What exactly is it?, People in Shanghai are frequently deceived! Citizens | Personnel | Shanghai with tens of thousands of yuan in "pipeline dredging agents"

Citizens were blocked in their homes and contacted "professional dredgers" through the Internet platform. After the relevant personnel come to the door, it is recommended to use the "unblocking agent". After pouring a few or even dozens of bottles into the pipeline, it seems that the pipeline is unblocked, but the fee is "expensive" - ranging from thousands to tens of thousands.

For a period of time, there have been constant instances of citizens encountering "exorbitant laxatives". According to police reports, in most cases, it is illegal elements who falsely report prices and forcibly buy and sell "unblocking agents". But some citizens are also puzzled: what exactly is the "unblocking agent" used by criminals?

Strong alkaline corrosion, not suitable for all sewers

The investigation found that the actual retail price of a bottle of "unblocking agent" offered by criminals for hundreds of yuan is only a few tens of yuan at most.

On e-commerce platforms, searching with the keyword "pipeline unblocking agent" results in a dazzling array of products from different brands. In addition to bottled products, there are also powdered products. However, whether it is domestic or imported, whether it is a well-known brand or a small business brand, the selling price will not exceed 100 yuan, most of which are between 10 yuan and 40 yuan, and the cheapest powder unblocking agent is only a few yuan.

All kinds of unblocking agents, none of which cost more than 100 yuan

As for the components of these unblocking agents, they are generally a combination of strong alkaline and strong oxidizing agents, such as sodium hydroxide, sodium percarbonate, aluminum powder, etc. According to customer service, the working principle of a unblocking agent is to react with strong alkali and water to generate heat and corrosive liquid. The strong pressure brought by the heat can flush away the blockage, while the corrosive liquid can dissolve the debris blocking the pipeline, ultimately achieving the effect of unblocking the pipeline.

The introduction of unblocking agents by different customer service representatives is roughly the same

Most customer service representatives say that for common pipeline dredging needs, one bottle of dredging agent is sufficient, and there is no need to pour dozens of bottles in a row. However, when in use, it is necessary to stay for a period of time after pouring the unblocking agent, and then rinse with hot water to exert its effect.

However, this type of dredging agent is not suitable for all pipelines, and it cannot be used for easily corroded pipelines such as hoses and aluminum pipes.

In addition, the heat generated by the chemical reaction between the dredging agent and water may cause liquid splashing, so safety should be taken into consideration when using it.

Professional repairman: It is recommended not to use it, but rather to address the root cause

"It is not recommended to use unblocking agents. On the one hand, these solvents are corrosive and have a certain impact on various pipelines, but their sizes may vary. On the other hand, using unblocking agents is a temporary solution rather than a root cause solution. To unblock pipelines, it is necessary to first understand the root cause of blockages." Cheng Liufeng, the maintenance team leader of Xufang Housing Maintenance and Emergency Repair Center, has 13 years of maintenance experience and receives many daily repair reports related to pipeline blockages. He said that unblocking agents are not the best choice to solve blockages, and there are certain risks when used, so they will only use unblocking agents when strongly requested by citizens.

Some customer service representatives also acknowledge that some pipes cannot be used with such products

From a normal maintenance process perspective, professional maintenance personnel will first determine the blockage point and the cause of the blockage. In the home environment, there are differences in the blockage of different parts: the blockage of the bathroom drain is mainly caused by hair, toilet paper, cloth, etc; In addition to toilet paper and daily necessities, there may also be children's toys when the toilet is blocked; Kitchen sewers are often dominated by kitchen waste, oil stains, and more. There are different disposal methods for these different blockages, including using specific tools to remove blockages, crushing blockages, and so on.

In addition, some citizens have encountered "sky high prices of laxatives" because unscrupulous individuals have falsely reported prices - inflating the most expensive laxatives at just a few tens of yuan per bottle for over 100 yuan or even hundreds of yuan; It is also related to the misuse of laxatives by criminals. Most unblocking agents need to be diluted before use, and usually one bottle cannot be used up at a time. It is impossible to use more than ten or even dozens of bottles continuously.

Cheng Liufeng said that the more unblocking agents there are, the more effective they are. "For example, if the toilet in a first floor resident's home is blocked, the blockage point may be indoors or outdoors in the main pipe. At this time, pouring 10 bottles of unblocking agents into the toilet indoors cannot solve the problem. The key is to find the blockage point and cause, and prescribe the right medicine."

From the perspective of economic expenditure, the fees charged by the "regular army" are also much more reasonable. Usually, the "regular army" is clearly priced and there will be no "sky high price diversion". For example, the on-site fee for Xufang Housing Maintenance and Emergency Repair Center in this area is 20 yuan, and the dredging fee is 80 yuan per location; A property management company in a certain residential area in Jing'an District has dedicated maintenance workers, and the cost of each dredging is also within 100 yuan.

It can be seen that if citizens encounter sewage blockage, they should try to seek help from the "regular army" to avoid being deceived.

There are these reliable repair methods

So, where is the "regular army"?

It is understood that community property, property service hotline 962121 and WeChat official account "Shanghai Property" can help to find the nearest "regular army".

The reporter, as an ordinary citizen, dialed the 962121 hotline for consultation and found that the hotline has been merged into the 12345 Citizen Service Hotline, both of which can provide services to citizens.

The operator of the 962121 hotline stated that after receiving a repair report from a citizen, they will dispatch an order to the local property of the citizen, and the property will contact the maintenance personnel to provide on-site service as soon as possible. The operator of the 12345 hotline also said that they will dispatch the repair information from citizens, and the relevant units will contact the repair person within one working day.

WeChat official account "Shanghai Property" provides online repair service

In addition, due to the uneven quality of online "communication personnel/maintenance personnel" services, it is recommended to choose carefully through the internet.

The reporter found that, in addition to the "exorbitant facilitation fees", there were also "exorbitant leak prevention fees" in the market - some citizens found water leaks in their homes and found "maintenance personnel" through the Internet, who said they could make holes in the tiles and inject leak proof glue. But it often uses dozens of bottles of glue and is priced at tens of thousands of yuan. Sometimes, citizens who spend money not only fail to solve the problem, but also experience water leakage and backflow. And this result is also related to "maintenance personnel" falsely reporting prices and engaging in illegal operations.

It can be seen that to avoid these traps, citizens should seek help from "regular soldiers" when they need various repairs. If selecting through the internet, it is necessary to check the qualifications, evaluations, and pricing list of the service provider, and pay attention to retaining and collecting evidence during the service process. In case of disputes, complaints and reports can be made based on this.