Enzyme product recommendation.

[Pippin]

I am looking for recommendations on an enzyme treatment product for eating up pipe sludge buildup.

I have heard these products can vary in number and type of enzymes contained in them and overall effectiveness so any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Terry]

Bio-Clean is what I'm using.
The stuff is so safe, you can eat out of the container, and yet it gits rid of the grease in the pipes.
It won't be eating the bottom of your pipes

If the lines are plugged up, you still may need to snake the lines, or if you have hair in them.
It takes time for the product to work.

[mikept]

I once had a slow drain turn into a clog after using a bacterial drain cleaner. I think it might have eaten the scum and freed the hair to travel further and fully clog the sink. Who knows.

[Terry]

I think it might have eaten the scum and freed the hair to travel further and fully clog the sink.

That could happen.
They recommend that you start on the lower pipes first, and then work your way up.
I was putting some in one house for a while, and when I finally snaked the lav drain, the snake come back clean.
I hadn't seen that before. With most drains, you pull back some gnarly looking goo.

[MG]

Terry - how long does that stuff keep? We bought our house 9+ years ago. There was a container of it in the house and I've been occasionally using it, but I don't recall seeing a "use by" date on it.

[Mike Swearingen]

I have been using a great enzyme-based drain cleaner for years called DrainCare.
You just run warm water in the drain, pour in the DrainCare per directions, let it eat overnight and then flush it down with hot water. I always start the flushing process with a kettle of boiling water. Leaves the pipes clean as a whistle.
It eats out all organic gunk, grease, hair, soap scum, etc., and easily opens up hard to snake drains like bathtubs. It won't harm your fixtures or pipes at all.
Any time that any drain gets sluggish, I hit it with DrainCare and it opens right up. Sometimes, if someone has a badly clogged drain, they may have to use it more than once, but it always works.
It is much safer than Drano and other dangerous caustic chemicals, which I have not used in years after I discovered DrainCare (available at big box stores, etc.)
Good Luck!
Mike

[Pippin]

That could happen.
They recommend that you start on the lower pipes first, and then work your way up.

How do you work on the lower pipes first?

[mikept]

start at the lowest fixture in your house. Give it time to work then later go to the next highest drain etc till your at the highest.