If you’ve noticed your drainage system working slower than usual, you probably have a clog somewhere in your piping. Hair, grease, paper towels, and more can buildup and cause your drains to clog. At this point, most people consider chemical drain cleaners to be the best solution to the problem. They’d be mistaken.
Here are three reasons why you should completely avoid using chemical drain cleaners.
They Damage Your Piping
Because the acids used in chemical drain cleaners are extremely corrosive, and eat away at most things, they will eventually eat away your piping as well. This is especially true in areas where the cleaner can pool up. It’ll cause your piping to become thinner and more brittle, and eventually cause fractures that lead to leaks.
Of course, because the plumbing system in your home is made up of a network of pipes, the acidic drain cleaner will travel to other parts of your plumbing and cause damage.
The Chemicals are Toxic
Chemical drain cleaners are designed to eat away at organic matter and considering how they can eat away at your metal piping as well, they can be extremely dangerous to use. If, by accident, you come in contact with the liquid, you will suffer severe burns and even permanent disfiguration if there is sustained contact.
According to Medline Plus, drain cleaners can cause poisoning if inhaled or swallowed as well. Some of the symptoms of the poisoning include:
- Severe abdominal pain
- Throat swelling, making it difficult to breathe
- Mouth and throat burning
- Chest pain
- Diarrhea
- Collapse
- Loss of vision if it comes in contact with the eyes
- Severe mouth pain
- Severe throat pain
- Extreme drop in blood pressure
- Vomiting (often containing blood)
- Severe burns and tissue damage
They Aren’t Effective
The entire point of using a drain cleaning solution is to solve your drainage problems. A product that doesn’t effectively do the job it’s intended to do is not worth your money. Chemical drain cleaners usually contain a strong acid intended to eat away at the objects causing the clog. However, because they barely stay in place for long enough to do that, they simply pass through your piping without really doing their job.
Yes, in certain cases, chemical drain cleaners do provide a quick solution to drain clogging, but the effects are only short-term. They simply cause holes in the clog, enough for water and waste to pass through for some time, but these holes are quickly filled up again.
If your drains are working slower than usual, or you can’t seem to solve a clogging issue, you should hire a professional plumbing service because the problem may be more complicated than you think.
We are a reputable plumbing company in Fort Worth, TX, that provides drainage repairing services.
Request an appointment or call us at 817-244-0614.
