, but it is not very effective in clearing concrete from the pipe. If a snake is used in an attempt to remove concrete from the pipe and since concrete is usually harder than the material the pipe is made from,(PVC, cast iron, clay, or copper), there is a high probability that the snake may jam into the concrete and break the pipe or hang up and snap off in the pipe creating a much bigger problem.
This is the usual scenario: Concrete or mortar ends up in a drain for one reason or another, a clog forms, and the drain backs up. The homeowner uses a plunger to attempt to clear the clog, which, depending on the type of clog, may or may not be met with success. Next, they call a plumber if the plunger doesn't work. A plumber comes in and runs their snake down the drain. If they are lucky, they work the soft clog until it is broken up and cleared, and if they are not so lucky, then while they are working the clog, the snake breaks the pipe or breaks off in the pipe and is now stuck in the drain with the cable sticking through the side of the pipe they just broke, which happens to be located under the concrete slab. Now, they have much bigger problems to deal with.
The other problem is that even if the plumber’s snake clears the soft clog created from the concrete blockage and the flow is partially restored, the clog will just happen again until the underlying cause of the clog (in this case, concrete) is eliminated.
High-Pressure Drain Jetting
Jetting the concrete out of the pipe will only be successful if the concrete has not hardened yet, and the appropriate jetting equipment and skilled techs are employed to handle such a job. When jetting hardened concrete, here is what usually happens: High-pressure jetting blasts water through the pipes in hopes of breaking up the hardened cement. It can be effective in some cases if the concrete is weak and cured in a diluted state, but in other cases, when the concrete is strong and solid, the water does not break up the concrete and the water pressure ends up breaking or blowing a hole in the pipe, thus resulting in an even bigger problem to deal with. This is where we run into the problem of the concrete being harder and tougher than the pipe itself, and in the end, the pipe loses.
In short, in certain situations, if you are lucky, high-pressure water jet blasting might work on removing weak, thin, and diluted concrete deposits. But, more often than not,if the concrete deposit is thick and cured, then a broken pipe is going to be the result. If this method of using high-pressure water is utilized, then extreme caution is recommended.
Using Acid to Clear Blockage
Acid has its place, and it is not inside a pipe. It belongs on the surface of a concrete driveway to be etched while getting ready to be painted, so that the paint will stick. Acid will remove a layer of cement off the surface of the concrete and stop working. Acid put in a pipe to remove concrete will remove a surface layer, and then gel up and stop working.
Replace the Affected Pipe
If the pipe filled with concrete is easy to access, then replacing it might be the most appropriate and cost-effective option on this list. This is rare, but it does happen (such as when you install a fence in the front yard and drill through the sewer line and then pour concrete to anchor the posts and some of that concrete ends up in the pipe); however, in most situations, the concrete enters the plumbing piping from in the house, through the shower, toilet flange, sink, or vent pipe. All of these entrance points for concrete to enter are connected to piping inside the home that is located under a concrete slab (in most cases), and this would make pipe replacement the last option. If, though, the house is pier and beam with a crawl space and the pipes are accessible, then replacement may be the most cost-effective option. Every plumbing problem is different, so the appropriate solution should be selected based on what's best for the customer.
How to Use a Concrete Dissolver for Drains
Don’t panic if your pipes get clogged with concrete from a mishap. There are several steps you can take to get rid of concrete. Replacing pipes is expensive, so follow these tips before taking that drastic step.
If the concrete is fresh and not cured, then flush the drains with water as best as you can and flush a lot. Concrete is heavy and dense, and water will just flow over the concrete, so you need a nozzle with high pressure aimed at the concrete to dig in, stir the concrete, dilute the Portland cement binding agent, and allow the sand to flush away. If you can locate a plumber with a jetting rig and sewer cameras to jet the line and remove uncured concrete, then this may solve or reduce the severity of the problem, if it’s done before the concrete has a chance to harden. Flushing the drain is the least expensive option. But it only works immediately after the mishap when the concrete hasn’t cured yet.
If the concrete has already hardened, depending on the situation, mechanical tools might be able to remove it. Professionals should have access to the right tools. Plus, they have the expertise. The problem is that this method can damage the pipes and lead to expensive repairs. If you try to use mechanical tools, know when to stop, or be prepared to deal with replacing broken pipes.
Using a concrete dissolver for drains is the best solution since it won’t destroy the sewer pipe as long as the PVC or cast iron is in good shape. A concrete dissolver will convert concrete back to a slurry of sand and aggregate. The drain is then flushed of the concrete slurry using water. This is the safest solution for the pipes and is a no-brainer when you consider the negatives of the other options.
Croc Crete is the best concrete dissolver for drains. Contact us today to learn more. Croc Crete is for professional use only. Homeowners should not try using this solution.
The image below shows how Croc Crete is able to clear concrete blockages in sewer pipes.
