The Dangers of Chemical Drain Cleaning Solutions

Advertisements make it sound so simple. If your drain is slow or clogged, just run down to the local hardware or super store or even your local grocery and buy this chemical and pour it right down. Chemical drain cleaning solutions are dangerous. Don’t do it yourself, call a plumber!

Dangerous to People and Pets

Drain cleaners are caustic, they can burn, corrode or eat away anything they come into contact with. Yes, they can eat away organic matter in your drain, but they can also eat away your skin, burn your eyes and the fumes can burn your lungs and damage your respiratory system.

Common chemicals used in drain cleaners are lye, bleach and sulfuric acid. The person using them is at risk of chemical splash back. Also at risk are children, who are naturally curious, and pets who have no understanding and may sniff the chemicals, or accidentally walk in a splashed chemical. This is a life or death matter. Do not keep these dangerous substances in your home.

Dangerous to Your Home

Substances strong enough to eat away organic matter are also strong enough to corrode your plumbing. They can eat through the finish on your faucets and drains as well. They will damage wood and vinyl floors when spilled upon them. They are not good for fiberglass tubs. Do not risk the effects of caustic chemicals on your home.

Plumbers have better methods of physically clearing drains. They do a thorough job to prevent the problems from recurring. Professionals do not leave a home with damaged pipes and stains or holes in the floor or pitted and scarred faucets and handles.

Dangerous to the Environment

When you use chemicals to open up your drains you wash those chemicals into the water supply. Water treatment plants are designed to deal with organic matter. In order to neutralize chemical drain cleaners additional chemicals must be added to waste water. Not all of the toxic substances break down even with treatment.

The chemicals that do not break down go from the municipal treatment plants into the local waterways where they poison fish and plants and the land so that nothing healthy can grow.

We are damaging our environment while addressing a household problem that can be solved by a plumber much more effectively.

You should avoid chemical drain cleaners to prevent serious damage, illness, and death.

Are your pipes all clogged up in your Stanfordville home? If you’re having trouble, give Empire Plumbing Service, Inc a Call at (845) 868-5033, so we can get down to the root of the problem.