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You will hardly find homes where slow sink and tub drains do not happen. But you do not need to rush to a hardware store to buy Drano, a chemical drain cleaner, and pour it into your drains. We at Sydney Blocked Drains suggest that you pause and think about the pros and cons of using this or any other chemical drain cleaners. Let’s take an objective look at these products and what the pros and cons are.
What Are The Pros
- Chemical cleaners work wonders in terms of cleaning the drains in a matter of ten to fifteen minutes.
- The product is simple to use because you just pour the cleaner into the drain. It needs no training as in the case of cabling or hydro-jetting drains.
- There is no doubt that it is cheap and convenient to use. It will cost only a few dollars, which is small change compared to what you may pay a professional plumber for the job.
- It efficiently removes clogs with a lot of food, hair, and grease in them. While food and grease easily block the kitchen sinks without garbage disposals, hair is the main culprit that clogs tub and shower drains. Chemical drain cleaners do a fairly good drain cleaning job.
What Are The Cons?
- When you use chemical cleaners, there is a danger of noxious fumes and chemical burns. The accidental splashing of chemical drainer on your face or body can create the same chemical reaction that takes place when it coats clogs and dissolves them. It is also pretty dangerous to use cleaners in a closed area as they give off hazardous fumes.
- Chemical cleaners contain pollutants. In case of a leak in the main sewer line, these pollutants seep into the soil and pollute the groundwater.
- A chemical drain cleaner is not useful in clearing clogs with solid objects or mineral deposit build-ups in them.
- These cleaners can prove damaging to plumbing pipes. The heat produced in the process of breaking up clogs can soften PVC pipes and corrode other pipes too. Already corroded plumbing pipes will suffer considerable damage and result in more clogs with repeated use of the chemical cleaner.
Warning Signals
- Pouring chemical cleaner into a garbage disposal is hazardous. Besides damaging the disposal unit, the chemicals can splash back into your face when you start the unit and burn your skin and eyes.
- These chemicals damage septic tanks. Therefore, avoid their use if you have installed a septic tank on your premises.
- Do not try to clean a completely blocked drain with a chemical cleaner. The chemicals coat the clogs, contaminate the sitting water, and make it dangerous for the plumber to remove the clog.
The cons of chemical drain cleaners are significantly more than the benefits of using them. The best way to avoid all these problems is to avoid using them and clean the drains with a plunger now and then. Clear drains with baking soda and boiling water occasionally to keep them clear of clogs.
Hire a professional plumber for severe clogs and drain blockages. For information about our plumbing services, you can speak with the Sydney Blocked Drains experts on 1300 403 201 or send us your queries and requests via this online form, and we will revert shortly.
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Please contact us to get in touch. One of our friendly team members will get back to you as soon as possible.
