Why you shouldn’t try to fix your own clogged drains

Fancy yourself as a bit of a DIY expert? Happy to get your hands dirty? When it comes to clogged drains, we recommend you leave it to the professionals. Sometimes fixing blocked drains yourself can result in damage much greater than just the blockage.

I know what you’re thinking; why was drain cleaner invented if not to pour into my drain when it’s clogged?! Unfortunately, they’re not the “quick fix” that the manufacturing companies profess them to be. That mix of chemicals can actually build up in the clogged area and over time this can damage your pipes. Not such a quick, cheap solution now is it?

Think about the environment and wildlife

You only have to look at the bottle of drain cleaner to see all the harmful chemical ingredients it is comprised of. If these toxins are so dangerous to us, what would they do to our valuable and unique ecosystem? If our effluent flows through the wastewater system and out to the sea (eventually), the damage to plants and wildlife could be conspicuous.

Additional pipe damage

As mentioned earlier, by repeatedly pouring drain cleaner down your drain, you could end up with damaged pipes. The bottle may proclaim that their drain cleaner is “safe on pipes” but this is abundantly contentious.

The chemicals in a drain cleaner are customarily accompanied by corrosive and harmful warnings on the bottle for good reason. Now, imagine all those chemicals pooling around the blockage in your pipes and the damage it will do and you’ll agree that it isn’t worth the risk. The corrosivity can even result in a collapse of the system which, believe us, is extremely messy and disruptive; not to mention the damage it’ll do to your pocket.

If you are resolute on having a go, the best option to try before calling the professionals would be an all-natural product.

Dangers of DIY plumbing “tools”

We’re pretty sure there are some weird and wonderful suggestions on the internet for homemade “tools” to clear your clogged drain BUT, remember: don’t believe everything you read on the internet (apart from this blog obviously).

Sticking long, sharp objects into drains does not clear blockages. It may instead result in gouging the pipes, stabbing holes through pipes or more; but you can be sure that it does result in the latter, not the former. Although it may seem like a lot of hassle to get a plumber in, ‘quick solutions’ like these go wrong all the time. In the end, it just leads to regret and expensive repair bills.

Time to bring out the big guns

Time to bring out the big guns…or big jetter in our case. Fallon’s professional drain cleaners will be able to use an exploratory camera to find the blockage, clear it precisely with the electric eel or water jetter and use CCTV to ensure the drains are unblocked after. If you have any questions or would like to discuss a long-term drainage solution such as pipe patching or pipe relining, call Fallon Solutions on 1300 054 488 or complete our booking request form.