If you reach for
Drano whenever you have any issue with your drains, you’re not alone. Drano is an affordable and seemingly perfect solution to any drain clogging. Unfortunately, all is not what it seems, and you may be unwittingly causing damage to your home. So, here we will explain 4 problems you may experience if you’re using Drano.
Drano Contains Environmentally Unsafe Ingredients
Even if you can clear a clog in your drains with Drano, it may come at a hefty cost. Not only can traces of Drano seep into sewage systems, making its way into lakes, rivers, and other waterways, but it can also affect your “home environment.” Drano can be particularly harmful if you have pets and children in your household. The product contains many toxins, so the container needs to be handled with caution and kept as far as possible from pets, children, and food.
Drano Can Heat Up Pipes
Many users have never given any thought to how Drano actually clears a drain, but the chemicals in the product work in concert, creating heat with a chemical reaction. Drano needs to sit in the pipes to clear the clog, and while these chemicals are standing in your pipes, it is generating more and more heat. Over time this chemical combination and heat can cause corrosion and damage to your pipes, making them vulnerable to cracks, leaks and softening.
Drano is Very Unsafe for Some Family Members
If you’ve read the instructions on the bottle carefully, you’re likely to have noticed that the manufacturers recommend using gloves when handling Drano. This is due to the corrosive nature of Drano, but this isn’t the extent of the potential damage. Imagine if your pet gets thirsty and tries to drink out of a toilet bowl you’ve just treated with Drano. Not only is your precious pet likely to splash toxins on your bed, pillows, and couch, but they may also experience terrible irritation and burns. Small children can also be vulnerable to this danger if they have a fascination with flushing things or messing with your toilet.
Drano Could Trigger an Eruption
Even if it’s been a week since you used Drano in your pipes when you start doing some more cleaning you could be at risk of an eruption. The chances are that there is some traces of Drano remaining in your drain, particularly if the clog was not fully cleared, when mixed with another liquid cleaner you could create a terrible mix of highly toxic chemicals. Many household cleaning products contain chemicals that should never be mixed, so having Drano sitting in your pipes is a potential eruption or explosion waiting to happen.
Most households will experience a slow running or clogged drain at some point, but you don’t need to resort to caustic chemicals. An experienced plumber has the skills, tools, and expertise to clear any clogs without resorting to using chemicals. This is not only a more effective solution, but also reduces the risk of chemical issues and problems. So, at the first sign of a clog, don’t reach for the Drano and pick up the phone to call your
plumber instead.
By Giovanni Longo President Flood Brothers Plumbing
Giovanni Longo is a 3rd generation master plumber who has been practicing his craft and trade in the greater Los Angeles area for well over a decade and a half. A plumbing and hydraulics-engineering innovator, Giovanni’s particular world-class expertise focuses on dealing with challenging sewer system designs as well as resolving complex commercial and residential draining issues. As a certified Flood Mitigation expert, he is also well versed in a wide variety of water damage and remediation solution.
