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Drain Cleaners
People often add chemical and/or enzymatic drain cleaners to their plumbing systems to remove obstructions or to prevent or slow their formation. Such blockages are usually the result of an accumulation of soap, grease, paper products, hair, human waste, and other foreign materials. These materials are normally deposited in drains, pipes, and sewer lines. But the design of piping systems, the quantity of material introduced, and flow problems allow the occurrence of blockages.
Chemical and enzymatic drain cleaners have the appeal of being potentially easy to use, quick in their degradation of the blockage, and often are less expensive than mechanical drain cleaning equipment. Chemical cleaners work via their reactive chemical nature; enzymatic cleaners work via slower biological/digestive type reactions. Because of their chemical reactivity, coupled with the often unknown contents and configurations of plumbing systems, improper application of chemical drain cleaners can result in unexpected chemical reactions, splashes, and other effects which may result in personal injury and/or property damage.
Drain Cleaner Categories:
- Caustics: lye, sodium hydroxide, caustic soda
- Oxidizers: sodium hypochlorite
- Acids: sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid
- Enzymatic: biochemical waste digesters
- Product packaging and labeling
- Dispensing methods
- Protective methods
- Failures of piping and/or fixtures
- Proper maintenance
- Chemical burns
- Chemical reactions that produce heat, gas eruptions, or toxic gases
Drain Cleaner Implications:
You can remove obstructions or restrictions by using mechanical or chemical removal methods. Chemical removal employs generation of heat and reaction between the drain cleaner and the blocked material. Such chemical reactions have potential to be very strong and expel toxic gases. Additionally, chemicals can cause burns, react with things other than those in the blockage, and produce other undesirable physical effects. Chemical drain cleaners can damage plumbing and surrounding surfaces. Since they are generally denser than water, they sink to a lowest possible point. Enzymatic drain cleaners are less likely to acutely harm the human body by direct contact with the skin and/or eyes than chemical drain cleaners. By reformulating and introducing slower reacting methods, scientists have reduced the potential for some hazards. But these safer cleaners tend to be less effective at dissolving the obstruction or blockage.
Drain Cleaner Issues:
Heat caused by chemical drain cleaners may soften plastic (PVC) pipes. The heat, combined with the chemical reaction, may damage corroded old pipes. Acid drain cleaners corrode stainless steel, damage aluminum fixtures, and can crack porcelain. And if a chemical drain cleaner does not remove the blockage, the chemical may remain stay in the piping system in an unreacted state.
Sometimes, people try to clear a blockage by using more than one product. If you add an acid drain cleaner into pipes that already contain caustic drain cleaners, it can cause a strong acid-base neutralization reaction. This type of reaction usually results in the formation of a salt and water. But in the worst case scenario, it can generate extreme heat, and the liquids may spatter or erupt from the drain. Diluting concentrated caustics and acids can also generate heat. Depending on the initial and final solution concentrations, this "heat of solution" can be considerable and variable. If the chemical remains unreacted in the piping system, anyone who tries to clear the blockage by mechanical means (e.g. by using a plunger) may unknowingly have the potential of exposure to the chemical.
If you add water to a concentrated caustic or acid, it may cause boiling and spattering of the resulting solution. However, if the caustic or acid is slowly and carefully added to water, you can minimize the chances of boiling and spattering. Standards often recommend using the term "concentrated" for aqueous solutions as a warning for potential injuries to tissue or negative health effects. Be advised that chemical texts often use the same term for nearly pure solutions.
Due to differences in volume between liquids and gases, reactions which generate gases may result in possible eruptions and pressure buildup. Combining caustic acid drain cleaners containing sodium hypochlorite with other household chemicals can form toxic gases such as chloramine or chlorine. The oxidation of organic materials can cause the formation of gases such as carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and/or organic gases. Carbonates in acid drain cleaners and concrete can react to liberate carbon dioxide gas.
When you use an enzymatic treatment, it typically requires at least one overnight application. And you cannot use the drain during this time. Most treatments require additional applications in order to establish a colony. And since bacteria are regularly washed out as the drain is used, such treatments recommend monthly maintenance applications, resulting in increased cost, maintenance, and inconvenience. Adding cleaning solutions that include bleach, disinfectants, solvents, or other chemicals can be harmful to the established bacterial colony.
Drain Cleaner Summary:
Chemical and enzymatic drain cleaners are potentially dangerous to use. They can react with human tissue in a similar manner as to the organic materials in drain blockages. Hazardous and toxic gases can be generated, as well as spattering and/or eruptions. Standards exist addressing these potential hazards with recommendations for: proper and safe use, packaging and labeling, and personal protection. Recommendations have been made to use preventive methods such as:
- avoiding pouring grease down drains
- using strainers to trap food, hair, and other articles
- regular biological/enzymatic treatments
- pouring hot water down the drain weekly to keep the drain free flowing. The water should be poured directly into the drain rather than in the basin, so as to avoid cracking of porcelain fixtures.
BUT WHY GO THROUGH ALL THIS
WHEN YOU CAN USE PERMAFLOW???
"Now there's a new device on the market that eliminates the need for the P-trap and the subsequent hazards associated with clearing a clog.
PermaFLOW™ eliminates the need for harsh chemicals. You no longer need to use nasty drain cleaners and toxins to unclog your drains. Wouldn't it be nice to make residential and commercial property maintenance chemical-free and avoid any untoward side effects of toxic drain cleaners? Over time, drain-cleaning chemicals cause damage to the plumbing and drain pipes, which results in additional repair costs. And even more significantly, drain-cleaning chemicals contaminate the water system, costing the community and our society an exorbitant amount of money in treatment costs.
PermaFLOW™ can reduce or eliminate all of these issues at a fraction of the cost. So why wouldn't you install it as soon as possible to avoid future frustration, save money, and help keep environment clean. PermaFLOW works in conjunction with environmentally-friendly Low Flow Rate Faucets, further enhancing the environment by conserving water.
PermaFLOW™ has a unique patented design and several features that lead to its great success.
PermaFLOW™ is the World’s First Self-Cleaning ‘GREEN’ Drain System (P-Trap Replacement) with the patented SELFClean™ feature. This feature increases flow turbulence, minimizes deposition, breaks and propels debris, and cleans itself. It simply does not allow the sink to get clogged in the first place. The PermaFLOW patented EZClean™ feature helps clean the build-up that leads to clogs without the hassles of plumbing snakes, plungers, opening P-Trap and using harmful drain-cleaning chemicals. It does this via an external knob with a spindle and wiper inside for clean-up.
Save yourself hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars, not to mention headache and inconvenience. Install PermaFlow today!
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