(Product Review) Liquid-Plumr Double Impact Snake and Gel System

Liquid-Plumr Double Impact Snake and Gel System Review

Liquid-Plumr Double Impact Snake and Gel System

Reviewed by kelly60 on 2013-01-12

Product Rating: 5

Community Rating: Very Helpful

Pros: Disposable snake included, effective, pours through standing water, easy to use, guaranteed, recyclable packaging

Cons: Costs a bit more than some of the others, but definitely worth the difference.

Summary: Recommended for stubborn clogs in all sinks and tubs.

From time to time we all eventually need to deal with a clogged drain. Finding a product that works well can sometimes be a daunting task. After experimenting with several products and various results over the years, I decided to try something new this time around.

My kitchen sink drain clogged a couple of weeks ago. After using a less expensive product to clear the drain, we did manage to get it draining, even though the water drained a bit slower than we would have liked. Unfortunately, the other product must not have cleared the clog very well because it was only a short time before the water stopped draining again.

This time I picked up a bottle of Liquid-Plumr Double Impact Snake and Gel System to see if this product would do a better job of clearing my drain. One of the things that drew me to purchasing this product was the packaging. This drain cleaner comes in a silver colored plastic bottle that is easy to grip. It has a long narrow neck with a larger base. The thing that really caught my attention though is that there is a small disposable drain snake included in the package.

I had noticed what appears to be a similar drain snake in the "as seen on tv" products a while back and wondered if they would work. I hadn't ordered one, but this reminds me of one of those. In any case, the snake 23 inches long and is red in color. It has two loops at the top for easy gripping, a pointed end to help it break through clogs, and barbs along the sides to help it catch whatever is blocking your pipes. It is made of a flexible plastic material so it bends easily to go around the curves of your pipes with just a bit of encouragement. I did reach one bend that took a bit of jiggling to get through, probably due to the snake being coiled up like a hose. It only took a minute or two though, and I managed to maneuver the snake around the corner. From there on, it was smooth sailing.

Liquid-Plumr Double Impact Snake and Gel System states that it is guaranteed to clear clogs the first try. It also claims that it works well even in standing water and that it also works well on slow drains, and even to keep your drains from clogging. You can go to their website to download a form for the warranty if needed, although I did not have a need for this.

According to the directions, you should use the snake first. When snaking your drain, just slide the tip of the snake through the hole in the drain of your sink or bathtub. This is not made for, and should not be used on toilets or garbage disposals. The snake is narrow enough that it should easily fit into just about any drain, and worked quite well on my kitchen sink as well as my bathtub drain. Slide the snake in as far as you can, then gently glide it up and down to break through the clog. As you slide the snake in and out, the barbs will catch excess hair, gunk, or other debris that is left in your pipes, so when you pull the snake out of the drain, it really isn't a pretty site. When used in my kitchen drain the barbs were covered with black gunk when I pulled it back out. Using it in the bathtub added hair to the gunky mess. In any case, once you have finished snaking the drain, simply toss the messy snake into the trash. Personally, I found it easy enough to wash off the worst of the gunk and reuse the snake to remove a partial hair clog in my bathtub drain before disposal though. This is a matter of personal preference, but these are intended as disposable tools.

After the snaking is done, you should pour the entire contents of the bottle into the drain. The product is a gel, which will quickly sink to the bottom of the drain, even through standing water. I like this feature because even though I generally bail most of the water from my sinks before trying this type of product, it isn't always possible to get all of the water out.

In this instance, the snake was all it really took to get the water flowing, although I still used the product to speed things along and move whatever was clogging the drain on down through the pipes. I would hate to think that I just pushed the clog further down so that it would re-clog later. Anyway, I followed the directions and carefully poured the contents into my drain, being cautious not to splash the gel. It went down into the drain where I allowed it to work for just over the 15 minutes the directions call for. The directions state that it can also be left overnight if desired, which is good to know since I generally wait until just before bed to do this type of task. This wasn't a problem this time though since the snake had the water moving already.

The final step of the process is to flush the drain with hot water. I turned on the faucet and allowed it to run for several minutes to be sure it was thoroughly flushed. It worked like a charm, my sink was now draining freely. There was no sign that the drain had ever been running slow, let alone completely clogged.


Warnings:
Keep out of reach of children and pets. Harmful if swallowed. Avoid skin contact. Avoid splashing. Clean up any spills immediately. Not for use in garbage disposals or toilets. Do not mix with other chemicals. Snake should be used before the chemical product only. In case of accidental ingestion drink a full glass of water and contact your doctor or poison control center immediately. For eye contact, flush with water for 15 minutes. For skin exposure, wash immediately to avoid chemical burns. Most of this is typical for such products, and you should always check the label if in doubt.

Ingredients:
sodium hypochlorite, sodium hydroxide, biodegradable surfactant, and sodium silicate (corrosion inhibitor). Contains no phosphorus.

The manufacturer states that this product is great for attacking stubborn clogs or maintaining squeaky-clean pipes. They also tell us that it is safe for all septic systems and pipes, including PVC, plastic, copper, and old pipes. I can tell you that I was very impressed by it. I have tried many different products over the years and never found one that worked as well as this.



Originally published on Epinions.
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