The dangers of unblocking a drain yourself

Have you ever considered unblocking a drain yourself without the hassle of having to call in a plumber? While this may seem like an easy option, you may not have considered how potentially dangerous this may be and the horrific consequences it may cause.

In a recent case, a plumber was injured in a horrific acid explosion when the bottle of sulphuric acid he was using to unclog a drain exploded in his face. This just goes to show the real danger of unclogging a drain, even when attempted by a licensed professional.

For the full Acid Explosion article.

The main dangers of unclogging a drain come from the readily available drain cleaning chemicals and their volatile state if not used correctly. Many of these unfortunate drain unblocker cleaning accidents stem from the improper or accidental use of harmful chemicals that will burn the skin on impact. Chemical (otherwise known as caustic) burns are very dangerous as the chemical will continue burning the sensitive skin until washed off.

The strong chemicals in drain cleaners are designed to dissolve the grease or build up causing the drain blockage, therefore you can only imagine the horrific result skin to chemical contact would produce. This is why many chemical products have an important list of safety recommendations that sadly get ignored and lead to accidents. When dealing with any sort of cleaning chemical product (yes, even toilet cleaning products!), remember to always use safety equipment such as gloves and eye protection.

What to do if you have a blocked drain:

We all know how frustrating a blocked drain can be, but it important to remember to put you and your family’s safety first.

While it can be easy to try out DIY unblocking options such as boiling water or natural drain cleaners, it’s also important to consider that a blockage is often a symptom of a bigger problem such as a potential crack in the pipe.

• If you have a blocked drain, the team at Pure Plumbing Professionals are experts in unblocking drains and drain cleaning as we use the latest CCTV technology to get to the source of the blockage quickly. We can then provide a full report on what we find to be the problem and suggest the route to take.
• Blocked drains can be more complicated than they appear which is why Pure Plumbing Professionals never recommend that you use chemical drain cleaning solutions as this may not help the issue and cause danger towards yourself and damage to your pipes.

The drain unblocking specialists

Pure Plumbing Professionals are your local Sydney experts in everything drainage and pipes. If you have any questions or need an experienced plumber to unblock your drains, call us on (02) 8188 5339 or contact us via our booking form.