Your home’s plumbing is an integral system within your residence, which is why its proper care and maintenance are crucial to house care. What may seem like a minor problem can easily balloon into bigger issues, thus breeding the need for emergency services that may not have been needed if you had just maintained it properly.

Clogs are some of the most common plumbing issues that many homeowners tend to handle on their own. The most common response is to utilize chemical drain cleaners to clear out the disruption. While these may seem easy enough to resolve with the solution, these actually aren’t recommended by many professional plumbers.

To help cement that point, here are four reasons why you shouldn’t use chemical drain cleaners for your clogged pipes.

It can be too potent

Chemical cleaner solutions are usually composed of extremely potent chemicals. Although these are why it’s easy to clear out any clog in the drain, it is also this reason that’s it’s ill-advised to use them. Its chemical composition can just as easily eat and destroy your pipe as much as clear it out—which inevitably results to bigger damages.

This is commonly the case for older pipes that have already rusted and thinned out due to wear and tear. Using a chemical cleaner can eat away at what’s left—boring a hole into your precious pipe system, especially if it sits in one spot for a particularly long time.

It’s bad for your health

Common sense would point out that chemicals aren’t safe to ingest, but sometimes even minor skin contact or fume inhalation can be hazardous to your health as well. Acids, particularly those used in chemical cleaning agents such as sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, and sodium hydroxide, are poisonous to humans.

These can cause blindness, nose and eye irritation, and chemical burns, if not handled correctly. It becomes even more problematic if you have children around, as these will prove deadly when ingested, even in small amounts.

It’s not eco-friendly

On a general basis, chemicals are already toxic, to begin with, but they can prove to be even worse to the environment. Improperly disposed chemicals can wind up released to nature, potentially poisoning a water source or destroying the greenery on where it’s poured.

When handling chemical cleaners, it’s not enough to protect yourself, you should also ensure the protection of the environment. Disposing of these chemicals should be done through proper methods, or for easier and quicker handling, at a chemical waste disposal.

It can make things worse

Drain clogs can be caused by a variety of reasons, which may or may not be handled by chemical drain cleaners. Certain clogs can’t be melted, for example, which will cause the cleaner to sit stagnantly, thus ruining your drainage system even further. Other damages to the pipe or sewer line can also be aggravated, thus still not resolving your clogged drain issues.

Conclusion

Although chemical drain cleaners are quick and convenient to use, these may not be the solution you’re looking for. Utilizing them doesn’t just have the potential to further destroy your plumbing system, but it can also be dangerous to your and your family. For the best results, having a professional plumbing maintenance service take a look at your pipes is your best bet.

Are you looking for a skillful plumber in Hackensack, NJ? At EcoPlumbing HVAC, we provide emergency plumbing services for any need—get in touch today!