Clogged PVC pipe is one of those worst nightmares that pretty much every household has to deal with. When the kitchen sink drains water slowly, showers and tubs don’t seem to drain water or drain extremely slowly, then plunging is the thing to do.
But, when the manual method fails to unclog, you are only left with using the best PVC pipes drain cleaner. However, there are many unclogging solutions in the market that contain harmful chemicals, which might damage PVC pipes. So, picking any random cleaner won’t be good for the drainage system.
After digging deep for days, I have found 5 products to be safe to use on pipes.
Best 5 Drain Cleaners for PVC Pipes in 2022:
Whether the pipes are fully clogged or partial, you will find a suitable liquid cleaning solution for your needs.
1. Liquid-Plumr Hair Clog Eliminator, 16 Ounces
One of the most common reasons for clogging showers and bathtubs is hair clogs. Even though this doesn’t fully clog the pipe, it highly slows down the water draining rate.
And for this particular reason, you don’t need to look for any harsh chemical solvents. This clog eliminator from Liquid-Plumr will be more than enough in such cases.
Whether the hair clogs are in your bathroom/kitchen sink, showers, and bathtubs, this cleaning solution is all you need. It effectively and safely deals with clogs and provides you with a smooth draining system.
After pouring this 16 ounces of liquid, you will have to wait for 15 minutes and then flush all hair clogs away. The chemical is safe for PVC pipes, septic systems, plastic, copper, and even old pipes. No need to ask any professionals to do the cleaning job for you. This saves both time and money.
Compared to conventional cleaners, this one contains 70% more actives that work effectively to clear fully blocked and partially blocked drains.
Note that the cleaner isn’t for using the toilet and garbage disposal.
- 70% more actives to effectively clean the hair clogs
- Safe to use on a septic system, PVC, metal, and old pipes
- Takes 15 minutes to remove fully blocked and partially blocked clogs
- Works great on kitchen/bathroom sinks, showers, and tubs
2. Drano Max Gel Drain Clog Remover and Cleaner
For your toughest clogging hazards in pipes as well as a septic system, Drano comes with a solution that handles clogs and blocks like a pro while not causing any harm to the pipes.
This 80 oz. the bottle will be more than enough to clean the clogs of the entire household. If you use it only when the clogging occurs, it will last almost a year.
The solution is pretty thick, which helps it to cut through standing water and take care of the clogs as soon as possible. Within just 8 minutes, the formula can clear the clogs no matter how tough and thick it is.
Unlike conventional hair clog remover, it can handle way tougher obstacles in the pipes. You can use it to clean sinks, showers, bathtubs, etc, areas where clogs happen on a regular basis. Also, the solution is safe to use on garbage disposals and septic systems, which is something that cheaper solutions aren’t good at.
Whether your house has a draining system of PVC, copper, or plastic pipes, Drano Max is safe to use for all.
- Thick formula easily cuts through standing water
- Takes 8 minutes to clean the clogs
- Safe on PVC and metal pipes
- Can be used on garbage disposals and septic systems
- Contains elements that protect metal pipes from corrosion
3. Thrift Marketing Gidds Drain Cleaner 2 lb
When it comes to cleaning septic systems and grease traps, you would require a strong solution.
Keeping that in mind, Thrift formulated this solution to handle the toughest clogs and stoppage that these areas mostly face. Even though it’s a powerful solution, your pipes, plumbing fixtures, and septic systems will not be harmed whatsoever.
You can also take care of the clogs of small drains, be it in the kitchen or bathroom. The solution requires hot water to get activated.
Be sure to run hot water through the drain, and pour one cup of Thrift Gidds Drain Cleaner, and then run hot water again. Let the solution do its work for a minute. Use hot water again to clean the messes properly. There will be no blockage after that.
For grease traps, use 2 lb entirely for every 100 gallons to treat and clean the system. Let the solution work overnight for the best results.
If you are to clean the septic systems, the results will impress you all the way. Compared to other cleaners, this one is more effective for septic systems.
