Nowadays, commercial drain cleaners are so popular that they are common in every household. Whenever clogs and blockages occur in the plumbing system, the first instinct is to reach for a commercial drain cleaner since it promises to clear the clogs quickly. However, do you know that it can be a dangerous step for your plumbing fixtures, the environment, and your health? When experiencing a clogged drain, the safest option is to call the nearest blocked drain plumber in Geelong and get it thoroughly checked.
In this article, we shall explain why commercial drain cleaners can be a risky product for clogs. Read on to learn how drain cleaners can damage your plumbing system.
Ingredients in Commercial Drain Cleaners
Commercial drain cleaners contain dangerous chemicals like lye, bleach, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, and sodium hydroxide. These substances are incredibly corrosive and can cause significant damage to your pipes and fixtures. In addition to corroding your pipes, these chemical ingredients may also produce toxic fumes that could cause harm if inhaled.
Damage from Chemical Reaction
When these caustic chemicals come into contact with grease or hair, they produce an exothermic reaction generating heat and creating an even more significant clog in your pipes. This chemical reaction is so powerful that it can burn through metal pipes and copper fittings. What’s worse is that this heat and pressure build-up can cause the pipe itself to burst under strain. Furthermore, if the clog is in a fitting or joint between two pieces of pipe, the force of the expanding chemical reaction may blow out those connections entirely. Knowing this should make it easy to see why commercial drain cleaners aren’t always the best solution for clearing stubborn clogs. The best you can do is to partner with a plumber in Geelong who shall give you a professional solution.
Environmental Hazard
Not only can these harsh chemicals damage your plumbing system. They have an environmental impact as well. Once these chemicals get poured down the drain, they enter our water system, which can have far-reaching consequences on our environment. So you should avoid using commercial drain cleaners for safety reasons because they can harm our planet.
What Are the Alternatives to Chemical Drain Cleaners?
Now that we realise that commercial drain cleaners are dangerous to our environment, you may be thinking of an alternative. Worry not, as there are many other solutions approved by professional plumbers in Laverton. Below are a few of these-
Use a Plunger
A plunger is essential in every household, as it can save you from clogs. From unclogging the toilet to the kitchen sink, a plunger can be a saviour in many situations. Even when you call Laverton’s expert plumber to unclog the drains, the first tool they use is a plunger. So you can rest assured about the efficiency of a plunger.
Dish Wash & Boiling Water
One of the major causes of clogs is the grease stuck to the pipe. It tends to accumulate all the waste that passes through the drain and creates a blockage. You can eliminate grease through a dish wash and hot water solution. Begin by boiling a few tablespoons of dish soap mixed in water and pour it down the drain. It will remove all the grease from the pipes, and once you pour more hot water, it shall rinse out the clogs made by grease and oil.
Drain Snakes
Another mechanical drain cleaner that can help to eliminate all the gunk from the drains is a snake. It is an excellent substitute for chemical drain cleaners. The drain snake attaches the obstruction in your drain to a long coil of flexible plastic rod and draws it out of the drain so that it is no longer a problem. Depending on what caused the clog in the pipes, it can get a little disgusting, but it works well.
Baking Soda & Vinegar
When you combine the baking soda with vinegar, it causes a fizzing reaction that can instantly clear gunk from the drain. It can even eliminate tangles of hair if you use the correct proportion. You can mix 1/3 baking soda and the same amount of vinegar and immediately pour it down the drain. The fizzing reaction will happen inside the drain, quickly eliminating the clogs. You can pour hot water into the drain to rinse all the impurities.
Call a Plumber
When none of the above solutions seems to work, you can ring a blocked drain plumber in Geelong or your neighbourhood to provide expert solutions. They shall arrive with advanced tools to relieve and ensure the issue doesn’t reoccur.
Summing Up
Clogged drains are annoying. However, using commercial drain cleaners is not always the best solution for unclogging them. It’s because the chemical drain cleaners use dangerous chemical ingredients which corrode pipes, produce toxic fumes, and create an exothermic reaction that generates heat and pressure resulting in further blockages or possible pipe bursts. All of these pose a risk not only to your plumbing system but also to our environment as well. If you’re dealing with a clogged drain, consider calling in a professional plumber in Geelong who has access to more efficient tools such as augers and snakes, which will be much safer for you and the environment than store-bought drain cleaners.
Contact Your Local Plumbing if you are experiencing drains clogs that refuse to unstuck. They are also acclaimed hot water plumbers in Geelong, so you can even contact them for your hot water repairs.
