{"id":1039,"date":"2024-12-02T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-02T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.picturerockscooling.com\/blog\/?p=1039"},"modified":"2024-11-27T15:23:02","modified_gmt":"2024-11-27T22:23:02","slug":"whats-wrong-with-liquid-drain-cleaner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.picturerockscooling.com\/blog\/drain-and-sewer-service\/whats-wrong-with-liquid-drain-cleaner\/","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s Wrong With Liquid Drain Cleaner?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"graphic-of-u-bend-of-blocked-pipe\"<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Let\u2019s imagine that you\u2019ve been noticing a sink draining more and more slowly lately. Especially during the holiday season, you might be asking even more of your plumbing than you usually do. It\u2019s entirely likely that your slow sink will get worse, or even become completely stopped up, before the new year. So what will you do? Go out and buy a bottle of liquid drain cleaner? No! Don\u2019t do that! Why not? Give us a moment and we\u2019ll explain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Consider the pH<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The pH scale of acidity to alkalinity ranges from zero, extremely acidic, to a 14, extremely basic. Battery acid clocks in at zero, lemon juice at two, and black coffee at five. Neutral pH, such as water, is around seven. Baking soda, soap, and ammonia get increasingly basic, and bleach and oven cleaner have a pH of 13. So why does the scale go all the way to fourteen? For liquid drain cleaner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Personal Health Concerns<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A pH this high means that liquid drain cleaner is extremely caustic. It can very quickly cause severe chemical burns if it touches your skin. It\u2019s incredibly dangerous to get even the smallest droplet in your eye. And even just the fumes that rise from it can be harmful to your eyes, nose, throat, and lungs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And we\u2019re talking about the risk to healthy adult humans! If you have children or pets in your home, the hazard of having something like liquid drain cleaner sitting in your sink for the recommended 15 or twenty 20 becomes even more concerning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plumbing Concerns<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Your drain pipes are not made of a magical substance that won\u2019t be affected by this extremely strong chemical concoction. As the liquid drain cleaner sits in your plumbing, dissolving your blockage, it will also be eating away at the surface of the inside of your pipes. When it\u2019s rinsed away, the pipes will be left roughened and pockmarked. This will provide easy handholds for future buildup, leading to more and more clogs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to Do Instead<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If liquid drain cleaning chemicals aren\u2019t the right choice, what should you do when your sink is draining slowly or is fully clogged? Take these three steps, one at a time.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n