Before you try fixing a clogged drain in your kitchen or bathroom using an off-the-shelf chemical drain cleaner, you will want to consider some of the hidden dangers and potential damage it may cause to your plumbing.

  • Drain cleaners are indiscriminate. When you pour one of these caustic chemicals down your drain, it will not selectively dissolve the clog and leave the pipes alone. It will eat away at everything it touches, including your pipes.
  • Acidic drain cleaners can cause pipe corrosion. Hopefully, the chemical will dissolve the clog and keep moving into the main sewer system. But if it does not destroy the clog, it will remain stuck. So, the dangerous chemicals will remain in your drain lines, eating away at your pipes.
  • What if your pipes are plastic? If your pipes are made from PVC or any other plastic, you should never use a liquid drain cleaner. The chemicals can eat through the plastic much easier and allow the acids to seep into other surfaces as well.
  • What if you have old, metal pipes? Chances are that older metal pipes will have corrosion and pits in the metal due to excessive use. If a chemical drain cleaner becomes lodged inside an area where water cannot easily flush it out, it will continue to eat it away, causing even further corrosion.
  • What if the problem is not a clogged pipe, but something far more serious? Small plumbing clogs may respond well to a chemical drain cleaner, but they really don’t work for most blocked drains. If your backed-up drain is due to a broken pipe or a problem in your sewer line, obviously, these chemicals are not the answer.

 

Chemical and Environmental Dangers:

Chemical drain cleaners come with strong warnings about their proper use and their potential hazards to people and animals. The fumes produced by these products can be harmful or even fatal if inhaled.

Additionally, backups that can occur when these drain cleaners are in use could result in spills that may cause skin irritation or injury. 

Chemical drain cleaners end up in rivers, lakes, and landfills where they can poison animals and wildlife. So, it\’s best to think twice before using them.

 

Try These Alternatives First:

Instead of fixing your clogged drain with a chemical cleaner, first, try your trusty plunger. And if that doesn’t do the trick, you can try some of these safer remedies:  Pour half a cup of baking soda and half a cup of white vinegar down the drain. You will want to let it sit for thirty to sixty minutes, followed by rinsing with a lot of hot water. 

You can also try an eco-friendly, non-toxic, enzymatic drain cleaner. These cleaners use live enzymes (or bacteria) that eat the clog. They usually take 24 hours to clear an obstruction and work best for organic clogs caused by hair, soap, or grease.

If tailing the various mechanical and biological options fail, you can pick up a sewer snake (or auger) from a plumbing supply store, or rent a pipe snake from your neighborhood hardware store.

 

Time to Call the Experts:

If all of these efforts have failed, it’s time to call the best plumbing service around — B&D Industries. We will fix your clogged drain anytime, day or night, and work to prevent unnecessary damage to your pipes.

B&D’s plumbing services ensure the success and longevity of your residential plumbing system. Whether you need an inspection of your plumbing system, scheduled preventative maintenance, 24/7 emergency service, full plumbing, or re-pipe, B&D is always ready to take your call.

B&D is committed to providing exceptional residential plumbing services to the Albuquerque metro area, delivered in a courteous, timely manner by a team of plumbing professionals. We are dedicated to making sure your plumbing works as smoothly and efficiently as possible. 

For more than 60 years, B&D has worked every day to earn our reputation as the Duke City’s premier team of Exceptional People Achieving Exceptional Results.