Liquid Drain Cleaner 101

It may be marketed as the miracle substance that will end all of your plumbing woes, but unfortunately liquid drain cleaner is not doing you any favours. You may be tempted to think that we just don’t want you using these products because it means you’ll need to call us to deal with any plugs or slow drains, but that’s actually not the case. In fact, regularly using drain cleaner will mean a much more expensive visit from our plumbers than just having some routine maintenance for your drains.

Drain Cleaner Destroys Pipes.

Liquid drain cleaner generally works by you pouring highly corrosive substances down your drains to devour whatever is causing the clog. Often, there will also be a reaction taking place inside your plumbing which releases a ton of heat. And, we’re going to be honest with you — in general, drain cleaner does a really, really good job of eating clogs. Unfortunately, the drain cleaner doesn’t know the difference between the clog and the pipe, so it also destroys your pipes. Plus, the heat released can permanently damage, warp, or even melt your plumbing. Use drain cleaner too often (we tend to feel that even once is too often) and you will see a noticeable decline in the lifespan of your plumbing.

The Baking Soda, Vinegar, Water Method.

Now that you’ve put down the drain cleaner, you still need to deal with your clogged drain. Here’s the DIY method we recommend. It works quite well for small clogs which makes it a good litmus test for whether you need to call in a plumber. Start by filling up your kettle and getting some water boiling. While the water heats up, measure around a half cup to a full cup of baking soda and 1-2 cups of vinegar — don’t mix them! When your water has boiled. Dump all of the baking soda down the drain and follow slowly with the vinegar. Finish with the hot water — you’ll want around 1L. If the drain is still slow, repeat a second time. Usually, this method with help. If not, it’s time to give us a call.

Professional Drain Cleaning.

Whether you have a drain clearing emergency or just want to schedule regular maintenance, our expert, Calgary plumbers have the necessary equipment and experience to have your plumbing running smoothly again — without damaging your pipes. While the method we mentioned above will generally take care of smaller clogs, a lot of time the best option is to actually remove the hair, grease, and other muck causing the problem in the first place. It may not be glorious work, but we think you’ll find the results glorious all the same. And, if it’s been a long time since you had your plumbing professionally cleaned, you may be shocked by just how quickly water is supposed to drain.

The facts are drain cleaner is terrible for your plumbing and you should simply not use it. We hope that our baking soda and vinegar method helps you maintain your pipes without destroying them. But remember, if you ever need help with clogged plumbing — whether they’re simply draining slowly or not at all, our team is always ready to help! Give us a call.