Chances are you have experienced a clogged drain at least once in your life. We all know the inconvenience, the frustration, and the occasional nastiness that comes along with this predicament. That’s exactly why, when faced with this issue, you may jump straight to look for that quick fix. That over the counter chemical drain cleaner who has been advertised to us as a fix-all for years and years. Unfortunately, this seemingly easy solution can actually do more harm than good. Before you make the rash decision to pour chemicals down your drain pipes, keep in mind these 6 often overlooked truths about a store bought drain cleaners.
1. CHEMICAL DRAIN CLEANER IS DANGEROUS TO CHILDREN
If you have children and pets around your Tacoma home, you need to keep in mind that these chemical drain cleaners are a huge danger to them. No matter how responsible you are as a parent or pet owner, the use of over the counter drain cleaners with always leave the potential to expose your children and pets to dangerous chemicals. The only 100% foolproof way to prevent this is to keep your home free of chemical drain cleaners all together.
2. CHEMICAL DRAIN CLEANER IS DANGEROUS TO YOU!
In an ideal world, a clogged drain could be solved simply by pouring something down your drain, and forgetting about the whole thing. This is, however, not the case at all. All of these chemical drain cleaners contain specific instructions for use that are often overlooked. This can be a dangerous mistake, as with these products, there are always reminders to use in a well-ventilated area, keep away from children and pets, never mix drain cleaners, always use gloves, and never use with a plunger. Failing to pay attention to these safety reminders can leave you with much bigger problems than clogged drains.
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3. CHEMICAL DRAIN CLEANER IS BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
A huge problem with an over the counter drain cleaner is the chemicals they contain. Most of these cleaners contain chemicals like bleach that cannot only cause toxic fumes, but can also leach into the water supply. Another thing, for those who have septic systems, is that dumping chemical cleaners into your drain means it will go into your septic. That means that anything you dump into your drain has a potential to be absorbed into the groundwater around your home.
4. STORE BOUGHT DRAIN CLEANER MAY CAUSE CHEMICAL REACTIONS
If you have been relying on chemical drain cleaners to solve your problems, odds are you have not been keeping track of which ones or how many or often they are used. Use of more than one type of chemical drain cleaner can result in chemical reactions within your pipes. Again, due to the different types of chemicals in these cleaners, you never really know what type of reaction you might get. Some of these cleaners contain bleach. Others contain ammonia. If these two were to mix, it would result in a chemical reaction that would release toxic fumes into the air.
5. CHEMICAL DRAIN CLEANERS ARE NOT VERY EFFECTIVE
We’ve all seen the commercials and read the ads about how effective over the counter drain cleaners can be. The truth is that these types of drain cleaners cannot solve every type of clog. For example, if your clog is called by a collapsed line or damaged pipe, a chemical cleaner will not be able to help you at all. In fact, these cleaners can cause further damage. If you have a damaged pipe or a hole in your line, and you pour chemicals through your drain, you don’t really know where those chemicals are going to end up.
6. CHEMICAL DRAIN CLEANERS CAN CAUSE DAMAGE TO YOUR PIPES
Something you might not realize is that chemical drain cleaners actually rely on heat to remove possible causes of clogs. If your pipes are made of PVC, the heat generated by these drain cleaning products can cause them to soften. This damage is not just limited to newer pipes like PVC, but can also negatively affect older types of metal lines in the same way.
Really, your best bet for clearing a drain in a way that is both effective, and safe is to contact a professional. Here at Harts Plumbing, our skilled Tacoma drain clearing technicians are ready to be at your service no matter how severe the blockage. Just give a call to (253) 331-1206, and we will have someone out to you in no time!
