Tales for The DIY Amateurs: Why You Should Avoid Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Drain Cleaning

All homeowners love it, the DIY prescription to what ails their home. Sure, it's a low-cost solution that can work well and not quite well for others, especially the DIY amateur. Clearing a blocked drain is no simple task. Even though you're looking to score a few DIY points, trying to clear a blocked drain could get you into all sorts of trouble that could cost you a fortune than if you had called an expert. Here's why you should leave your blocked drain to the experts.

You could hurt yourself

As a DIY amateur, you have little knowledge of what you're doing when it comes to clearing a blocked drain. Drain cleaning products contain acids, such as sodium hydroxide, that could burn your skin or eyes when accidentally spilled. Such cleaners are designed to 'eat away' the debris clogging your drain and they require heavy protective gear during application. Also, they emit lingering fumes that could damage your eyes, nose, and lungs.

As an average homeowner, it's best to leave the job to the experts who better understand the dangers all too well and have the proper protective gear and training to handle the dangerous chemicals.

You could damage the drains   Trying a DIY drain cleaning can cause serious damage to your home's drain pipes. This is especially true because, commercial cleaners contain highly corrosive chemicals, such as sulphuric acid, that can corrode your pipes over time. Also, you may lack the expertise to know the required usage of cleaning products. You could end up using more cleaning product than is required, hence wearing your drains. Worn out drains lead to costly repairs.

Also, you could damage your pipes by using the wrong cleaning product. A cleaner works well with steel doesn't necessarily work well with copper or plastic pipes.

You could run into complications during storage

You've finished clearing your drain with no incident, now what? You store the remaining chemicals for future use. Have you considered the complications that could arise during storage? There could be an accidental spillage, or a child could mistake the cleaning product as something ingestible. Even a simple inhalation could lead to serious health complications. Hiring a professional plumber guarantees that you don't need to store any dangerous cleaning chemicals in the house.

A DIY drain cleaning isn't effective

Chemicals and cleaning products might work for minor clogs, but most DIY approaches will not work for deeply blocked drains. Such drain issues will require a professional plumber's tools to help in clearing the drain effectively.