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Drain Cleaning Chemicals: Good or Bad? A Simple Breakdown

plumber-fixing-pipes

We see drain-cleaning chemicals everywhere. They’re in hardware stores, grocery stores, and even at gas stations. They’re so easy to find that it’s pretty normal for our customers and neighbors to think that they’re handy, household tools to stock up on and use. That’s an assumption we don’t fault anyone for making.

But the truth is that these chemical solutions don’t work as well as you think they do, and they can actually cause more harm than good a lot of the time. They’re a convenient solution for a customer who doesn’t know what’s going on deep beneath the surface of their drain, but a little bit of information can change that.

The more you know about your drain and how these chemicals can affect it, the more likely you’ll be to avoid these products in the future and schedule drain cleaning in Marion, IA with us!

The Chemicals in Question

Many of our customers are familiar with these drain-cleaning chemicals. They have enticing names on the bottles with fun colors and little depictions of a cleaned drain, but the marketing departments are really doing all the heavy lifting here.

These chemicals are often acidic or caustic materials that promise to chemically react with whatever is clogging your drain to alleviate the issue. The problem is that this kind of chemical reaction can lead to a lot of unintended consequences. Let’s talk about two of the most problematic issues that come from using these chemicals.

Caustic or Acidic Results

Caustic or acidic chemicals are harsh, and they chemically react with any material they come in contact with–including your pipes. They’ll eat away at the lining of your pipes and sometimes cause leaks years before your plumbing system has worn down and needs to be replaced. This can be expensive to fix and cause serious concerns for you and your family.

Also, caustic or acidic materials like these chemicals can burn your body and cause serious health concerns when they come in contact with your eyes, nose, mouth, throat, or even your hands!

Terrible Fumes

Drains exist in rooms that we use a lot, like kitchens and bathrooms. Any solution that aims to alleviate a clog needs to work fast so we can get back to using those rooms.

Harsh chemicals leave awful fumes that can cause issues for days if not weeks. These fumes can give off a foul odor and leave your family keeping their distance from the kitchen or bathroom, even if the chemical is working as intended. These fumes are also not healthy to inhale and can lead to some negative health consequences.

Choose a Solution That Works

We didn’t even mention the fact that drain cleaning chemicals don’t even work sometimes! Why not choose a solution that does work, like hydrojetting performed by a licensed plumbing professional on our team? It’s fast, all-natural, simple, and effective. Let’s work together to ensure your home is free of drain clogs, without the use of harsh, toxic chemicals.

At Dalton Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, Electric and Fireplaces, Inc., your comfort is our promise! To set up an appointment in the Cedar Rapids area, give us a call at the number above, email customerservice@daltonphc.com or schedule an appointment online. 

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