Drano

Fish and Dear · 03-23-2019, 01:00 AM

Is there any reason to NOT use Drano in the kitchen sink and shower? Wife sheds as much in the shower as our Australian Shepard, and now I have a clog slowing the draining.

Pete'sMH · 03-23-2019, 01:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fish and Dear

Is there any reason to NOT use Drano in the kitchen sink and shower? Wife sheds as much in the shower as our Australian Shepard, and now I have a clog slowing the draining.

I (personally) don’t use the stuff even at home. But I can’t think of any RV specific reason not to. My coach uses the same PVC plumbing as a home system and if it’s safe in one it ought to be safe in the other. But I think I’d drain and flush the tank ASAP after using it just the same. I’d try one of those barbed plastic strip things first. They work great. Good luck.

Lt Keefer · 03-23-2019, 02:13 AM

Ditto on the clog strip thing. They sell them at Dollar Tree, so it's not much even if it doesn't work.

Fish and Dear · 03-23-2019, 01:58 PM

I'm not concerned so much with the plumbing. I wonder if the Drāno would be corrosive on the gray tank sensors or could it cause any other downstream issues?

Pete'sMH · 03-23-2019, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fish and Dear

I'm not concerned so much with the plumbing. I wonder if the Drāno would be corrosive on the gray tank sensors or could it cause any other downstream issues?

It’s a thought. If your tank is empty when you start though and you drain it after you should be fine. Better still, do it with a full hookup or at a dump station with the valve open and just flush it on through in real time.

Beau388 · 03-23-2019, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fish and Dear

Is there any reason to NOT use Drano in the kitchen sink and shower? Wife sheds as much in the shower as our Australian Shepard, and now I have a clog slowing the draining.

Just don't dump your RV's tanks into a septic tank as the sodium hydroxide will kill the anaerobic bacteria and the septic tank leach field will smell like a sewer for months. Most state parks and non city campgrounds have septic tanks or sewage lagoons.

**revjeffrey** · 03-23-2019, 04:49 PM

The drain run is so short. I would clean out very well. I would start using a strainer cover over drains, after each use throw debris in trash.

Bob Denman · 03-23-2019, 06:32 PM

OI'd do whatever was necessary to get the drain flowing freely...

... and then I'd immediately start flushing and cleaning everything as thoroughly as I possibly could!

lwmcguire · 03-23-2019, 06:41 PM

Drano and sodium hydroxide are very similar chemically. High heat may distort plastic and as noted don't dump a lot into a septic

don't use hot water to mix with the initial dosage but you can flush with hot water and never add bleach and caustic together

I like the zipper tools as well and one more thing if you have very high hardness it will create some calcium crystals that you want to get out of the system

As far as the SS sensors not an issue

Bob Denman · 03-23-2019, 07:49 PM

Here's an idea:
Why not try using compressed air to blow things clean? Get a compressor with a push-button air nozzle. Put it in the drain with a wet washcloth held over it. Give it a couple of blasts, and see if I helps.
If you're worried about the tank: crack the drain valve open...

Choxnpinz · 12-31-2021, 07:19 PM

I'm in the same situation, except it's just me and I don't shed much, but my slow drain is most likely soap sludge built up in the drain pipes. I was going to get Drano, but I wasn't sure if it would deteriorate & eat the rubber seals on the drain valves. :-/

powerboatr · 12-31-2021, 07:30 PM

we use high pressure water from a hose.
i block off the drain with a towel wrapped around the hose end so all the water goes through the drain, a few minutes of 65lb water at 5 gpm washes away lots of crud. grease will go quick once water breaks a piece free

we do the kitchen drains about every 3 months.

in shower we have a strainer thing that catches big stuff and it pops out for cleaning with the zipp thing or mechanical fingers.

lwmcguire · 12-31-2021, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Choxnpinz

I'm in the same situation, except it's just me and I don't shed much, but my slow drain is most likely soap sludge built up in the drain pipes. I was going to get Drano, but I wasn't sure if it would deteriorate & eat the rubber seals on the drain valves. :-/

Three year old thread but heck give it a new life.

Worse thing about the sodium hydroxide products is they can build up heat and actually warp or collapse drain lines. Start out cautiously and if you can get a snake in to move things that really helps.

P-traps are easily cleaned with the zipper type tools

You may also like: