Most of us have had the occasional clogged drain. It’s frustrating when your sink fills with water when you try to wash the dishes. You bring out the plunger and it doesn’t do much except splash the water on your floor. You just want the clog to go away so you can use your sink. In this situation, some reach for commercial drain cleaners. Unfortunately, this isn’t a great solution. Let us explain.
Drain Cleaners Can Harm Your Plumbing
Clogs can occur from just about anything. Whether it’s solidified grease, accumulated rust or limescale buildup, small bits of plastic or hair, we have a way to deal with your clog using our camera inspections to determine the best course of action.
Unfortunately, a commercial drain cleaner approaches these different clogs the same way. Drain cleaners rely on a corrosive chemical reaction in an attempt to burn away everything in sight.
This method lacks the precision of the tools we can use to fix your clog and can even damage your pipes. Older metal pipes can’t contain the chemicals well and modern plastic pipes can soften and bend out of shape.
Drain Cleaners are Toxic
In order to go through everything from plastic to hair, drain cleaners are made from highly dangerous chemicals. All it takes is a small spill or improper gloves to cause a stinging chemical burn. If a commercial cleaner were to spill in your eye, or a child accidentally ingested it, the case would be extremely serious and could even cause death.
People who don’t understand the dangers of these chemicals often store them under sinks in non-child-proofed cabinets. A small child seeing the brightly colored packaging can easily harm themselves by accident. Additionally, adults can unintentionally mix cleaning chemicals and create a deadly gas. It’s better to call a plumber instead!
Drain Cleaners End Up in Our Shared Environment
Water goes from our homes to sewage treatment plants. These facilities are designed to remove water from sewage, but they aren’t designed to handle hazardous chemicals and materials. Drain cleaners can easily make it through and begin to build up in the water supply and our shared environment.
If you have a clogged drain give us at Rooter Works, a call at (614) 412-3324 or fill out one of our online contact forms.