Say "No" to Liquid Drain Cleaners!

So you’ve got a pesky clog in your sink or shower drain. How obnoxious. But rather than call a plumber, you may be tempted to try to resolve the issue yourself. That’s fine—there are many different ways to do so. However, it’s strongly advised you think twice before purchasing a liquid drain cleaner. While these solutions may appear to be great when standing in the plumbing aisle at your local home improvement store, what you may not realize is just how much these solutions can cost in the long run.

Chemical Damage to Your Pipes

The average drain cleaner is a nasty concoction of chemicals that are designed to “eat away” at the clog in your drain in order to dislodge it and allow it to flow away, thus getting rid of the problem. In theory, this is smart, but what most people don’t realize is that the clog isn’t the only thing a drain cleaner eats away at. Your pipes themselves will also start to degrade from these chemicals, and older pipes, such as cast iron, are even more susceptible to this damage. Even if you have fresh, new copper pipes that are just a few years old, you could be doing immense damage to them with a drain cleaner.

Dangerous to Use

The chemical combinations found in liquid drain cleaners are actually dangerous and can be harmful if you come into contact with them. These substances are extremely corrosive, and even a slight contact on bare skin can result in serious, painful chemical burns. But what’s worse is that the fumes these chemicals put off can also be harmful to your health if you breathe them in. This means you’ll need to wear latex gloves, eye protection, and even breathing protection in order to give yourself the best chance at safety.

Temporary Repairs

A liquid drain cleaner may get your sink flowing again smoothly, but did it actually solve the problem? You could find that within just a few weeks or even just a few days, the clog has returned and you have a slow or backed-up drain yet again. This is because the chemical cleaner didn’t remove the whole problem, just made a large enough gap in the clog to alleviate the pressure temporarily.

Furthermore, what if you have a problem further down, such as in your main sewer line? These chemicals aren’t strong enough to remove giant clogs, especially ones located hundreds of feet further away from your sink. You’ll need a sewer line clearing service to effectively remove these issues, and instead the whole time your drain cleaner will sit in your plumbing and eat away at your pipes.