Yes, Drano is Bad For Pipes. The erosive and destructive effects of Drano badly affect the drain pipes and plumbing system. When you encounter a messy situation like a clogged drain, things may seem a bit daunting. Grabbing Drano and pouring it down the drain seems like a no-brainer. However, no matter how easy and simple this sounds, it can actually do more harm than good. These temporary fixes come with huge red alerts that most likely show up when things get unmanageable.
Before taking a dive into the question of whether drano is bad for pipes and why plumbers hate it, let’s first understand what drano is and what dangers are associated with its usage.
What Is Drano?
Drano is the most commonly used drainage cleaner by homeowners and is made of a complex combination of various chemicals. A powerful blend of chemicals like sodium hypochlorite (bleach), sodium hydroxide (lye), sodium chloride, sodium nitrate, and aluminum.
It comes in liquid or crystalline form and offers the quickest alternative to Clogged Drains. When it is poured down the drain, all the chemicals react to dissolve everything that is causing blockages. The heat formed decomposes the organic matter until the very last bit.
As simple as it may sound, it is lethal for everything that comes in between, be it your hands, skin, or your plumbing pipes. It causes potential damage to your body and your plumbing system.
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Why Is Drano Bad For Pipes?
The erosive and destructive effects of Drano are not only limited to the clog you were trying to remove. The answer to the question of whether can Drano damage pipes lies in the fact that It badly affects the drain pipes and plumbing system. The chemical reaction that Drano creates continues to react and form immense heat unless all the clog is dissolved.
This rising heat and chain of reaction get too much for your pies to handle. It causes PVC pipes to become soft and eventually break apart. Furthermore, it dissolves the glue holding pipes together leading to leaky pipes. Over time, with regular usage of Drano, your pipes can corrode and crack.
Why Do Plumbers Say Not To Use Drano?
You’ve often heard that Plumbers won’t take any appointments if you’ve recently used Drano.
If you’re wondering why plumbers say not to use Drano. The reason why plumbers say not to use Drano is, that the chemical in Drano is extremely dangerous to the dermal health and respiratory system. The main purpose of Drano is to dissolve organic matter, so when it comes in contact with the body, it can easily consume it too. The toxic fumes can get inside the respiratory system and cause irritation as well and they can be lethal to the skin or eyes. These fumes stay there for a very long time which is why plumbers avoid working on your pipes.
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Drano Is Often A Temporary Fix
You probably wondering, Why plumbers say not to use Drano when the directions say it won’t harm pipes.
While Drano may seem to do its job just fine, it only serves as a one-time solution. If you have been encountering clogged pipes back to back, then it is more likely to be a major plumbing issue rather than something Drano can fix.
A serious plumbing issue needs the attention of a Professional Plumber rather than Drano. It is better to avoid pouring down Drano repeatedly if you’re facing clogs over and over again. In the long run, this can be severely damaging to pipes.
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Drano Can Damage Your Lungs, Skin, And Eyes:
Drano is basically an amalgam of different chemicals. When they are mixed a chain of reaction is formed which is specifically designed to consume all the organic matter that is causing the clogged pipes.
Due to the reaction heat, fumes, and bubbles are formed which can be potentially harmful to the lungs, skin, and eyes if no careful measures are taken. These fumes can be inhaled by you which leads to excessive irritation. Furthermore, it travels to the bloodstream and causes lethal effects.
While pouring down, if it accidentally gets in contact with bare skin, or eyes, it can cause rashes or even burns. Immediate washing of hands is necessary after using Drano to save your face from the touch of hands.
Due to its noxious effects, it has to be always kept away from the reach of children or pets. If you’ve been speculating whether is Drano safe or not? Then you must know it is absolutely not a safe option.
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Dangers To Septic System
The toilet septic system consists of good bacteria that help in the decomposition of the sewage materials. Regular usage of Drano can kill these bacteria, which leads to bigger and more frequent blockages. Without an ample amount of these good bacteria, you’ll have to experience drainage blockage time after time.
What Are The Alternatives To Drano?
Now that you’re familiar with the dangers that Drano holds, how can you clear your clogged pipes? If Drano is not a good option, that doesn’t imply that you can’t unclog it yourself. There are many simple hacks available that come in handy when you’ve to Unclog The Blocked Drainage Pipe.
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Baking Soda And Vinegar
A mixture of baking soda, hot water, and vinegar is the best alternative to using Drano.
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Plunger OR Drain Snake:
Tools like a plunger or drain snake can also clear the blocked pipes occasionally. A plunger is a good old tool that has been used for many years to open up the drain and restore the water flow.
For the areas that a plunger can’t reach, a drain snake which consists of a long and slim coil can be used to knock out the clogs.
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Call A Plumber Or Drain Cleaning Company
If you see that even after using different natural hacks or tools, the clog isn’t being removed, then it is best to leave this work in the hands of professionals.
Recurrent brain blockage may mean that there is some serious issue going on with your plumbing system. Calling a Reliable Plumber OR Any Drain Cleaning Company is the best bet in such a scenario.
Plumbers with years of experience have expertise and knowledge. They use cutting-edge technology to clear out all the stubborn clogs that have slowed down your life and the drain pipes.
With tools, they can manually pull out the clog. Along with that, they can also check and balance your overall plumbing system.