You’ve been here before. The dirty dishwater doesn’t drain after you finish washing the dinnerware — water puddles around your ankles in the shower. Drain clogs abound, and you know one sure-fire way to resolve them: chemical plumbing liquids.
Are drain cleaners bad for pipes? Complete Comfort Heating, A/C & Plumbing Repair’s trusted plumber in Bloomington, IN, explores the answer below. Spoiler alert: You might want to reach for something else next time your plumbing fixtures are slowly emptying.
How Are Drain Cleaners Bad for Pipes?
More property owners in Bloomington, Indiana, are discovering that drain cleaners harm their plumbing systems. But did you know these products carry other risks? Let’s explore how and why liquid plumbing solutions do more harm than good below.
Plumbing Damage
Many store-bought drain cleaners carry a significant corrosion risk. After all, manufacturers formulate them to eat through various materials stuck in the drains. These concoctions don’t discriminate between the clog and your pipe material.
They can quickly cause PVC damage to the average indoor plumbing pipe. Although metal can better withstand the caustic chemicals, it can eventually succumb to them. You inadvertently shorten your pipe network’s lifespan with each pour.
Personal Injuries
Are drain cleaners bad for pipes? Yes, and they are also hazardous to you. One small mistake, like pouring the fluid in the wrong place, can lead to painful chemical burns on your skin. That’s not all; a drain cleaning solution can also:
- It makes you go blind if it splashes in your eye.
- Cause respiratory issues if you accidentally breathe in the fumes.
- Negatively impact your immune system.
And that’s just what happens if an adult uses the product properly but makes a mistake. Imagine if a small child or animal accesses it. You must keep these formulas out of reach and under lock and key to protect vulnerable individuals.
Environmental Harm
A chemical drain cleaner’s effects typically travel further than your home or business. It may have a significant environmental impact that harms local waterways before emptying into the ocean. The liquid inevitably travels through your municipal sewer system and into a nearby lake, river, or stream.
Where does local water eventually flow? Into the sea. The corrosive chemicals can kill aquatic bacteria, plants, and animals as they travel, reaping ecological imbalance wherever they go.
What Can I Safely Use for My Plumbing in Bloomington, Indiana?
Next time water pools in your sink or tub, don’t reach for the drain cleaner first. Try one of these alternative methods for drain cleaning and maintenance. Many Bloomington plumbers can vouch for these suggestions. All you need are a few household ingredients and some consistency.
Boiling Water
Scalding water does the job well without causing pipe weakening or environmental harm. Just be careful when pouring it into your drains. It’s a simple process:
- Boil a pot of water.
- Pour the boiling water into each drain.
- Repeat steps two and three as needed.
This keeps your drains clear and the water moving.
Vinegar and Baking Soda
Are drain cleaners bad for pipes? Not this one! You can make your own drain cleaner by:
- Pouring one part baking soda down your drain.
- Following the powder with one part white vinegar.
- Use some boiling water if the above recipe doesn’t fully wipe out the clog.
- Applying this recipe to every household drain.
You can prime your clogged drains by pouring hot water into them first. It’ll loosen or melt the debris so the baking soda and vinegar can quickly work.
At-Home Plumbing Tools
Some blockages are just hairy. We’re talking about those sludgy, stringy monstrosities in your bathroom sink or shower. You can combat these with a drain snake.
A drain snake is a length of plastic or metal with prongs on either side. You slide the snake into the clogged drain. Then, you gently tug it up and out. The prongs catch and pull the hair with it.
You can also purchase plungers for stubborn, stuck clogs you can’t reach. Most home improvement stores carry versions for sinks and toilets. Just align the rubber cup to cover the drain, push downward, and lift the plunger.
Both tools are affordable, user-friendly, and safe for you, your plumbing, and the environment. Combine them with the other methods described above, and you should be able to keep wastewater flowing freely.
Can I Prevent Drain Clogs in the First Place?
Of course, prevention is the best cure for most household problems. You can keep most drain debris from entering the drain pipes in the first place. All you need is:
- Drain strainers: You can find strainers designed for showers or sinks. They catch hair, small bits of food, and other debris before it falls into your drains.
- Monthly drain treatments: Squeeze about a half-cup to a cup of Dawn dish soap down your drains. Let the product sit for half an hour, and then flush the drain with boiling water.
- Awareness and caution: Be more mindful about what escapes into your drainage system. Throw paper and hygiene products into trash cans and empty kitchen grease into a designated grease container.
Should I Ever Use Drain Cleaners?
It’s best to avoid chemical drain cleaners altogether. But if you already have a bottle locked away in your uppermost cabinet, only use it when the above methods don’t work and use it as sparingly as possible.
If you want to keep a drain cleaning product on hand, purchase an enzymatic drain cleaner next time. They aren’t as impactful or dangerous as chemical formulas and provide similar results. If our recommendations and a single drain cleaning dose don’t work, call us for assistance.
Trust Complete Comfort Heating, A/C & Plumbing Repair with Clog Removal and Other Plumbing Services in Bloomington, Indiana
Are drain cleaners bad for pipes? Yes, they are incredibly harmful. When you use them sparingly, you do your part in preventing pipes from bursting, protecting the environment, and taking better care of yourself. Let Complete Comfort Heating, A/C & Plumbing Repair handle the most stubborn blockages with drain cleaning services in Bloomington, Indiana.