Are You Aware of the Dangers of Liquid Plumbing Fumes?

For clogged pipes or sluggish drains, many homeowners turn to liquid plumbing solutions. While this can be tempting and sometimes provides a quick solution, there are many reasons that using these substances is a bad idea. These materials are bad for your pipes and plumbing systems and, among other things, can accelerate pipe deterioration.

In addition to being bad for pipes, they also can be bad for your health. Made up of a variety of chemicals, they can present a number of very serious health risks. Here are some important things to keep in mind before using a liquid plumbing solution.

Breathing Toxic Chemicals

Inhaling chemicals from common drain cleaners like Drano or Liquid Plumbers can be incredibly dangerous. Among the chemicals in these products is sodium hydroxide, which is incredibly toxic. Sodium hydroxide can cause dangerous symptoms if inhaled or if it comes into contact with your skin.

Breathing fumes from sodium hydroxide can also cause irritation to your throat and nose in addition to other abdominal issues. Because of this danger, it’s a good idea to avoid having this product in your house. Should you ever be around this product, make sure that it’s in a ventilated area and that you avoid inhaling the fumes or coming into contact with the product.

The Risks of Skin Irritation

While you can wear a mask to avoid breathing in fumes from liquid plumbers, there are also risks of fumes coming into contact with your skin. The fumes can cause skin irritation or even skin burns. Given the toxicity of liquid drain cleaners, it’s important that neither the solution or its fumes come into contact with any of your skin.

The result can be painful and dangerous. What’s astounding about these substances is that they can actually eat through clothing. This makes it even more dangerous to work with these substances. Should you come into contact with the solution or fumes, it’s important to contact a medical professional immediately.

The Dangers for Your Eyes

Perhaps most alarming is the effect that these chemicals can have on your eyes along with drain cleaner poisoning. Should the chemicals from liquid plumbing solutions come in contact with your eyes, they can cause burning, eye irritation, and vision loss.

It’s incredibly dangerous, and you should contact poison control immediately if a liquid drain cleaner comes in contact with your eyes. It’s important to remember that, given the toxicity of these substances, even coming into contact with the fumes can be dangerous.

If you’re going to be around these products, always wear goggles to avoid serious damage to your eyes. Liquid plumbing solutions are bad for your pipes, but more concerning is the risks that they present to your health.

Composed of toxic chemicals, they can cause severe reactions and painful symptoms. Avoid this risk by keeping these substances out of your home and plumbing systems. If you have a clogged toilet, or a sluggish drain, contact a trusted plumber. They can resolve the issue without putting your pipes or your family at risk.

Plumbing Experts a Call Away

JD Precision Plumbing & Air provides quality plumbing services to the Spring, TX community. Committed to customer service, our team is available to meet all customer needs.

Get a Handle on Those Commitment Issues This Valentine’s Day

Alright, let's be honest here for a moment- Valentine's Day is not for everyone. Some of us don't appreciate the commercialization of love.

Some of us don't appreciate all the pressure to take our significant other on a perfect Valentine's date or to commit to a relationship just because the date is February 14th. If that sounds like you, you're in luck.

There is a commitment we can all feel good about making this Valentine's Day, and it's the commitment to keep your drains and pipes clean this year! Read on to learn all about JD Precision Plumbing & Air's drain cleaning services.

It Starts With Drain Cleaning

It is widely suggested that every home should have their drains cleaned every 6 months, or twice a year, especially if your plumbing is supporting a larger household (4-6 people).

If you have a smaller family (less than 4 people) or live alone, then you may only require annual drain cleanings.

Regular drain cleanings are vital because they can help you get rid of stubborn and recurring clogs, as well as prevent certain plumbing emergencies like burst pipes. It is also proven that regular drain cleanings can even extend the life of your drain pipes, saving you money on expensive repiping services.

Try Hydro-Jetting

Want to help your drains last longer between cleanings? Try a hydro-jetting service! Hydrojetting is a popular method of drain cleaning that uses a highly-pressurized stream of water to clean out your pipes.

Since hydro jetting can remove build up from limescale, mineral deposits, soap scum, and more from the inner walls of your pipes as well as removing large obstructions like fecal matter, food scraps, twigs, and other debris.

Traditional drain cleaning methods may remove some debris, or knock out a piece of the clog, but they don’t do as complete of a job as hydro jetting does.

Be a DIY Plumber!

Want to keep your drains clear in between professional drain cleaning appointments? You can actually try your hand at drain cleaning yourself!

While unblocking your own drains is no substitute for professional cleaning, it can help you keep you keep your plumbing healthy between appointments.

You can purchase an auger for fairly cheap at your local hardware store, and use that to unblock a drain that may be emptying slower than usual. The important thing to keep in mind about DIY plumbing is that liquid cleaners, like Draino, are usually more harm than good, so you should avoid them at all cost.

