Is your drain blocked? It can be pretty tempting to rush over to the store and buy some drain cleaner. This type of quick fix does however have quite a few risks. Risks that might not just affect your drainpipes but also your personal health.
Let’s take a look at some of the hazards of using declogger liquids when your drain is all blocked up.
How Drain Cleaners Can Affect Your Pipework
Very few people are aware of how terrible drain-clearing agents can be for your pipes. The damage is especially likely to occur in older drainage systems or if you keep repeating the process. Extreme chemicals that are designed to dissolve fats and other compounds can also affect the pipes. The chemicals tend to corrode metal pipes or might cause PVC pipes to warp. It is also common to see weakening in joints and seals where chemicals tend to collect.
How Drain Cleaners Can Affect Your Health
You are very likely to feel a little bit “off” after trying to unblock your drains with cleaning chemicals.
What makes drain cleaners so terrible is that they need to sit for a while. It takes some time to dissolve the clog. During this time, quite a bit of toxic fumes can continue bubbling up into your home. You are very likely to start feeling lightheaded, and your lungs can start feeling scratchy from inhaling these toxins. These liquids can also burn your skin and eyes if you accidentally spill.
Drain cleaners can be especially harmful if they are mixed with other cleaning products like bleach, ammonia or just about any household cleaning product. When products are mixed, the fumes are especially toxic and can cause very bad reactions in anyone inhaling these fumes.
Why Using the Right Drain Treatments Matters
If you tried a drain degreaser or cleaner before, you likely already know that these products don’t work all the time. In most cases, this is because you are not using the right chemical for the right type of clog. Drain cleaners are specially developed to target and dissolve specific products. Here is a quick look at some major methods for getting rid of a drain blockage.
Chemical Cleaners – The products contain powerful chemicals, designed to break down grease, hair, soap scum, and organic buildup.
Enzymatic Cleaners – These mixtures contain enzymes and bacteria. They are designed to break down organic matter. The process is slower, safer, yet it won’t be effective for all clogs.
Mechanical Drain Cleaning – For this method, equipment, like plungers, drain snakes, or augers, is used to physically remove the blockage.
Professional Drain Cleaning – Plumbing-grade tools and advanced camera inspection equipment are used to identify and clear away blockages. This is the best option for severe blocks that chemical cleaners just won’t clear up.
Safe Ways to Take on a Drain Clog
It is perfectly fine to try to unclog your drain yourself before calling a Melbourne plumber for assistance. Here are some of the safe methods you can try;
- Use a plunger to try to clear away the blockage. This is the safest DIY method that doesn’t pose a risk of damaging the drain.
- Try using a drain snake to clear away hair, soap buildup or other obstacles.
- Pour lots of hot water down the drain. Hot water can dissolve soap or grease and might clear out the clog.
- Try an enzymatic drain cleaner. This will take some time, yet it won’t damage your drain pipes.
If none of these methods works, then it is best to call a plumber in Melbourne to come and assist with professional drain unclogging.
Get Drains Unclogged Professionally
Murphy’s Plumbing is the best company to call when you are dealing with a drain clog that just won’t budge or if your drain blockages keep returning. Our plumbing team are the best with indoor and outdoor clogs or blockages. We can pinpoint the exact location of the blockages, identify the type of blockage you are dealing with and quickly dissolve the matter without causing damage to your drainage systems.
Contact Murphy’s Plumbing now for safe and quick drain unclogging.
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