1. Drain cleaners are harsh on your plumbing – Drain cleaners are highly corrosive! The chemicals in them can cause chemical burns and even blindness if they come into contact with your skin or get into your eyes. If that is not enough reason to avoid these products, keep reading and learn about the damage they can cause to your plumbing.
2. They’re toxic – Drain cleaners are poisonous and can cause further harm to ourselves, our children, and even our furry friends. If you breathe in the fumes, they can damage your lungs. They also affect the digestive system and skin if ingested or touched, so it might be best not to use these products around small children/pets who could get hurt.
3. They’re harmful to our environment – You know what’s not biodegradable? Drain cleaner. So not only do they sit in landfills till the chemicals wear off, but when you pour them down your drain, they can end up getting wasted in rivers and lakes where wildlife will be harmed by these toxins!
4. Drain Cleaners can harm your septic system! – These drain cleaners are bad news for anyone with a septic tank. Imagine if your sewer was blocked. You’d have a big problem on your hands but adding drain cleaner could increase the cost to fix it. Your septic system is specifically designed to break down organic material, not drain cleaners. Some chemicals in drain cleaners can harm the bacteria in your septic system, leading to new problems and additional repairs.
5. Their results are often disappointing – There’s no guarantee that a drain cleaner will clear your plumbing problem. In fact, the chemicals in these cleaners can react with materials found inside clogged pipes or get stuck on top of them, making it even harder for you to break up one pesky obstruction!
6. Drain cleaners are very damaging to your plumbing – They can eat through metal, plastic, and even wood over time which could lead you to serious problems like leaks or burst pipes, which means more expensive repairs.
7. Not all companies that make these products have the same motivation – There are many companies out there that make drain cleaners but aren’t necessarily looking after your best interests. In their efforts to make more money, they market and advertise false information to you. They claim that a specific type of pipe can be safely cleaned with their product when this isn’t true.
8. This “quick fix” is a quick way to more problems – Drain cleaners are not always the best way to fix a clogged drain. In some cases, they can actually do more harm than good! If you’re thinking about using a chemical drain cleaner to clear your pipes, remember that it’s just pushing the problem down the line. You may cause more damage in trying to fix things yourself, and there could be an even greater cost than having someone come out for repairs!
So before you grab that bottle of drain cleaner, consider all your other options. Sure, a chemical cleaner might seem like an easy fix, but it could do more harm than good. If your drain is slow or clogged, give Lindstrom Air Conditioning & Plumbing a call – we’re always here to help!