The Chemicals You’re Washing Down Your Drain Are Making Your Pipes and Health, Worse.
Your pipes are clogged, and you want to get rid of them ASAP, so you pour a bottle of chemical cleaner down your drain. Problem solved, right? Wrong! Very, very bad, reader. Those chemical cleaners we use to avoid calls to a plumber are not saving us as much money as we think.
Sometimes we can buy a $10 bottle of drain cleaner and be done with our clog. Sometimes. However, chemical cleaners often fail to do the job, so we buy more until the clog finally clears. Unfortunately, some of us don’t realize that each bottle of cleaner slowly but surely sets us up for disaster.
Not only do chemical cleaners not do as good a job as drain augers or hydro-jetting equipment, but their use damages your pipes! These cleaners are dangerous to your home and family and should never be allowed anywhere near your lines.
Chemical Cleaner Harm Your Pipes
You may feel like chemical cleaners work through magic. You pour them down a drain, wait a half-hour, rinse them with hot water, and clean your gutter. However, it’s not magic but chemistry that tries to clear your pipes.
No matter what form they may come in, chemical cleaners work by reacting with the organic material that most clogs are made of. This reaction creates heat and slowly dissolves the individual components of a clog. Unfortunately, while it does this, it is also heating and dissolving the walls of your pipes.
Newer pipes do a decent job of standing up to this chemical assault but are still worn down by the solution. On the other hand, older or plastic pipes take tremendous damage from these chemicals. In addition, if the lines do not fail outright, they often form pits that allow further clogs to form.
Fumes From Chemical Cleaners Can Harm Your Family
You may wonder if a process that corrodes metal and plastic pipes is safe. It’s not. While you may be willing to sacrifice a line or two, no one wants to hurt their family. Yet, this may be what you do if you use chemical cleaners.
Drain cleaners dissolve organic material(and pipes) and often produce fumes. Unfortunately, no one can truthfully say what these fumes are as they change depending on what you’ve washed down your drain. However, they can range from unpleasant to downright deadly, so it is safe to say they are never good!
Your Septic System Will Be Disrupted
As you may know, septic systems are living ecosystems of bacteria that work to process all of the waste that finds its way to them. The last thing those bacteria need is to be inundated with unknown, caustic chemicals. So while chemical cleaners may clear a minor clog with a drain cleaner, you can be sure your septic system will suffer.
Suppose your septic system can no longer operate correctly. In that case, you look at much more severe problems than a clog. You may, for example, begin to require frequent septic pumping as the dying bacteria will no longer be able to keep up with demands. Worse still, if you don’t realize that your septic tank is in trouble, you may find out when your sewage begins bubbling up your drains.
No one wants that.
Chemical Cleaners Are Bad For The Environment
It goes without saying that if chemical cleaners disrupt septic tanks, they’re terrible for the environment. If your home is on a sewer line, the chemicals you use to clean your drain will eventually enter the public supply.
No matter how well the water is treated, trace amounts of these chemicals are still likely to appear in someone’s drinking water. This, of course, does not include the adverse effects of any cleaners that are not disposed of properly or that end up finding their way into the environment.
It’s Best to Avoid Chemical Cleaners
A cheap bottle of chemical cleaner may seem like a handy solution for an unexpected drain clog, but its hidden cost lies beyond the price tag. These quick-fix bottles may work for the moment. Still, they will inevitably lead to costly repairs or even hospital bills. So instead of risking your wallet or health on one of these bottles, you’re better off having professionals cleaning your drains.
Professional plumbers, like General Service Plumbers, use equipment like drain augers or hydro-jets to effectively and safely clear any clogs in your lines. Plumbers also inspect your home’s pipes before any work is done, ensuring they tackle all severe problems in your system.
Don’t poison your home and family to eliminate a minor clog. Have professionals take care of it instead and save time, money, and the environment, all at the same time.