3 Reasons to Avoid Using Chemical Drain Cleaners

Chemical drain cleaners are an attractive option to many homeowners because of the ease of use they promise. Unfortunately, most professional plumbers agree that the cons of chemical cleaners outweigh the pros. Discover three facts about chemical drain cleaners that may make you reconsider using them in your home.

1. Plumbing and Septic Damage

The problem with using caustic chemicals to remove clogs from your drain is that these chemicals don't only attack your clogs. Many homes have plumbing pipes made from materials that are susceptible to chemical corrosion. Some cleaners can even react with plastic piping such as PVC, creating heat that can warp or melt holes through parts of your plumbing.

Homeowners with septic systems should be especially careful about the types of drain cleaners they use. Many chemical cleaners can kill beneficial bacteria in the septic tank. These bacteria feed on solid waste and convert it to liquid and gas that empties into a drainfield. Waste in the tank won't break down correctly without this bacteria, so the tank will fill more quickly and require pumping more often.

2. Potential Health Risks

Just as liquid drain cleaner can be harmful to your plumbing, it is a health hazard for anyone exposed to it. Many drain cleaners contain ingredients such as sodium hydroxide that are harmful on contact with the skin and eyes or if swallowed. Fumes from these products can also cause respiratory damage if inhaled. If you deem using a chemical cleaner necessary, always wear protective equipment and ventilate the area.

Even cleaners that are mostly safe on their own can produce dangerous fumes or other unexpected results if they mix with other types of cleaners. For this reason, never use more than one type of chemical cleaner at the same time. Flush the drain and wait a few days before switching to a different type of cleaner.

Also, recognize the symptoms of drain cleaner poisoning if any of these products are in your home. Ingestion of drain cleaner can induce vomiting and diarrhea, severe mouth and throat pain with swelling that may restrict breathing, and even unconsciousness.

Drain cleaner that contacts the eyes poses a risk of vision loss. Flush the eyes with water if eye contact has occurred, and seek medical assistance for any other symptoms of drain cleaner poisoning. Treatment for drain cleaner poisoning will vary depending on the severity of exposure.

3. Low Return on Investment

For several reasons, chemical drain cleaners simply aren't a cost-effective method for keeping your drains clear. Chemical drain cleaners often underperform since many clogs are stubborn enough to require physical force to remove.

You will only see temporary results from chemical drain cleaners, as they do not remove stuck-on debris on pipe walls that allow clogs to build up again quickly. While professional drain cleaning has a higher upfront cost, it doesn't compare to the cost of purchasing drain cleaner for months or years with mixed results.

Plumbers have several advanced techniques available to them that DIY drain cleaning can't match. For example, camera surveying allows the pros to pinpoint the location of a clog anywhere in your home's plumbing. Hydro-jetting is another technique that uses highly pressurized water to remove virtually any obstruction from your plumbing system permanently.

Drain clogs are a nuisance that can quickly turn into an expensive disaster if you don't address them. Unfortunately, preventing clogs isn't always as simple as pouring something down the drain and forgetting about it. If you have problems with stubborn clogs in your home, don't face them alone; the team at Express Plumbing & Drain is ready to help!