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Reasons to Avoid Chemical Drain Cleaning Solutions to Unclog Your Drain

 

When many homeowners realize they have a clogged drain, their first instinct is often to reach for a bottle of drain cleaner. Unfortunately, much of the time, these products fail to resolve the issue and may even case additional problems. Here are some reasons why you should avoid using chemical drain cleaners to unclog your drains.

Many drain cleaners contain ingredients that are harmful to your health. These ingredients can produce noxious fumes that may irritate or damage your nose, skin, eyes and airways. Furthermore, these substances are often known carcinogens. When you’re exposed to them either through inhalation or skin contact, they can increase your risk of developing cancer.

Chemical drain cleaners are harmful to animals and the environment. Once poured down your drains, they will eventually reach rivers, oceans or streams where they can decimate wildlife populations and taint the soil. They can even make it back into your municipal water supply. Because substances like these can’t be adequately filtered out using current methods, people end up unknowingly ingesting these poisons.

Using caustic drain cleaners can cause extensive damage to your home’s plumbing and fixtures. Most of these products contain hydrochloric acid, a highly corrosive substance that can eat through nearly any material. This includes your pipes and the finish on your sinks, tubs, toilets and faucets. If you have PVC pipes in your home, then it’s even more important to avoid these cleaners because they’re not as resistant to the acid as copper or cast iron pipes.

Chemical drain cleaners can be unreliable. Regardless of what you’ve seen on TV commercials, these products don’t work as quickly or efficiently as the companies claim. Indeed, they may not even help at all. Sometimes, a blockage is caused by more than just hairballs and accumulated grime. It’s also possible that you could have a serious obstruction further down the plumbing system, such as the sewer line. Tree roots may have grown through the pipe, or it may have corroded and collapsed on itself. Repairing these problems requires highly specialized work that no drain cleaner can provide.

Are the drains in your Little Rock home clogged? Call Arrow Plumbing at (501) 588-3200 and schedule a service call today!

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