What Are Some of the Dangers of Chemical Drain Cleaning Solutions?

When a sink or tub clogs, this is a sign that it is time to call a plumber to check the clogged drain out for issues. Rather, people imagine they should buy some drain cleaning solution from the store or make their own drain cleaner.

Often these actions will lead to worsening the preexisting drainage problem. Here are some things a person should know before attempting to clean their drain themselves.

Drain Cleaners the Basic Dangers

The primary danger with any drain cleaning solution concerns how dangerous it is to touch, inhale and ingest. For most commercial drain cleaners and a few homemade concoctions, contact with the skin, eyes and ingestion of such chemicals is really inviting a trip to the hospital.

When calling a professional plumber out to clear a line after attempting to use a commercial cleaner, it is imperative to mention which type of cleaner the home owner has used to help ensure the plumber's safety.

Toxic chemicals residing in a drain line can splash back in a person's face; thus, even a plumber should always expect that some type of chemical solution was used before they were called out to deal with the problem. For this reason, it is always suggested that before attempting to clean a drain a person wears proper eye or facial protection and protective nitrile gloves. This helps to minimize the incidents of injury.

The Acid Mistake

When it comes to cleaning a drain, it is important to never give in to the notion that it is a good idea to pour acids into the drain. Instead of cleaning the drain, what a person is attempting to do is create a very costly and easily avoidable dangerous mistake. Unless a drain line is composed of glass, pouring acid down into it will ultimately eat away at the material of which the pipe is composed.

This problem is worsened in cases where a clog prevents the acid to freely move, causing it to concentrate in one area. This concentration will force the acid to have prolonged exposure to the material in a pipe. This will inevitably cause even more damage due to the prolonged exposure the pipe has with the acid.

Another danger of using commercial acids as a drain cleaner is that they are not good to get on your skin, in your eyes or on surfaces where children may have access. As a rule of thumb, it is best to avoid using acids when cleaning a drain.

Caustic Bases

The more common over-the-counter store bought remedies for a clogged drain are products such as Liquid Plumber or Drano. These types of products typically employ the use of caustic bases such as sodium hydroxide and sodium hypochlorite.

These solutions tend to be less likely to do damage to pipes; however, a person still has to be careful not to allow these chemicals to come in contact with rubber seals.

When these solutions contact with rubber seals, such as the seal of a garbage disposal, they will tend to eat away at the seal. This will cause considerable damage and additional expense.

The End Result

A clogged drain is certainly an annoyance. Attempting to clean a drain yourself will often only bring short term relief of the problem or cause damage to pipes and the drain line.

To avoid problems down the road, it is generally best to call a plumber first to investigate the problem. A plumber will be able to assess the nature of the clog and deal with any internal damage to a drain that needs addressing.

Are your pipes all clogged up in your Guelph home? If you're having trouble, give Lodder Brothers a Call at (226) 780-4479, so we can get down to the root of the problem.