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Drain Cleaners

Are Liquid Drain Cleaners Safe For Your Plumbing?

One of the biggest issues that you're going to experience with your household plumbing is a clog. For many homeowners, this means grabbing a bottle of drain cleaner and pouring it down the drain. This allows the clog to disintegrate and opens up your plumbing line. Unfortunately, using a drain cleaner can cause damage to your home's plumbing system.

How Do Drain Cleaners Damage Plumbing?

Most drain cleaners are a mixture of toxic chemicals. These chemicals have a volatile reaction with the clog to help disintegrate them. Unfortunately, these chemicals can also be dangerous to your piping material. Most homes use PVC piping. This is susceptible to the effects of corrosive chemicals used in drain cleaners. These chemicals can cause the PVC piping to melt, bubble, and fail, which will have you calling a plumber for help.

It's also vital to know that drain cleaners kill good bacteria in your drainage system. Every drainage system needs to have this beneficial bacteria. It helps to break down some of the organic compounds that come through your pipes. When there is a lack of this good bacteria, it allows organic compounds that clog your system.

Safer Clog Removal Methods

As a homeowner, you do have other options that you can choose to use instead of using a drain cleaner. This can include things like plunging and snaking. Plunging can clear clogs that are close to the drain. You should use your plunger for about 20 seconds to see if it will pull the clog up and allow it to release. If that doesn't work, using a drain snake can help to allow you to reach further down your piping. Most residential drain snakes are 25 feet that allow you to access large parts of your piping.

Professional Help

Unfortunately, you cannot remove all clogs with a plunger or a drain snake. In these instances, it's best to call in a professional who has the right equipment to do the job. One of the most common tools utilized by professionals is a drain auger. This gets inserted into your sewage pipe from the outside of your home. It has a tip on the end that works to rip up the actual material of the clog into smaller pieces. That way, the clog can flush through the system.

Another popular method that professionals use is hydro jetting. This is a pressurized water tool that they shoot down your piping to help clear blockages. It can also remove any other substances that have built up on the interior walls of your piping.

Call Us Today

If you currently have a clog in your plumbing system that you're unable to remove, it's time to give us a call. Our helpful plumbers can assess the clog. We will use our top-of-the-line equipment to remove it without damaging your pipes.