Be sure to use gloves and eye protection before you use the formula.
- Handles toughest clogs of septic systems and grease traps
- Works instantly on small drains and root controls
- Safe on plastic and metal pipes, acrylic, fiberglass
- Cleans small drain line in a minute
4. Professor Amos’ SuperFast 2-Pack 32oz. Drain Cleaner
Hair clog isn’t the only reason kitchen and bathroom sinks, showers, and tubes get clogged. Soap, oil, grease, and animal fat, etc., elements also cause severe blockage and stop water from flowing through the pipes. To get you rid of this problem, Professor Amos presents this liquid drain cleaner solution.
It comes with commercial-grade strength to make sure cleaning and unclogging don’t require you to do much hassle. The solution cuts through standing water, and gets to the grime, grease, and other substances that cause the blockage, and effectively dissolves them without taking too long.
Depending on the clog or blockage, you will need to apply it once or twice to get the best results. Use the solution without worrying about septic systems and kitchen or bathroom drains. You can also use it in sewage systems, tanks, cesspools, and septic tanks to make cleaning clogs a hassle-free task.
Creepy crawlers such as rats invade pipes and lines when they find food sources. The cleaner also eliminates such things to make sure the pipe is free of these blocking elements.
- Dissolves hair, grease, grime, animal fat, and other substances
- Cuts through standing water
- Safe to use in septic systems, sewers, and kitchen/bathroom drains
- Commercial strength to maximize cleaning results
5. Pure-Eco Drain Sticks Enzyme Drain Cleaner & Deodorizer
Pipes and septic systems don’t get blocked if you periodically clean the sinks, tubs, and floor drains. To handle all drain clogging hassle of your household, Pure-Eco presents you with their eco-friendly and safe enzyme sticks, which makes cleaning easier and provides more effective results than conventional liquid solutions.
These are ultra-concentrated strips that measure about 3.9 inches. Each stick is powerful enough to eliminate and dissolve grease, oil, fats, foods, scum, and other clogging elements within the shortest possible time.
Apart from cleaning the pipes and drains, these slow-dissolving enzyme sticks also eliminate bad odors from drainage systems and prevent future clogs to some extent.
Safe for use on pipes of both plastic and metal, old pipes, and septic systems, you can rest assured that these sticks won’t cause any damage to the drains. Use the sticks on kitchen and bathroom sinks, showers, tubs, and other draining places if necessary.
Unlike using other chemical solutions, the sticks won’t cause any issues to your skins. You are safe to use your bare hand to put the sticks on clogged drains.
- Concentrated eco-friendly enzyme sticks
- Dissolves clog and eliminates odors
- Safe on pipes and septic systems
- Great eco-friendly solution for household
Factors Need to Consider While Choosing the Best Drain Cleaner for PVC Pipes:
Unlike other household cleaners, these drain cleaners contain chemicals that don’t suit each and every material well. Also, you will hardly find a cleaner that can be used on all types of drains, septic and sewer systems.
Therefore, be sure to determine your cleaning needs, and check the following things before finalizing the purchase.
Consider Clog Type
Cleaning liquids aren’t the same. They differ in formulas and ways of dealing with clogs. Not all of them are equally good at handling certain types of clogs.
● Hair and Paper
If clogging is mostly because of hair and paper build-ups, look for a solution made of enzymatic cleaner. These are great at clearing soft materials and also prevent further clogging. However, the cleaning time is longer. Some cleaners almost take 24 hours to clean the pipes.
The cleaners are non-corrosive; thus, safe for old and metal pipes of sinks, tubs, showers, and toilets.
● Soap, Grease, and Grime
These clogs are thicker and harder to remove than hair and paper. Caustic cleaners made with alkaline chemicals are very useful to deal with such clogs. Within 30 minutes, these cleaners dissolve the thicker elements, including foods. However, the solution doesn’t act effectively against paper products.
If the pipes are 20 years or older, then consider not using these solutions.
● More Thicker Clogs
You will need an even powerful and strong chemical if the pipes are clogged by loads of hair, grease, grime, food, soap scum, and other materials. The acidic cleaners unclog pipes within 15 minutes.
