The systems that make up the functional backbone of your home — electrical, HVAC, and plumbing — are designed to provide years of performance with relatively minimal maintenance. However, it all comes down to how you use them and how well you maintain them.
If you fail to clean your drains regularly and they fill up with grease, soapy residue, food waste, and other gunk, you could find yourself dealing with clogged pipes. Between slow draining, unpleasant odors, and standing water, using sinks and tubs can become a major frustration.
Your first instinct may be to tackle clogs on your own, but this could end up being a costly mistake. Why is DIY drain cleaning the wrong approach, and what should you do instead?
What Causes Clogged Drains?
A clog is rarely within easy reach when you pull out the stopper. When water starts backing up, it’s usually due to a blockage much deeper in the pipe. It could be stuck in a bend or even farther along, outside the perimeter of your house.
Clogs are frequently caused by a combination of factors, such as food particles, sticky soap scum, and tangles of hair. They could also be the result of foreign objects going down drains or even long-term issues like erosion, tree roots, or ground settling that cause a pipe to collapse.
Some clogs are particularly hard to reach, which is why it’s essential to seek professional help. Of course, you can avoid some clogs by scheduling regular drain cleaning services. Many homeowners add this task to their fall home maintenance checklist.
Can Drain Cleaners Make the Problem Worse?
There are many household maintenance tasks that the average homeowner can tackle on their own. Since drain cleaners are readily available, you might think fixing plumbing issues is among them. Unfortunately, trying to clear clogs on your own can backfire and lead to worse problems.
Too often, drain cleaners dissolve or dislodge a clog just enough to push it deeper into the pipe, where an even larger clog may form, potentially resulting in a leak or a burst pipe.
Corrosive chemicals can also damage plastic and metal pipes. For these reasons, a seemingly straightforward temporary fix could spell disaster and end up costing you a lot more than if you had sprung for professional drain cleaning in the beginning.
Are Drain Cleaners Harmful to Your Health?
Cleaning drains can be detrimental to your health in a variety of ways.
Drain cleaners generally contain harsh chemicals like sodium hydroxide. If these chemicals come into contact with your skin, eyes, or lungs, you could suffer respiratory distress, impaired vision, burns, severe pain, and a range of other symptoms.
These substances also cause environmental damage by contaminating groundwater, killing beneficial bacteria, and disrupting ecosystems.
Fortunately, there are better methods of eliminating clogs. Professional drain cleaning services offer effective solutions that do less harm.
Minimize Household Risks With Professional Drain Cleaning
When clogs occur, there’s no need to jeopardize your health or plumbing. A professional plumber will have the knowledge, experience, and tools to perform drain cleaning services quickly and effectively, so you don’t have to.
Reach out to the qualified team at Woods Comfort Systems today to address your plumbing concerns and prevent further disruption to your life.
