Question: Do Drain Cleaners Harm Pipes? (and I know what

[AllenLowe]

but this is an actual question, as I have gotten conflicting advice (and the real agenda is my slow shower drain)

Edited May 31, 2010 by AllenLowe

[Bright Moments]

yes. do NOT drink this stuff. it WILL hurt your pipes. you will never sing again! you will probably die.

[AllenLowe]

they say that's what happened to Sinatra - and everybody thought he was depressed over Ava Gardner. But what really happened was that he confused his bathtub with his coffee mug.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Dunno Guv, I roll me own.

MG

[AllenLowe]

well, the problem where you live is that the water drains in the opposite direction - or am I thinking of Turkmenistan?

[Dan Gould]

Clearly some do and some don't, because some really emphasize how safe they are. So why not go with one of the safe ones?

You might also consider one of those hair-traps for the drain to prevent future problems.

[AllenLowe]

good idea -

as for the safety claims, however, I tend to be wary. Though I have read that the Gel is the easiest on pipes, I just wish there were some long-term studies on whether this stuff damages pipes or not.

[chitownjazz]

I don't know the answer, but I've had some luck with the baking soda and vinegar remedy on sink drains.

Clogged drains

Plumbers have mechanical methods for opening clogged drains, but that's more expensive than pouring Drano down your drain (but less expensive than replacing damaged pipes).

[Son-of-a-Weizen]

good idea -

as for the safety claims, however, I tend to be wary. Though I have read that the Gel is the easiest on pipes, I just wish there were some long-term studies on whether this stuff damages pipes or not.

Oh it's fine......not like you'll be using it every other day (we hope).

[marcello]

With PVC pipes; no problem.

If you have a constant problem buy a .

[AllenLowe]

they are PVC; so far we've had to do this, in the shower/tub, maybe every 3 months.

may try the baking soda/vinegar thing, too.

Edited May 31, 2010 by AllenLowe

[Brad]

I tend to be a little conservative in these things so I try to avoid them and use a good plunger. Also, does your waste empty into a cesspool as opposed to city water. If the latter, I wouldn't be as concerned. However, if you have a cesspool, you do want to be cautious as to what you put down there. The last thing you need is your field failing. It's happened to me and it's expensive to replace one. Try 20 grand!

[papsrus]

they are PVC; so far we've had to do this, in the shower/tub, maybe every 3 months.

may try the baking soda/vinegar thing, too.

Every three months sounds like a lot. You may have something going on further downstream, so to speak.

[AllenLowe]

yeah, I think it's plumber time (the non-liquid kind) -

no cesspool, fortunately - all our waste empties into my neighbor's back yard -

[JSngry]

they are PVC; so far we've had to do this, in the shower/tub, maybe every 3 months.

may try the baking soda/vinegar thing, too.

Every three months sounds like a lot. You may have something going on further downstream, so to speak.

Exactly.

We've built our housealmost 20 years ago & the only time we've had any backup from the showers or tubs has been when the blockage has been further down in the lines (just because something goes down the drain doesn't mean that it goes out the line, and after a while enough stuff doesn't go out the line to create a real blockage). Somewhere on the outside of your house (or in your yard, if it's an older house), there's a "central entry" for your plumbing (many call it a "clean-out"). You can run a snake all up in there and clean the pipes out good. It'll probably take at least 30 ft or so snake, and you can rent those at equipment rental places (fascinating visits if you have even a bit of a hardware jones...), or you can get a plumber to do it.

[papsrus]

Years ago in another house, I once had tree roots grow into and inside the piping running from the house to the street. The weird thing was, everything was seemingly operating fine until one day I guess it just hit a tipping point and ... Blammo! Not pretty.

[JSngry]

Copper sulfate will take care of roots in the pipes. Just a few crystals a month.

[papsrus]

Good to know. Thanks.

[GregK]

As a chemist (not a plumber, though), I'd say try vinegar. It's what I am going to use on my own pipes the next time I need to do anything. The combo with baking soda is non-corrosive and should be just as powerful as the oxidizers and other concoctions sold as drain cleaners.

[JSngry]

True, but if the blockage is deep into the system, you gotta get it down in there full strength...I'm still thinking that having to clean out a drain every three months is indicative of a bigger blockage further down in the piping, and as such, the snake would probably be bet.

But as a preventative, I'd think that the baking soda/vinegar combo flushed through the whole hose on a monthly basis would be an excellent idea if the household is one which uses the pipes in a way which promotes long-term cloggage (and believe me, most hoouseholds do until the need arises for their first snaking!).

[Dan Gould]

Its all pipes!

[AllenLowe]

thanks, everybody - I think we'll start with the vinegar/baking soda and then progress to an actual plumber person.

[Son-of-a-Weizen]

Years ago in another house, I once had tree roots grow into and inside the piping running from the house to the street. The weird thing was, everything was seemingly operating fine until one day I guess it just hit a tipping point and ... Blammo! Not pretty.

Same here w/oak roots clogging the pipe in an area of the property that is both steep and dense with underbrush -- which made it impossible to access with a mini excavator. It was an expensive operation.

[Jazzmoose]

We had this problem in California; solved it with a snake and then a monthly dose of Simple Green to stop a return.