Only use them on newer pipes made of plastic and metal. Older pipes, aluminium chrome, stainless steel, and galvanized steel pipes won’t be able to withstand these chemicals.
Non-Corrosive
Make sure the cleaner is a non-corrosive product. Otherwise, PVC pipes will show tears and start dripping water. If you have metal and copper fittings, be very careful about non-corrosive cleaners.
Is Drain Cleaner Bad for Pipes?
Drain cleaners that are too strong and powerful mostly contain harmful chemicals that cause damage to the pipes to some extent. Some formulas create too much heat and cause the plastic material to warp or melt, which leads to leaks. These chemicals also cause skin issues after contacting.
However, there are safe liquid cleaning solutions that don’t contain harmful elements in the formulas. These are safe on pipes and septic systems. But the cleaners might still cause skin issues. So, be sure to use hand gloves, and eye wears before you touch the bottle or container.
How to Unclog PVC Pipes by Using a Cleaner?
Although the cleaning procedures differ from solutions to solutions, the basic steps are pretty much the same. Even if you don’t have any experience dealing with chemicals and stuff, you should face no issues applying these to unclog drains.
Read the applying instructions from the manufacturer. The instructions should be printed on the label of the solution bottle or container.
Apply the cleaner on the clogged sinks, tubs, showers, and other areas that the solution recommends using.
There should be a specific waiting time for the cleaner to break through standing water and dissolve the clogs. The waiting time varies from formulas to formulas.
When the waiting time ends, rinse with water. If the solution requires running hot water, be sure to do so.
Depending on the clog type, you might need to apply the formula once or twice to get the expected results.
Is It Safe to Pour Boiling Water Down PVC Pipes?
Boiling water works as a tonic to clean messes of many types. However, when it comes to using boiling water on pipes and similar soft materials, you should consider whether the material can survive the high temperature or not.
Normally, PVC pipes melt to some extent when contacting boiling water. However, this should be fine if pipes contact high temperature once in a while. If you regularly pour hot water, then it will cause some serious damages that might even cause you to replace the pipes.
So, if you don’t have any option left but to pour hot water, do it once in a blue moon. Don’t attempt this practice on a regular basis.
Does Liquid Plumr Damage PVC Pipes?
The company Liquid-Plumr claims that their cleaners are safe for household plumbing as well as plastic pipes. However, the chemicals inside this solution cause damage to plastic and metal pipes if it’s used periodically. Using once in a while won’t cause many issues on newer pipes.
Don’t attempt using this liquid cleaner on older pipes, be it metal or plastic. Also, avoid using it on toilet pipes as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What do plumbers use to unclog drains?
Professional plumbers use an auger, commonly known as a plumbing snake, which is a flat sewer rod that clears blockages in drain lines. Most plumbers don’t use chemical liquid cleaners, as most of these cleaners aren’t much safe for older pipes.
2. Does bleach damage PVC pipes?
Many household owners use bleach to unclog the drains. You can use bleach both inside and outside the pipe without worrying about damaging your PVC pipes.
3. Will vinegar hurt PVC pipes?
Vinegar and baking soda are the most commonly used household products that people use to unclog drains. Any of these elements does not pose any danger to PVC pipes.
4. Which is better, Drano or Liquid Plumr?
Ingredients in these cleaners aren’t the same. Drano is good for slow-moving drains. In contrast, Liquid Plumr unclogs complete blocks caused by different elements. Also, this cleaner is more expensive than Drano.
5. Can you use Liquid Plumr on a toilet?
As toilet clogs are mostly due to papers, using Liquid Plumr cleaner won’t be much effective; rather, it will make clogs more difficult and hazardous to dissolve.
After you get the best drain cleaner, be sure to clean the pipes periodically using a light cleaner. If you clean the clogs on a regular basis, you won’t need a stronger cleaner in the first place. The less you use stronger chemicals to unclog the drains, the longer your PVC pipes will last.