# Drano and PVC plumbing

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drano-and-pvc-plumbing/366799>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 31, 2006, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drano-and-pvc-plumbing/366799 "2006-07-31T23:04:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![whole\_bean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@whole\_bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whole_bean)\
**Post date:** [July 31, 2006, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drano-and-pvc-plumbing/366799/1 "2006-07-31T23:04:29Z")

</div>

Is there a safe chemical clog remover to use on PVC plumbing?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\
**Post date:** [July 31, 2006, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drano-and-pvc-plumbing/366799/2 "2006-07-31T23:13:32Z")

</div>

Yes. It’s called sodium hydroxide, aka lye, and is packaged and sold under various trademarks.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2006, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drano-and-pvc-plumbing/366799/3 "2006-08-01T04:56:31Z")

</div>

“Safe” in the sense of not damaging the PVC plumbing pipes.

Not at all safe if it doesn’t remove the clog, and a plumber or a handyman then has to try to work a plumbing snake thru the lye-laden water into the pipe.