Why It's a Bad Idea to Use Store-Bought Drain Cleaners Monday, May 27, 2019

Taking a shower only to realize you’re standing in a bunch of water that isn’t draining is not how anyone wants to start their day. We’re all busy and it’s tempting to take the most expedient route of dealing with a clogged drain, which is to run to the store and buy a drain cleaner.

But buying that drain cleaner can lead to worse problems down the road, so before you buy it, read to see how it can affect you and what you should do when you have a clogged sink or shower drain in Plant City, Lakeland, Winter Haven, and other central Florida areas.

Store-Bought Drain Cleaners Can Badly Affect Your Pipes & Other Plumbing

Drain cleaners are made up of incredibly caustic chemicals. Getting these on your skin can be harmful. These chemicals include sodium hydroxide, sodium nitrate, aluminum, bleach, and more. When these chemicals interact as they are poured down the drain, the sodium hydroxide and aluminum mix for a reaction that induces temperatures close to boiling. The heat is supposed to break up the clog. Just that alone is a lot for your pipes to handle.

If there is a large clog in your pipes, then there is potential for those chemicals to just sit in your pipes and cause further damage, especially if you have PVC pipes or older pipes with some corrosion.

Additionally, if you use another cleaning product after using a drain cleaner, it could have a reaction with those chemicals.

Drain Cleaners Have Negative Effects on the Environment Around You

Think about where you’re pouring those chemicals—down the pipes, right into our water system and out into the rivers, lakes, oceans, and more, leaving its mark on wildlife and plants in its path. These bottles come with many warning labels about how toxic they are. You’re also risking any residue in the bottles pouring out into the soil as it sits in the trash.

Drain Cleaner Chemicals Can Harm You, Your Children, or Your Pets

The components of drain cleaners are very harmful if they get on skin or are ingested. For small children and pets, this can spell disaster. In fact, many plumbers will ask you if you’ve used drain cleaners and if you have, they will not come back to fix the issue until 24 hours have passed. They don’t want to risk the cleaners splashing back on them when they work to unclog your drain. So, having these around your loved ones isn’t a good idea, either.

What Should You Do When You Have a Clogged Drain

If you do have a clogged drain, consider using a less caustic method such as baking soda to attempt to break up the clog. If that doesn’t work, call True Plumbers & AC to come help. A trained plumber can assess the situation and see if your clog is just a clog or linked to a larger issue.

Call us when you experience drain issues.

We’ve helped countless central Florida homeowners in Plant City, Lakeland, Winter Haven, and surrounding areas to fix their plumbing issues and we’re the experts when it comes to unclogging drains. Give us a call at (863) 667-6364 whenever you experience a plumbing problem!