What Happens If You Leave Drano in Too Long?

When Drano often doesn’t seem to work on the clog properly, we decide to keep it in for too long.

But the question here is whether it is even wise to do so.

But what are the possible impacts Drano will make if it is left inside the drain pipe for too long? This is what I am going to discuss in this article. Take a look!

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What Happens If You Leave Drano in Too Long?

Drano may unclog a stubborn clog if left too long in the pipe. But, it will potentially damage the interior walls of the pipes and will cause a long-lasting toxic fume.

So, if you think leaving Drano inside the pipe for too long will help unclog a difficult clog better, then you are not entirely wrong.

But think twice if you want to compromise your pipe’s fitness to remove the clog.

Moreover, there are different Drano products with other specific functions. Not all types of Drano are suitable for leaving inside the pipe for too long.

Because among the several types of Drano, some are highly corrosive and caustic to human health and the piping system.

Again, some are lightly corrosive with corrosion inhibitors. Such as, the Drano Max Build-Up Remover is designed to be left for about 6 to 8 hours or even overnight inside the pipe.

This is because this particular Drano product does not contain harmful chemicals such as bleach or sulfuric acid. However, it has caustic soda as a pH adjuster but in a significantly smaller ratio.

It is mainly manufactured with Bio cleaners, which are bacterial enzymes that eat up the build-ups and clog inside the drain.

And the good news is that Bio Cleaners doesn’t damage the pipe. They are safe to be left inside the pipe overnight without fear of pipe damage.

Do the Clogs Get Cleaned Better If Drano is Left Too Long?

Leaving Drano inside a clogged pipe for too long or overnight can help unclog a stubborn drain clog.

But it depends on a few considerations. How long have you been leaving it inside, using the right Drano product, and have you applied it in the proper ratio?

So, leaving your Drano inside the pipe just long enough to eat up all the tough clogs might do the work for you.

But if you leave it longer, it will affect your pipe. Again, leaving it for less time than required to clean the clog won’t be completely unclogged.

But the issue here is that it is difficult to judge if you have left Drano for enough time for it to unclog properly.

Also, which Drano product are you using on which type of clog? This is also a crucial factor to consider. So, make sure you use the correct type of Drano on the right clog, or else don’t use it.

And most importantly, your success depends on whether you’re using the Drano properly per the instructions on the label and in the right proportion.

Will Drano Worsen the Clog If Left Too Long?

Whether Drano will worsen a clog or not depends on the type of the clog and the Drano product you use to clean up the clog.

If the clog is average food or starch build-up, there is hardly any possibility of Drano worsening it.

But if the clog is very deep and solid formed due to the accumulation of grease over time, Drano has a good chance of worsening it.

Such clogs take place intensely inside the pipe; since they are solid, heavy, and thick, the effect of Drano makes them more congealing and challenging to break.

And mainly, if you use a Drano product with acidic ingredients, there is a higher chance of it worsening a solid stubborn clog.

Will Drano Damage Your Pipe If Left Too Long?

Drano has the full potential to damage a pipe if left for too long. Drano dissolves and breaks down even the most stubborn clogs by producing much heat.

This heat is responsible for degrading and damaging pipes, especially those made of plastic or metal, if left too long.

Many Drano products contain sodium metasilicate as a corrosion inhibitor. So there is less risk of damaging the pipe. But it still isn’t strong enough to prevent corrosion when left too long.

This is because Drano is a powerful chemical solution designed to fight and destroy even the toughest clogs. And that’s what makes it too highly corrosive.

Besides, if your drain pipes are made with PVC plastics, then the glue in the pipe joints might get quickly melted by Drano when left too long, leading to drain pipe leaks.

When you keep Drano inside the pipe for more time than is required to clean up the clog, it gradually starts affecting the pipe once the clog is cleared.

Thus, the walls of the pipes melt and get thinner, leading to leaks or even breaking apart. But this danger of damaging pipes isn’t applicable when using Drano Max Build-up Remover.

Will Drano Cause Health Issues If Left Too Long?

Drano might not cause any direct health issues to humans if left for too long inside the drain pipe.

However, contacting Drano’s fumes without proper precautions can lead to severe health hazards.

This is because Drano contains caustic soda in its ingredients. And caustic soda is very caustic on human skin.

So, when Drano is left for too long, it creates solid and long-lasting fumes. It is essential at that time to ventilate the room with the drain clogged properly to remove the fumes as soon as possible.

Because if you inhale the fume produced by Drano, it can severely affect the sensitive tissues of your nose and throat.

Moreover, if you inhale the fumes from Drano for a longer time, it can even damage the tissues of your lungs, causing severe breathing issues.

In this article, you can find more details about how bad it is to inhale Drano fumes.

The harmful components from the fume of Drano often get mixed up with oxygenated blood in the lungs and supplied to the whole body, leading to significant health risks.

Again, many types of Drano containing bleach and lye cause massive stomach cramps if its fumes are inhaled for too long.

Final Words

I hope the information has clarified the consequences of leaving Drano in the pipes for long, positive, and negative periods.

Now, it’s up to you if you want to count on the positive aspects, ignore the negative ones, or vice versa.

References

https://www.drano.com/en-us