NOPE. Drano® will not damage pipes or plumbing. Drano® products are powerful enough to dissolve nasty clogs, but they will not harm your plastic or metal pipes, so there's no need to worry. In fact, Drano® Max Gel Clog Remover contains a special ingredient that prevents pipe corrosion.
Because of its corrosive nature, Drano can cause toilet bowls to crack, PVC pipes to melt or break and the glue that holds pipes together can be eaten away. If any of these things happen, you're going to be left with an inoperable plumbing system and costly repairs.
It is Extremely Corrosive For Your Drains
When your pipes are clogged, Drano will sit on top of the clog, continually reacting and generating heat until the clog dissolves. This can put a great deal of stress on your drains as the heat can cause PVC pipes to soften and even break or collapse.
Yes, the heat these chemicals produce will break down the remnants of a clog, but likely only push them farther down your system to form a more dense clog in a harder-to-reach section of your plumbing. This leads to repeat clog offenses, repeat pouring, and the eventual ruin of your plumbing system.
Fortunately, Liquid-Plumr® is safe for all pipe types except rubber, which is present in some fittings. So whether you've got to force a hair clog through a 50-year-old set of iron pipes or just get your drain draining faster, Liquid-Plumr® will always be the right choice for your house's plumbing.
Best Eco-Friendly Drain Cleaner
If that's what you're looking for, then Biokleen's Bac-Out Drain Care Gel is an easy choice. Instead of harsh chemicals, this gel cleaner is formulated with natural enzymes that are still tough enough to break down build-up and dissolve moderate clogs—all without damaging your pipes.
When you are using a baking soda and vinegar solution to clean out your drain, you are actually causing the rubber and plastic that are used for the drain's pipes to be eaten away by the mixture. Over time, this rubber and plastic will break down, causing the drain to become even more blocked.
Some of the best Drano alternatives include using a plunger or pipe snake, soap or salt mixed with boiling water, or baking soda and white vinegar. Also, for maximum effectiveness, you can combine several of these methods together to get rid of the clog.
Using a snake is also more invasive and time-consuming than using a chemical cleaner is, and can often become a dirty job. When it comes to getting at and removing major clogs or clogs that are deep down in your pipes, however, a plumber's snake is your best bet.
Hydrochloric acid, also known as muriatic acid, is a strong acid that is commonly used to dissolve clogs in drains. This acid works by breaking down organic materials such as hair, grease, and soap scum that can accumulate in pipes and cause blockages.
Drain cleaners, such as Drano, can reach near-boiling temperatures after the aluminum reacts with lye. Temperatures over 140 degrees can weaken a PVC pipe, leading to unexpected, expensive repairs.
The caustic materials in the cleaners can eat through the pipe itself while they clear through the clog. It doesn't matter what type of pipes you have, either: Chemical drain cleaners can damage PVC, galvanized steel, copper and iron pipes.
It can dissolve the glue that holds PVC pipes together. These cleaners are not designed for frequent or even regular use. The generated heat can crack a toilet or create fractures that later cause leaks that may be traced back to Drano use.
For simple unclogging work, you can expect a professional plumber to clean your drains using a motorized drain auger (sometimes called a drain snake), which can take care of almost any size of obstruction within a drainpipe.
Baking Soda and Salt
Mix ½ cup of salt and ½ cup of baking soda and pour it into your clogged pipe. Let the mixture sit for at least 15 minutes, then follow with boiling water to rinse everything away.
Baking soda and vinegar can serve as a natural solution to unclog and clean a stinky drain.
Homemade drain cleaner can break up even the toughest clogs in your sink. Baking soda, vinegar and Dawn dish soap along with boiling water can safely unclog a drain.
PVC solvent is a liquid chemical that is in use as to dissolve PVC and make it more pliable. Several types of PVC solvents are available, each with its unique properties and uses. The most commonly in use as PVC solvent is a mixture of tetrahydrofuran (THF) and cyclohexanone.
This is a big deal when you live in a home with a septic system. We were always hesitant to use certain products in the past and Green Gobbler's products truly give us peace of mind. The Green Gobbler Drain Clog Dissolverdoes not contain bleach or sodium hydroxide, and it's safe for PVC and copper pipes.
As one of the most-used plumbing materials, PVC pipe is known for being very durable and long-lasting. In fact, PVC pipes last approximately 100 years.
When Drano is left in the drain for too long, it can cause corrosion of the pipes. The chemicals in the product are designed to break own the clog, but if left for too long, they can start to break down the pipes themselves.