Drain cleaner is sold to consumers with the promise of freeing up the toughest clogs. Although many of these products do the job with mixed results, pretty much all of them are breaking down more than just what’s clogged up your drain.
Drain Cleaners Can Damage Your Pipes
Let’s cut to the chase: Drain cleaners work because they’re full of caustic chemicals. That means they’re designed to literally dissolve the gunk that’s built up in your drain.
But, pouring a concoction of caustic chemicals down your drain is like addressing a letter “to whom it may concern.” What we mean is that drain cleaner can break down organic and inorganic matter in your drain, but it can also eat away at the drainpipe itself. The danger is more significant when your home is equipped with plastic plumbing pipes, but it exists for homes with metal pipes as well.
Should I Stop Using Drain Cleaner Altogether?
The truth is that the occasional use of drain cleaner (two or three treatments a year) won’t make a noticeable impact on your pipes, but when have tough clogs ever needed only one or two jugs of drain cleaner?
The real risk factor for damaging your plumbing pipes via drain cleaner lies in its continued and frequent use. The more you pour caustic chemicals down your drain, the more they’ll eat away at your pipes. With enough time, this can weaken the walls of your pipes, which can burst at any time when they’re under pressure.
Given that these are drainpipes we’re talking about here, a leak or burst are the last things you should want.
So, How Should I Clean My Drains?
Before you reach for your next bottle of drain cleaner, consider calling a plumber out to perform a professional drain cleaning service. We at Carter Quality Plumbing, LLC can clear clogs in pipes with all kinds of tools that don’t rely on toxic chemicals or any cleaning method that can damage your pipes.
We can also address the root causes of clogs that drain cleaners just can’t. Some of these causes include large buildups of debris and sediment as well as foreign objects and other obstacles.
For more information about our professional drain cleaning service, contact Carter Quality Plumbing, LLC online now.