Blocked Toilet — Drain Cleaner For

While drain cleaner is a staple for shower drains and kitchen sinks, using it in a toilet is a different beast entirely. In fact, it is one of the few DIY plumbing moves that can turn a $10 problem into a $5,000 disaster.

Save the chemicals for the sink. Save your porcelain (and your plumber’s good graces). Grab the plunger, buy an auger, or pick up the phone. Your bathroom will thank you. Have you ever made the mistake of using drain cleaner in a toilet? Tell us about the aftermath in the comments below. drain cleaner for blocked toilet

The problem is that toilets are made of . Porcelain is durable, but it does not like sudden, intense heat. When you pour a caustic chemical into a toilet bowl and it reacts with the water and the organic matter, it can generate enough heat to actually crack the porcelain. A crack in the bowl or the trap way might be invisible at first, but it will eventually lead to water leaking into your subfloor—causing rot, mold, and a full bathroom renovation. It Literally Doesn’t Work (For Toilet Clogs) Even if you avoid cracking the porcelain, the chemistry is working against you. While drain cleaner is a staple for shower

Toilet clogs are usually (and sometimes "flushable" wipes, which are a lie). Drain cleaners are designed to dissolve hair and grease . They are not particularly good at dissolving a wad of wet paper or a foreign object like a toy or a cotton swab. Save your porcelain (and your plumber’s good graces)

Your eyes then wander to the cabinet under the sink. You see it: the bottle of industrial drain cleaner. The label promises to “melt hair,” “dissolve grease,” and “clear clogs fast.” It seems like the logical next step.