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Why You Shouldn’t Use Liquid Drain Cleaners

Clogs are embarrassing. No one likes having to call a plumber to clear out a backed-up toilet or shower. That’s why we understand why you’d wanna go straight for the liquid drain cleaners like Drano to deal with a clog. But WAIT!

What They Don't Tell You

In order for a chemical to break down the things causing your clog, they’ve gotta be pretty potent. Drano and other chemical drain cleaners are bad for your plumbing, your body, and the environment!

A pipe that has been damaged in a basement.

Your Plumbing

Unfortunately, in order to break down clogs, these chemicals have to be pretty strong. They’re aggressive enough to break down clogs, sure, but they’re also strong enough to break down your pipes. Because these chemicals are corrosive, they’re especially bad for PVC pipes. While it eats away at your clog, it also eats away at the glue that keeps your pipes held together.

Over time, using liquid drain cleaners can cause leaks. You might be clearing the clog, but you’re not addressing the cause of your repeat clogs and you’re gonna end up with a bigger problem in the end when your pipes are damaged!

The Environment

Not only are these chemical drain cleaners bad for your home, but they’re also bad for the environment and septic systems. These chemical cleaners often contain lye, bleach, and other toxic ingredients that can find their way into rivers, streams, and other water sources. This hurts the wildlife and plants in the area, and it even risks contaminating food supplies.

Your Health

On top of all that, Drano is dangerous to humans! It’s meant to dissolve all kinds of materials, so you can imagine what it would do if it touched your skin or eyes. Ouch! It’s also harmful to inhale the fumes. There’s no need to keep chemicals like this around the house, especially if you have kids that could get into the bottles under the sink.

A Slow Drain is a Clogged Drain

There’s nothing quite like that icky feeling of dirty shower water collecting at your feet. Sure, it might drain a while after you get out of the shower, but that doesn’t mean it’s working! If your drains are slow-moving, you’ve got a clog somewhere in your pipes. Over time, more things are gonna get stuck in that clog (hair, soap, toothpaste, etc.) and it’ll get bigger and bigger until it eventually stops up your drain entirely. It’s best to have a plumber out to clear it before it becomes totally unusable!

How Do You Know if You Have a Mainline Clog?

Do you hear gurgling from your bathtub when you flush your toilet? Do you have multiple drains in your home that run slow? Have you noticed a sewage smell coming from your drains? You might have what’s called a mainline clog. This means the clog isn’t in a pipe coming from a specific appliance in your home (such as your bathtub or toilet). All your sewage lines connect to a main pipe before going out to the waste treatment plant. Your clog is likely in that main line, which means you’ll be feeling the effects of the clog in multiple drains.

This might sound stressful or scary to have a clog that deep in the line, but it’s SUPER common. We see it all the time, and we can clear it out and get your drains flowing again!

Clear Your Drains for Just $77

Most household clogs are no deeper in the pipes than 75 feet. That’s why we suggest our $77 Drain Cabling Special to anyone dealing with a clog! For just $77, one of our professional plumbers will come out to your home and cable up to 75 feet of drain (with proper access). This clears up most common clogs and gets your water flowing the right way again! And it’s so much better for your pipes than chemical drain cleaners. Because we’re pros, we know a LOT about pipes, drains, and clogs. We bring a lot of experience to the table and can talk to you about ways to keep the clogs away for good!

Schedule now to get your drains cleared!