Often, liquid cleaners will leave a sticky residue on the inside of your pipes, clogging them faster. Keep in mind that besides cleaning your drains yourself between professional visits, you shouldn’t attempt to do your own plumbing work unless you have experience and know what you’re doing.

If you aren’t in a place to commit to long term plumbing because you rent your home, or because you move around frequently, this plan could be a perfect solution for you. You don’t necessarily need to commit to a lifetime membership- just make sure that you find a trustworthy plumbing company (like JD Precision Plumbing & Air) and make sure to have your drains cleaned, or hydro jetted, at least once a year.

You never want to deal with any plumbing issues in your home, but most of all, you never want to deal with any that cause foul odors in your home.

Not only is it slightly embarrassing and unappealing, but it could also be an indication of a more pressing issue in your plumbing system, meaning that you may be in need of a drain cleaning.

Whether you know it or not, you rely on your plumbing to remove waste from your home - and when it doesn’t do that correctly, you could be dealing with a contamination issue in your home. What starts off as a foul odor can quickly turn into a biohazard if not addressed by a pro.

What’s Causing Contamination in Your Sink?

That may sound drastic, but it’s the truth. If you’re picking up foul odors from your drains, then you may be dealing with a contamination issue.

Most of the water we use in our homes have trace amounts of bacteria - although that’s why water filtration plays a major role in your water supply.

With that being said, in some instances that contamination can still take root in your drains and plumbing. Whether it’s in the form of a blockage or a buildup in your plumbing, foul odors generally mean your sink is contaminated.

The Symptoms of Sulfur in Your Plumbing

If you’re picking up a rotten egg smell from your drains, there may be sulfur on your pipes. Sulfur is a type of bacteria that often occurs in plumbing systems - especially those that have septic tanks for sewage and unfiltered water supplies. This bacteria grows over time and can lead to:

• Foul smells in your drains.
• Dirty or murky colored water.
• Stains on your sinks and bathtubs.
• Constant clogging issues.
• Low water pressure.
• Mineral-type buildups on faucets and fixtures.

All of these problems can be unsightly and also a damage concern for your plumbing system. If there’s sulfur in your plumbing, even trace amounts, you could be opening yourself up to the danger of contamination. This can lead illness in your family and significant damage to your plumbing system.

How Can You Fix the Problem?

If you live in or around The Woodlands, then JD Precision Plumbing & Air is here to help. Our plumbing professionals have dealt with local water supplies for years and understand what some of the more common causes are for contamination and foul smells.

As homeowners, we also understand how challenging it can be to have your plumbing smelling rotten. That’s why we offer quality solutions to resolve the problem, including drain cleaning. In most cases where there is a rotten smell coming from your plumbing, it’s because there's a buildup close to the drain.

Once that build up is effectively removed, you’ll be able to enjoy free-flowing drains without any smells. Our plumbers always perform detailed work and testing to make sure that we take care of the cause of your foul-smelling drains. With regular care, sulfur buildup will never be a problem again, and you can rest easy knowing that the health of your plumbing is in top shape.

Home trends come and go, but you know what never goes out of style? Taking care of your home and performing preventative maintenance. That’s because preventative maintenance protects your home in The Woodlands, TX for the future and saves you money today. That’s always in fashion.

One trend at the moment that is in keeping with this concept is drain cleaning. There are substantial financial benefits, it is a great home cleaning tool and it can extend the lifespan of your home’s plumbing.

Here is a breakdown of the benefits:

Fresh Year. Get a Clean Home

It can be refreshing to clean your home after the holidays, especially if you’ve had guests or hosted parties. But if you’re not cleaning out your drains, you’re only doing half the job.

That’s because dirty drains harbor germs and bacteria which will linger long after you’ve scrubbed down the rest of your home.

Dirty drains smell awful, and that smell will spread through your home. Of particular concern is if you’ve got backflow from a clogged drain.

This can cause mold growth, and that dirty water is moving through your home. Get your drains cleaned and count on your home being super clean.

Clog Prevention 101

Want to keep pesky clogs at bay? Get your drains cleaned regularly. You can avoid a lot of clogs, simply by watching what goes down the drain, but inevitably over time; you’ll get clogs.

Hair, grease and food matter gets trapped in the drains and clog them up. If you get your drains cleaned, those clogs never have a chance to form.

Get Rid of Pesky Noises

If you hear squeaking and cracking coming from your drain pipes, blame the buildup.

The water is trying to squeeze its way through, which is even harder if there is residue in your drain pipes.

If the water is hot, the noise is even louder, because of the expansion of the heat.

Save Money!

One of the most attractive benefits of drain cleaning is how much money you’ll save. You protect your pipes, which means that they will last longer.

Over time, plumbing decays and breaks, which means that you’ll for sure eventually need to repair or even replace them.

Regular drain cleaning gives your plumbing longevity, which is more money in your wallet. You can also expect to keep your water bills lower because clean drain pipes are less likely to leak. Get on board with this 2018 trend and take good care of your home today.