If you have turned off the faucet and yet the water in your sink remains, you might have a problem just waiting to happen. It means only one thing: you’ve got clogged pipes. But think twice about grabbing that bottle of de-clogger under your sink. It may very well worsen your problems.
Take a look at the many disadvantages of commercial drain cleaners.
Highly Toxic
This should hardly come as a surprise, as these products were made to melt blockages and grime in your clogged pipes. Unfortunately, these same chemicals are also known to possess high toxicity levels. According to experts, these products often contain sodium hydroxide or sulfuric acid. This makes them very dangerous to inhale or ingest. It also poses a threat to children and pets in your home.
Not Kind to Your Pipes
Many homeowners purchase drain cleaning products as a quick fix to their clogged pipes and drains. The irony, however, is that these products damage the very thing they’re supposed to help repair. The acids in drain cleaners will gnaw at your pipe’s materials as they sit in them, and they can also potentially damage the finishes in your kitchen and bathroom fixtures. In short, you may end up spending more on repairs when using such products.
Bad for the Environment
What do you do to the bottle after you use it? Toss it out, most probably. By doing so, however, you also contribute to the pollution of the environment as bottles often end up in landfills. More concerning, however, is the fact that the remnant chemicals in the bottles may leach into the water table, poisoning local wildlife.
Might Not Solve the Problem
But here’s the clincher: Commercial drain cleaners may not even solve the problem! The truth is that there are many reasons why a pipe may become blocked, such as obstructions in the sewer line or physical damage in the pipes themselves. No amount of product can solve these inherent issues. You may end up wasting good money on a product that doesn’t even address the real problem.
A blocked drain may just be the tip of the iceberg, so don’t treat it as a minor issue that a store-bought product can handily solve. You need to get to the root of the issue, and your best course of action is to call a Saskatoon plumbing company to do the drain cleaning for you. These pros possess the proper equipment and training to diagnose a problem and address it in the safest, most efficient manner. Yes, their services might cost more, but you are guaranteed to save money on replacing destroyed pipes.
Sources:
4 Reasons Not to Use Liquid Drain Cleaners, AngiesList.com
USE NON-TOXIC DRAIN DE-CLOGGERS, HealthyChild.org