When you have a clog in a sink within your home, your first instinct is very likely to reach for a plunger… or that bottle of store-bought drain cleaning solution you keep on hand.
A plunger is always a good start. If the clog is superficial enough, you may very well be able to relieve your drain pipe with the plunger and a little bit of “elbow grease. The latter option though—the store-bought drain cleaning solution, is no solution at all.
We’ll dive into the “why” behind this a bit more below, but for now, we’ll just say that store-bought drain cleaners have a lot of caustic chemicals in them, meaning they eat through the clog, then keep on going to eat through the lining of your plumbing pipes over time. Read on as we uncover some more reasons this is no solution.
They Don’t Work Thoroughly
Store-bought, liquid drain cleaners are basically a compound of acids, designed to eat through inorganic and organic waste that can be clogging up your drain pipes. They actually leave behind much of what was creating the clog itself, so even if you temporarily relieve the clog, you’ll find yourself looking for a solution again in 3-6 months.
They Can Actually Damage Your Plumbing
Think about what we just called drain cleaners in the point above—compounded acids. Naturally, pouring acids down your drain time and time again can be a bad idea. These acidic chemicals stay in the pipes for a long time after the initial treatment and each treatment thereafter, slowly eating away at the pipelining and contributing to pinhole leaks and a shortened lifespan for your plumbing system as a whole.
They Are Bad for the Environment
The residue inside the bottles of store-bought liquid drain cleaners is caustic, and toxic. That residue ends up in landfills, where it has the ability to seep into the ground and poison ground water and even water lines. Additionally, the bottle is just one more piece of trash filling up the landfill.
They Can Be Harmful To Your Family, Too
The toxicity of these types of drain cleaners shouldn’t be underestimated. They’re poisonous to consume of course, but they can even leave chemical burns if they come into contact with your skin, and the vapors from them can burn your eyes as well as your lungs.
So, What Is the Solution?
When you have a stubborn drain clog or two that can’t be relieved with a plunger, then it’s time to call our team. We have access to tools such as drain snakes and hydro-jets that will effectively remove the clog, and in many cases even prevent clogs from forming in the future.
At Dalton Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, Electric and Fireplaces, Inc., your comfort is our promise! To set up an appointment, give us a call at the number above, email customerservice@daltonphc.com or schedule an appointment online to get in touch with a Waterloo, IA plumber.