What Happens If You Leave Liquid Plumber In Too Long?

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Clogged drain lines can be a huge problem for some people, and you may want to use Liquid Plumr to unclog the lines as part of your DIY home maintenance techniques.

But, quite a lot of homeowners and even professional plumbers advise against using Liquid Plumr for your pipes or drain lines. However, many people have confirmed that the product actually worked well for them. But what happens if you leave liquid plumber in too long?

Liquid Plumber (or Liquid Plumr) is acidic and can corrode and damage your drain lines if left in the drain for too long. It’s worth noting that using drain cleaners such as Liquid Plumber can damage both metal and plastic pipes.

It’s advisable to let Liquid Plumber sit in the drain for about 15 minutes or less before washing it away with water. So, if the product can only damage your pipe when left to sit for a long time, how long should you leave it in?

What Is The Composition Of Liquid Plumr?

Liquid-Plumr is a chemical drain liquid poised to help in opening clogged lines. According to Wikipedia, it is made of 0.5–2% sodium hydroxide and 5–10% sodium hypochlorite.

Also, this product acts as a surfactant, and the manufacturer claims it is safe for use on septic systems, plastic, PVC, and copper pipes. In contrast, plumbers hate this product because of its caustic nature.

Apparently, Liquid Plumber can rip off your rubber piping if left to sit for too long. The composition of Liquid Plumr is to enable the product to eat away whatever is clogging your pipes.

Some people allege that the composition of Liquid Plumr and other similar products like Draco can “potentially cause irreparable damages to pipes.”

So, the question remains, should you use Liquid Plumr? How long should you allow it to sit?

What Happens If You Leave Liquid Plumber In Too Long?

What Happens If You Leave Liquid Plumber In Too Long

Well, you could still use Liquid Plumber to unclog your pipes and drain lines. But you should know that if you happen to call a plumber afterward, the plumber is likely to skyrocket his service fee once he notices that you had used Liquid Plumr.

Plumbers hate this product because they allege that it is potentially hazardous to any part of the body it touches. Regardless, the recommended length of time you should allow Liquid Plumr to sit in your drain lines is 10 – 15 minutes.

So, when you pour Liquid Plumr into your pipe system, set a 15-minute countdown timer and wash it away with clean water when the time elapses. This 15-minute mark is recommended by the manufacturer – even Draco.

We know that everyone can’t get lucky on this; some people may forget they added Liquid Plumr to their drain lines so that the substance may stay longer than the recommending timing.

Actually, when you allow commercial pipe cleaners to sit too long, they can potentially melt rubber pipes, cause corrosive damage to iron pipes, and possibly cause other damages too.

These damages are caused because commercial pipe cleaners are manufactured with strong, reactive chemicals.

More so, it is said that commercial products like Liquid Plumr can damage wax rings and other components used in installing drain lines.

Simply put, chemical pipe cleaners can actually do an excellent job in unclogging your drainpipes, but they are very dangerous and can cause irreparable damages to your drain lines.

It is advised that you use such chemicals sparsely – maybe two to three times in an entire year. Using them frequently – even when you stick to the 15 minutes timing- can also damage your drainpipes.

Would you rather clean your pipes with another substance or risk installing fresh drainage because you damaged the old one with chemicals like Liquid Plumr? The best-recommended way to clean your pipes is using a classic plunger or plumbing snake.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it safe to leave liquid plumber overnight?

No, leaving Liquid Plumr overnight is not safe as it can damage your pipes. We recommend you only let it sit for not more than 15 minutes. However, you can leave the drain cleaner in the drain for an extended period if there is slow-draining water that refuses to go down.

How Long Can You Leave Liquid Plumber In Drain?

To avoid damaging your drain pipes, you can leave Liquid Plumber in the drain for 15 minutes or less. Then wash away the solution after the 15 min period, according to Liquid-Plumr® and Drano.

Can Liquid Plumber make a clog worse?

Yes, using liquid plumbers all the time on pipes that clog frequently can damage your pipes and worsen the situation in the long run. If your drains clog repeatedly, stop using liquid plumbers and seek professionals help instead.

Does Liquid Plumber work on showers?

Yes, you can use Liquid Plumber either in bathtub or shower drains as recommended by the manufacturers.

What do you do if Liquid Plumber doesn’t work?

If Liquid Plumber doesn’t work for you, then you may need to try a plumbing snake or just consult a professional to handle the situation.

Final Thoughts

Talking about what happens if you leave liquid plumber in too long, the simple answer is this; your drainpipes stand a greater chance to damage irreparably.

More so, chemical pipe cleaners such as Liquid Plumr are caustic and can burn your hands or any part of the body it touches mistakenly.

Using Liquid Plumber frequently can also damage your piping system. Thus, liquid plumr (plumber) is not the best-recommended way to unclog your pipes or remove foul odor.

You should consider using a plumber snake or call a professional plumber to do his job.

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