I have my sink clogged and I really wonder that I can use the drain opener to clear it off. My concern is that the sinks have plastic tubes. Will pouring the drain opener through them be harmful?
PVC pipes used for plumbing are very acid resistant I read a while ago that most pipes will be resistant to 99% pure sulphuric acid, (I had a crazy notion about a year ago to make lead acid batteries using pvc pipe for the cells) so the chemicals won't damage the pipe, but if it builds up pressure and the pipes are old and starting to get brittle there is a chance the pressure and heat from the chemical reaction might burst or crack the pipes.
yes, it's OK. PVC is not prone to etching or deterioration due to drain cleaner use. extensive testing was done in the past with PVC P traps filled with drain cleaner for years and it showed no deterioration.
Alternatively, you can just unclog it naturally by using a vacuum attachment such as VaccUFlex.
That plastic pipe is pretty sturdy stuff. And the chemical companies aren't staffed by idiots, they know lots of sinks have plastic drains. They test that stuff before they sell it. Be aware that some drain openers work by getting hot; that WILL affect those plastic pipes. The labeling will say whether the chemical opener does that. But before you go pouring money down the drain, have you tried plunging the sink? It's cheaper. For the price of a gallon of chemical opener, you can buy a decent plunger just for the sink. And unlike the chemical opener, you get to use it more than once. That's smart money. And finally, for the price of TWO gallons of chemical opener, you can buy a drain snake. And again, you get to use it more than once. Believe it or not, the drain snake is a lot less destructive to your pipes (talking about metal pipes, now) than the chemicals. Yes, you have to deal with whatever nasty gunk comes out of the pipes - not a big deal. You have to go to the bathroom on a regular basis, too, and you've probably been able to deal with that for quite some time. This isn't as bad as that. Good luck with it.
