If you are having plumbing problems in your home in Granite City, IL, you might be tempted to pour some chemical drain cleaner down the drain to see whether that resolves the issue. However, chemical drain cleaners are not always the right tool for the job. In addition, they can present serious risks to both people and property. Here are some of the main dangers to watch out for when using chemical drain cleaners in your Granite City home.
Health Risks
Drain cleaners contain chemicals that can damage your health. If you spill drain cleaner on your hand, the corrosive chemicals could irritate or even burn your skin. Getting the drain cleaner in your eyes is even more dangerous. Wearing gloves and being careful not to put the product anywhere near your eyes can help to protect you, but you still need to worry about the fumes released by the drain cleaner. These fumes can hang around for a while after you use the cleaner, so you will need to open a window to protect your lungs and airways.
Risks to Plumbing
The corrosive properties in some cleaners actually damages the pipes. Depending on the type metal pipes and their age, chemical cleaners corrode pipes. Natural drain cleaners aren’t necessarily any safer, as they still contain strong acids that can spoil the finish on your sink or bathtub.
Risks to the Environment
Chemical drain cleaners are often very bad for the environment. The chemicals in these drain cleaning products can harm fish and pollute local waterways, making them inhospitable for wildlife. If you care about the environment around Granite City, IL, protect it by only using chemical drain cleaners when they are absolutely essential.
Drain Cleaners Don’t Always Work
In many cases, drain cleaners don’t even work to get rid of the clog in your pipes. If your plumbing problems are caused by a blockage in the sewer line or a solid object lodged in the pipe, drain cleaner won’t help to resolve the issue.
Drain cleaning companies have far more tools in their toolboxes to resolve drain blockages. Rather than relying on drain cleaners that don’t always work to solve the plumbing problems in your Granite City, IL home, call Morrison Plumbing for help.
