Why You Should NOT put Liquid Plumber and Drano down Your Toilet

December 8, 2023

Toilet Clogged? Just Don't Want to Call a Plumber? Before You Take Care of it Yourself, Make Sure You Aren't Hurting Your Pipes!

Toilet Flushing

Before you do ANYTHING, get to the root of the problem: 


1. Is the toilet not level?

2. Is your toilet constantly running?

3. Is the toilet slow to flush? 

4. Does it take several attempts to flush the toilet? 

5. Is the toilet bowl leaking around the bottom? 

6. Is flushing causing knocking sounds throughout your home? 


If your toilet is slow to flush or backing up with no culprit in sight, you may be tempted to pour Liquid Plumber or Draino down your clogged toilet in an effort to open up the pipe more. Makes sense, right? Wrong!


Doing so may put you in an even worse spot than where you started, causing damage to your pipes and even resulting in having to replace all of your pipes under the house. The chemicals inside Draino and Liquid Plumber destroy and corrode the pipes. 

It's really bad for copper pipes, galvanized pipes and any other metal drainage systems under your toilets. Those products corrode all metal AND they aren't biodegradable.


In addition, some people have poorer quality quest piping (otherwise knows as Polybutylene piping), which is plastic and has been recalled due to safety concerns. If you have this kind of piping which was installed in the 80's, you may think its safer to use Liquid Plumber and Draino beacuse the pipes are plastic, however it is not. A lot of the construction companies installed this piping in the 80's because they thought it was more durable AND it was cheaper, but your septic system is still connected to the metal piping so while the damage may not be immediately apparent, you could be setting yourself up for a much more costly bill.


Call A-1 American to convert your metal piping to PVC so that you CAN use Draino or Liquid Plumber. Be an A-1 AmeriCAN and call us today! 757-425-2400





April 21, 2026
It coats your car, clogs your sinuses, and — as it turns out — has designs on your appliances too. Welcome to spring in Virginia Beach.
March 17, 2026
πŸ€ A Leprechaun’s Blessing for Hampton Roads This St. Paddy’s Day πŸ€
What you need to know about leaky faucets, shower heads, and clogs this Valentines Day
February 14, 2026
What you need to know about leaky faucets, shower heads, and clogs this Valentines Day
A-1 American is ready to help Southside and the Penninsula
January 23, 2026
A-1 American is standing by ready to help Southside and the Peninsula with HVAC and Plumbing!
December 24, 2025
Merry Christmas from the A-1 American Family to Yours!
December 15, 2025
If you’ve been thinking about upgrading your HVAC system, adding solar, or making your home more energy-efficient — now is the time .
November 27, 2025
πŸ› οΈ An A-1 Plumber’s Thanksgiving Prayer
November 11, 2025
Discover the incredible story of the WWII Ghost Army — the secret U.S. unit that used creativity and illusion to save lives. A-1 American, a veteran-owned and family-operated company in Hampton Roads, celebrates their legacy this Veterans Day.
October 31, 2025
Here’s a spook-tacular guide to some of the best candy-hauling neighborhoods in the Hampton Roads area! πŸ‘»
October 21, 2025
Flooding affects every city in Hampton Roads, and we here at A-1 American wanted to do an in depth look at what YOU can do!