The drains.

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I have been working with the baking soda and vinegar scheme, followed by boiling water.  The first attempt was very mild.  Not much baking soda would fit down the tube on the tub.  The second time was a little better.  Finally I was able to get a full cup of the stuff in.  Each time followed by vinegar and hot water, boiling or what had just been boiling.  It is running a bit better, but that isn't quite enough.  I am pretty sure there isn't a way for roots to have torn into the piping, so I'm not really sure what else might be the problem.

The bathroom sink drain seems to be running faster, though, too.  Just not all that much faster.  In the short test runs I did with it, on the good side, the flow didn't just stop.  I have been having to pump the mechanized plug handle, allowing air in, or the drain process would just stop.  It might sit for days, as if I was in a hurry to get out, or something else and just left it, water could stay until I pumped it out.  I have been trying to remove the plug from the bar mechanism.  I've not ever actually done that before... or at least never learned how you are supposed to do it.  I would like to run some of this gunk down several other drains... bathroom and kitchen sinks, at least, as well as the tub.  Just in case those have separate build-ups, or can attack a main one from different angles.  All experimental, you know.

Just following up on an idea I had heard, and then shown, now that I have the materials to tinker.  After I finish with that for the day, I might get eggs to boiling and finish pickling the last two half gallon jars of the stuff.  My first batch of those should be ready on the 3rd, but I'll wait until the 4th to try one.  Over-engineer, then you can coast.  Or... that's my theory.

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Another hit on the tub.  This time, before adding hot water which I still haven't done, I listened.  It sounded like the vinegar and baking soda were still working.  Then it fizzled out.  I added more vinegar, let it drain, and... it started reacting again, further along.  I kept that process up until I needed to sit a bit.  A half crouch for an half hour gets to the knees and calves.  A bit of a break and I'm going to hit it again, with more vinegar.  If need be, I'll add more baking soda.  I'll be working this until it seems to have opened up.  I supposed, depending on how long your drain pipe is, or how blocked up it is, this process might just take... a while.  It sure sounds like the fizzing is moving deeper and deeper, the vinegar takes longer to reach the stuff to begin the reaction again.  I have to wonder how long the drain pipe is though?  No, I'm not hooked to main sewer.  I have a septic tank... somewhere.  I expect it would fizz in there, too, and I would hear it, but it would sound different than fizzing in a pipe, and it wouldn't keep getting more distant.  Can barely hear it at this point.

If at first you don't succeed, more vinegar I guess, and patience.  But... I am excited.  This really might be all that was needed.  Thankfully I bought way more baking soda than I thought I would need for this, since I wanted extra around for... well... baking.  And I vastly overestimated how much vinegar I would need for pickling the eggs, though wanted some extra of that around too.  All good.  Back to my experiment after a spot of coffee and some music.  When I hear something different, then I'll pour the two or three gallons of water I boiled down the tube.  Hopefully that will finish clearing the pipes, wash anything extra down, and moderate the vinegar and dissolve the baking soda... or spread it out.  Who knows.