Questions · Drains and sewer
Are drain chemicals a bad idea?
Mostly, yes. They generate heat, they sit against the pipe rather than removing the cause, and on a fully blocked drain they just pool there. The bigger problem is the next person to open that line, who now has caustic water to deal with. Tell us if any went in.
What actually happens
A chemical cleaner works by reacting with what it touches, and that reaction makes heat. In a drain that is flowing slowly, some of it reaches the blockage. In a drain that has stopped, it sits in the standing water above the blockage and stays there.
Either way it works on the surface of the clog rather than on the reason the clog formed, which is why the drain so often blocks again in the same place.
Why it matters to the plumber
- Opening a trap or pulling a fixture means meeting that water face first
- Heat and chemistry are hard on older joints, seals and some plastics
- It changes how a line can be safely cleared
- It tells us nothing about the cause, so the visit still starts from scratch
What to do instead
- Pull and clean the trap under a slow sink, which is often the whole problem
- Clean the pop up and the stopper in a slow bathroom sink, where hair collects
- Use a small hand auger on a single slow fixture
- For a drain that has stopped, or more than one fixture, stop and call rather than pouring anything
Answers
I already poured some in. What now?
Just tell us when you call. It changes how we open the line, and it is far better known than discovered. Nobody is going to be annoyed about it.
Are enzyme cleaners different?
They work slowly and are gentler, which makes them more of a maintenance habit than a fix for a blocked drain. They will not clear a stopped line.
What about boiling water?
Hot water can help grease in a kitchen line, but boiling water is hard on some plastic drain components. Hot water from the faucet is the safer version of the same idea.
If you need this done
- Drain cleaningSinks, tubs, showers and main lines cleared to the root of the blockage instead of pushed further down the line.
- Sewer line repairBackups, several slow drains at once, or foul odors: clogs, root intrusion and damaged or collapsed lines, repaired or replaced.
- Garbage disposalsNew installs, and repairs for a disposal that hums, jams, leaks or won't turn on.
- Where we workEvery town and ZIP across the Valley we cover.
In-home estimate
Rather have someone look at it? Tell us what's going on
We come out, look at the problem and explain what it needs before any work starts. For something urgent, calling is fastest.
Rather talk? Call or text (602) 833-4133.