A safe way to clear out constricted pipes

Q. You have recommended a product called Aquadene to clear out water pipes that are constricted by impurities in the water. Would Aquadene flush out scale in hot-water pipes in our house located in Massachusetts? Dangerous corrosive acids have been suggested but we hesitate to use them. Frank Wilder San Francisco

A. Aquadene is indeed a product that can be safely used to clear out corrosion in hot-water pipes.

A company called Hot Water Plus, located on Long Island, New York, uses sonic vibration in cleaning out corroded water pipes.

Workers appear with a small compressor and a "little black box" which is attached to the washing-room faucet. It then is plugged into an electric outlet. The shower faucet is opened and the gunk comes streaming out.

We picked up this information from a letter in the Monitor on March 9 last year which was written by Warren H. Fitzer who lives near Jones Beach, Long Island, not far from the maze of high-rise towers on Manhattan. It sounds like a dandy process.