Skip the Drain Cleaner: Why Calling for Plumbing Repair is Safer

We are often looking for “life hacks,” shortcuts that make our lives easier by avoiding a difficult or expensive alternative to the hack. When a household drain clogs and someone is looking for an alternative solution to call a plumber, there are several options that are healthy and a few that can make a simple problem worse. Let’s look at some clogged drain life hacks.

The Hidden Risks of DIY Drain Clearing and Why You Need Plumbing Repair

• Leaving the drain clogged is not an option, but there is some wisdom in waiting a little while. Most clogs are only partial clogs. By waiting, some of the wastewater will drain away. This is particularly important when the backup has or threatens to overflow a toilet or sink. This might give you a little room to work on the clog.
• Knowing the potential source of the clog can also be helpful. Clogs in kitchen sinks or appliances are often caused by grease or fat that has solidified in the pipe. This type of clog might present itself gradually, as the accumulation of solids builds over time. A good hack might be to remove as much water as possible from the drain, then add very hot (not boiling) soapy water into the drain. The objective is to melt the oily solids and wash them down the drain. Boiling water can damage PVC pipes, so keep this in mind.
• Another likely source of a kitchen clog is waste food that was put into the garbage disposal. This often presents after pushing a lot of waste through at once. If this happens to you, leave the water in the drain and use a plunger to dislodge the blockage. Many homeowners keep two plungers, using one only for sinks and one only for toilets.
• Toilet clog sources are usually “too much:” too much waste solids or too much toilet tissue. Occasionally, items that should not be flushed get flushed and cause clogs. The “too much” variety of clog can often be dislodged with a plunger or a biodegradable enzyme pipe cleaner. The more difficult clog can usually be dislodged with a drain snake, a slender cable that can be rotated into the pipe until it reaches the clog source. (In this situation, you can fully appreciate patience, letting some wastewater drain away.)
• When all the hacks have proven unsuccessful, remember that a plumber is trained and skilled at removing such clogs, no matter what the source. Knowing when to trust a professional is also a very important life skill.

The common solution that should be avoided is using a commercial drain cleaner. When you look at the active ingredients being used—sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid (muriatic acid), sodium hydroxide (lye), or potassium hydroxide (caustic potash)—it will make you pause before handling the casually. Drain cleaners can:

• If the drain cleaner is unsuccessful, everyone who continues to work on the clog is working with an extremely caustic mixture of wastewater and caustic liquid. This mixture will seriously burn skin and eyes. Every time the mixture is stirred around by a plunger or drain snake, the chemicals can make contact with disastrous results. Drain cleaners result in thousands of burns annually, many of which result in skin graft treatment.
• The chemical reaction releases toxic gases into your home. These gases dissipate quickly into the home (not good), but for a short time, the air around the reaction is hazardous to breathe and irritating to the eyes.
• Drain cleaners produce a chemical reaction that gets hot enough to boil water. Since the chemical reaction is stationary, this extremely hot mixture can melt PVC pipes and weaken pipe joints. All drain cleaner chemicals are extremely caustic and cause pipe corrosion in most pipe materials.

Avoid Toxic Chemicals: Trust a Pro for Your Clogged Drain Plumbing Repair

If the clog is stubborn and cannot be solved with good, healthy options, call a plumber and avoid the dangers associated with using drain cleaners.

Stop risking corrosive chemical burns, toxic fumes, and damaged pipes by trying one more dangerous drain cleaner. When simple “life hacks” fail to clear a stubborn clog, it’s time to call a trained professional who can safely solve the underlying issue. Don’t wait for a total blockage or a hazardous mess; schedule your professional plumbing repair today. Call us now for quick, reliable service that protects your health and your home’s pipes.

Let Doctor Cool assist with all of your clogged drain questions. Call Doctor Cool & Professor Heat today at 281-516-5935 or email Doctor Cool and let our professional Residential League City Plumbing Repair Contractors assist with all of your plumbing repair and installation needs.

 

1 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9529183/#:~:text=It%20is%20estimated%20that%20nationwide,in%20the%20majority%20of%20cases