Chemical drain cleaner rarely reaches the real clog, can damage older pipes and joints, and is a burn risk. Try a plunger, the trap or a hand snake first. If the blockage keeps coming back, call a licensed plumber.
Short answer: no, not as your first move. A blocked drain is annoying enough without a bottle of chemical drain cleaner making things worse. Most of the time it eats a thin patch of gunk near the plug hole, leaves the real clog where it was, and sits in your pipes while it does it.
Here is what chemical drain cleaner actually does, where it causes trouble, and what works better.
Most supermarket products are either caustic (usually sodium hydroxide, also sold as caustic soda) or acid based. Caustic types break down grease and soap scum, and they get hot while they work. Acid types burn through organic buildup and keep going if they sit. Neither one is picky. They attack whatever they touch, and that includes rubber seals, joints and the pipe wall itself.
That is fine when the blockage is a small plug of hair and soap right under the grate. It is a poor bet when the clog is further down the line, because the liquid either slips past or pools on top without getting a proper go at it.
A sink that is already full of water dilutes the product before it reaches the blockage. Tree roots, a collapsed section of pipe, a build up of wipes or a toy that has gone down the toilet will not dissolve at all. And when the first bottle does nothing, plenty of people pour in a second. Now you have a blocked drain and a pipe full of caustic water, which is a nasty combination for whoever has to clear it next.
Plenty of Melbourne homes still have earthenware, cast iron or galvanised steel somewhere in the system, along with rubber seals and glued plastic joints. Heat and strong chemicals can soften plastic, perish seals and roughen metal that is already corroded. A slow drain you could have cleared with a snake can turn into a leaking joint under the floor.
The worst injuries happen when someone plunges a sink that still has cleaner sitting in it. The water splashes back and lands on skin and eyes. Mixing different cleaners is just as risky, because some combinations give off toxic gas. If you have used a product and it has not worked, do not follow it up with anything else.
If chemical drain cleaner is still in the pipe, the plumber has to work around it with gloves and eye protection. Always tell them what you poured and when. It changes how they approach the job, and it keeps them safe.
Start with the simple stuff. Bail out the standing water, then use a plunger with a decent seal over the plug hole. For a kitchen or bathroom sink, you can also place a bucket underneath, unscrew the trap (the U shaped bend) and clear it by hand. You will be surprised how often the blockage is sitting right there.
A hand drain snake works well on hair in showers and basins. Our guides on what you can pour down a drain to unblock it and why baking soda and vinegar is not a reliable fix cover which home methods are worth a go and which are a waste of an afternoon.
If more than one fixture is draining slowly, you hear gurgling, or there is a smell coming up from a floor drain, the problem is probably in the main line and no bottle will reach it. The same goes for a blockage that keeps coming back every few weeks. Those are signs of something like roots, a damaged pipe or a buildup that has been growing for years.
Make sure whoever you hire is licensed. You can check a plumber's registration with the Victorian Building Authority.
The usual tools are an electric drain machine for solid blockages and a high pressure water jet for grease and heavy buildup. A drain camera shows what is really going on inside the pipe, so the fix matches the cause instead of being a guess. If the camera finds a cracked or root damaged pipe, pipe relining can often repair it without digging up your yard.
If you have a blockage that will not budge, or you have already used a chemical drain cleaner and want it sorted safely, call My Plumbing Services on 03 9071 4424 or send us a message. You can also see everything we do on our plumbing services page.
