Why Can’t I Just Use Store Bought Drain Cleaners?

Drain clogs aren’t really much of a threat to your plumbing system, but they are terribly inconvenient. It’s understandable to want to just drive to the store, pick up a liter of drain cleaner, and pour it down the drain in the hopes of solving the problem. While this may be more convenient than scheduling a professional drain cleaning appointment, though, it does have plenty of problems. Read on to find out why store bought drain cleaners are a bad idea.

Most drain cleaners use highly corrosive materials, like bleach, to eat through the waste that makes up a clog. This method certainly works, but it doesn’t come without costs. That kind of corrosive substance is just as harmful for your pipes as it is for the clog. Drain cleaners will corrode the metal in your drain pipe, making it weaker and causing leaks to become more likely. If you keep using drain cleaners over a long enough period, you may have to replace your pipes years sooner than you would have otherwise had to.

Professional drain cleaning services do not involve the use of corrosive substances. Instead, they use either drain snaking or hydro jetting to get rid of clogs. Drain snaking involves using an auger on a long cord to drill through any clogs in the pipe. Hydro jetting uses a high pressure stream of water to blast all built up waste out of the pipe. Both methods are far more effective than store bought drain cleaners, without actually damaging your pipes.