Have you ever had a clogged drain to deal with? It is frustrating to say the least. However, it is normal for your drains to become clogged with food particles, soap scum, hair, grease, and other debris over time. The difference lies in what you do about it.
Perhaps you have heard about the liquid fire drain cleaner and you are contemplating getting it. However, you first want to know how to use liquid fire drain cleaner. Otherwise, you may end up in agonizing pain in case it comes into contact with sensitive areas like your eyes.
Keep it here as we guide you on how to use this highly corrosive product.
What is the Main Role of a Drain Cleaner?
Just as the name implies, a drain cleaner is used to unclog blocked drains and clean them out. What you probably don’t know is that there are several kinds of drain cleaners available including enzymatic, liquid, and chemical drain cleaners.
Chemical drain cleaners utilize powerful chemicals to break up or dissolve all that gunk in your drain. Enzymatic on the other hand uses enzymes and bacteria to break down clogs. The twist is that the clog will only be broken down if it is made up of organic material.
Now, drain cleaners do a good job of clearing blockages in your plumbing, but they should be used carefully because they can be harmful to you and your pipes.
How Does a Drain Cleaner Work?
As we have previously mentioned, there are different kinds of drain cleaners and they typically function the same.
Chemical-based drain cleaners contain powerful chemicals that break up or dissolve clogs. You are looking at chemicals like potassium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, and sulfuric acid which are known to be quite aggressive and can therefore corrode your pipes.
Enzymatic drain cleaners contain enzymes and bacteria that break down organic matter. However, such cleaners work slower than their chemical-based counterparts. They are less harmful to the environment and they won’t be as harsh on your plumbing.
Mechanical drain cleaners, include things like plumbing snakes that you can use to manually eliminate blockages.
Now, irrespective of the drain cleaner you choose to use, you want to follow manufacturer instructions to reduce chances of harming yourself and others around you, or even damaging your plumbing system.
Sterile Drain Cleaner
This is a type of drain cleaner that is formulated to get rid of bacteria that cause foul odors in drains. You will find that this kind of drain cleaner is used in places where hygiene is paramount such as food preparation areas and hospitals.
A sterile drain cleaner contains potent sanitizers and disinfectants such as hydrogen peroxide and bleach. It should be viscous and thick as this allows it to hold on to the walls of the drain and get deep into the plumbing system.
To use it, pour directly into the affected drain and allow it to sit so that the disinfectants in it can do their job. After a while, you can flush it away using water. This action washes away the drain cleaner along with any microorganisms that were in your drain.
That said, you want to keep in mind that this kind of drain cleaner is quite harsh and may be damaging to your pipes if overused.
Caustic Drain Cleaner
This drain cleaner contains strong chemicals that dissolve clogs inside your pipes. These chemicals could be lye, potassium hydroxide, or sulfuric acid that reacts with the clog matter and water contained in it to produce heat and cause a reaction that will break down the clog.
Once you pour caustic drain cleaner down your pipes, heat is generated and a chemical reaction occurs. This in turn breaks down clogs and turns them into liquid form that you can then easily flush away. Caustic drain cleaners are therefore ideal for eliminating blockages caused by soap scum, grease, and hair.
Enzymatic Drain Cleaner
This drain cleaner contains bacteria and natural enzymes that break down clogs especially those made up of organic material. When you pour this drain cleaner down your pipes, the enzymes and bacteria in it start to dissolve the clog and digest it.
Most people opt to use this drain cleaner because it is safer and eco-friendly. It does not contain harsh or corrosive chemicals that will damage your pipes or pollute the environment. The only downside is that the entire process of eliminating the blockage can take hours or sometimes even days depending on the size and nature of the clog.
How to Use Drain Cleaners Safely
Although drain cleaners effectively remove blockages in pipes, they can also be hazardous especially if they are misused. To that effect, the following tips will help you use the same safely.
Read and follow your drain cleaner manufacturer’s instructions. Note that different cleaners have different instructions so do not generalize them.
Protect yourself when using drain cleaners. Get gloves to prevent your hands from coming into contact with the cleaner. You should also get protective goggles to protect your eyes.
Never mix drain cleaners trying to get more power out of it. Doing this can cause harmful chemical reactions that may affect your health. The best course of action would be to use one cleaner at a time.
Ensure that your room is properly ventilated when using a drain cleaner. This is because such products can emit dangerous fumes that will harm you if inhaled.
Avoid overusing your drain cleaner. If you use them too often, chances are that they can damage your pipes and plumbing system over time. Therefore, you only want to use when it is absolutely necessary and use the recommended amount.
Lastly, you want to consider other alternatives before opting for a drain cleaner. For instance, you can use a plumbing snake or plunger as it is less harmful to your plumbing system and the environment. This will save you the potential danger of inhaling the fumes from drain cleaners or corroding your pipes due to the harsh chemicals contained in them.