Are Store Bought Drain Cleaners Dangerous To Use?

Drain Cleaner Products Explained

If you’ve been to a hardware or home improvement store and browsed the plumbing section, you’ve probably seen a healthy selection of drain cleaner products that claim they can tackle even the toughest clogs and get your drains flowing free and clear again at a much lower cost than having a professional tackle the issue for you. But is the savings really worth it or is drain cleaner dangerous? If you knew what those drain cleaners do to your home, you’d probably think otherwise.

What Do What Drain Cleaners Do?

Chemical drain cleaners are often substances with extremely strong dissolving capabilities. This gives them the ability to eat away through all sorts of different substances that may have caused a clog, including both organic and inorganic material.

While this may seem like a good idea, what many people don’t realize is that most of the time they simply wear a small hole in the clog because they can only cover a small portion of the pipe. They never get rid of the entire clog. What’s worse is that drain cleaners can eat away nearly anything, and that includes the walls of the pipe itself.

Drain cleaners have been known to dissolve pipes of all types, including:

• Iron
• Copper
• Steel
• And PVC plastic

So while you might at least clear enough of a hole for your drain to work again, you could be doing serious long-term damage to your plumbing that may require extensive repairs later.

What About Bacteria Cleaners?

Bacteria cleaners are a new and popular drain cleaning solution, and there is some merit to them. These cleaners use a form of bacteria that are harmless to humans and pets and your plumbing but eat away at organic material that forms in your plumbing and causes clogs.

This can result in a much better result than a traditional drain cleaner chemical, provided your clog is organic in nature. If it’s not, then these solutions won’t help you and you’ll need to reach out to a professional for a better solution.

Why Choose a Fort Myers Plumber?

Having a plumber sort out your clog issue is a much more reliable method of getting rid of the problem completely and reducing its chances of ever returning. Plumbers use specialized tools and well-practiced techniques to completely clean the inside of your pipes and remove all traces of the clog that was slowing down your drains.

These tools also don’t do any damage to the inside of your pipes, so you don’t have to worry about the de-clogging process doing any extra damage to your pipes that you’ll have to fix again later. When you think about it, even though it might be the more expensive option up front, you’re actually saving yourself money in the long run by preventing further issues from emerging.

Contact Aztec Plumbing & Drains online to schedule your drain cleaning appointment now!

Learn More in Our Drain Cleaning Series:

• Why Do My Drains Gurgle
• Why Does My Drain Smell Like Rotten Eggs
• Is Drain Lining Worth It?
• How to Clear Drains
• Chemical Free Ways to Unclog Drains
• What Causes Drain Flies
• Why Is My Drain Pipe Leaking
• Can You Put Paint Thinner Down the Drain
• Why Do My Drains Back Up When it Rains?
• Is Hydro Jetting Better than Snaking?