Plumbing Uses for Muriatic Acid

Effect on Pipes

• Muriatic acid is highly corrosive but does not affect materials commonly used in household plumbing, such as copper, stainless steel, porcelain or PVC piping. However, muriatic acid has a corrosive effect on iron, which can potentially lead to leaks or complete failure of cast-iron piping.

Possibility of Explosion

• A serious potential hazard of using muriatic acid as a cleaner is the possibility of an explosive reaction. While there is no specific plumbing material that can cause this, if the pipes have significant lime buildup, the combination of muriatic acid and lime could cause an explosion. While it is doubtful that this kind of explosion would rupture your pipes, it could cause a back splash of caustic water that could cause injury or property damage.

Muriatic Acid’s Corrosive Nature

• Muriatic acid is highly corrosive and reacts very quickly. When used in an open environment, the reaction can be controlled or even neutralized if necessary. However, when muriatic acid is used in a confined space, the chemical reaction will go unchecked and cannot be stopped. It’s this component of muriatic acid that makes it a poor candidate for clearing pipes.

Safe Alternatives

• When cleaning your pipes, using a powerful drain cleaner is a much preferable alternative to using muriatic acid. These drain cleaners are designed specifically for the environment encountered within your pipes. For the best advice on which drain cleaner will do the best job, you may wish to consult a professional plumber.