Avoid Putting These Liquids Down Your Household Drains
Your bathroom, kitchen or outside drain may seem like a convenient way to dispose of unwanted liquids, but hazardous chemicals will only cause problems. To avoid needing emergency drain cleaning in Las Vegas, NV, keep the following substances out of your home’s drains!
Household chemicals
Though many cleaning products made of harsh chemicals are marketed to homeowners, not all are safe to pour down your drains or toilets. Some combinations of chemicals are especially hazardous. For example, bleach and a number of cleaning fluids will create toxic gases when mixed together. Pour bleach and another cleaning agent down your drain and they’ll mix together inside the pipes. The resulting gas can contaminate the air in your home. Other chemicals that should never be poured down the sink with bleach include ammonia, vinegar, acetone, rubbing alcohol, pesticides, toilet cleaner and disinfectant cleaners.
Remember that if you use two different drain products at the same time, or if you mix any drain product with bleach, their coming into contact with each other may cause a reaction due to the acidic and alkaline materials they contain. These two materials together create heat and high pressure, as well as send chlorine gas into your plumbing system. This can cause pipe bursts, and even make your indoor air toxic.
Vehicle fluids
Automotive fluids, grease and oils are extremely toxic to people, animals and plants. Not only can vehicle fluids react like household cleaning products and bleach inside your pipes, but once flushed they can leach into nearby streams and waterways, which contributes to the destruction of the environment. They can also do a number on your pipes if you don’t get your drains cleaned soon after catching your mistake.
Many states have strict rules to keep residents from disposing of motor oil and other auto fluids in wastewater drains and garbage cans. Check with your state about the proper disposal method for automotive fluids, and ask where you can take them. For example, some counties have hazardous waste drop-off centers or will pick up your old vehicle fluids curbside on garbage day. For fluids to be accepted, pour old car fluids (including motor oil, car polish, antifreeze, windshield wiper fluid and engine treatments) into containers sealed with a tight lid.
Paints and paint solvents
Never dispose of oil-based paints and latex paints down household drains or storm drains. These materials are hazardous to human health and the environment, and will contaminate the watershed. Not to mention the damage paint and paint solvents can do to your home’s plumbing pipes, and what it can do to the effectiveness of sewage treatment methods. Leftover household paint can be poured back into the original container and sealed tightly for later use. Alternatively, like automotive fluids, you can dispose of household paints at hazardous waste drop-off centers.
If you need to schedule a regular drain cleaning in Las Vegas, NV, contact the experts at Orchard Plumbing. We’re also available 24/7 for drain emergencies. We look forward to assisting you soon!