Well, Hello,

Pete the Plumber got off the sofa, once again. (The sun in eyes woke him up.) For this Pipe the author has no new tool to tell you about. Instead he envisioned this piece as Food for Thought. As the Northern Hemisphere staggers out of winter quarters again, that irritating topic of fresh water scarcity is muscling its way into media streams even more.

It’s very possible to downright probable that aside the elite scientific community, the topic of water scarcity is still a remote irritant to the 21st Century’s mob of ‘consumer’ cultures. So far the topic (and its reality) hasn’t confronted us so blatantly that we give it any space in our conscious concerns. Who besides plumbers and swimming pool contractors (in this immediate reality) give any time to thinking and wondering what happens when their H2O ‘bread and butter’ is no longer baked and churned. Or, in only those quantities that can starve or threaten their livelihoods? Thankfully, probably all readers of the Pipe will have left the planet when the no more water ‘big shoe’ falls. But Pete thinks about it all the time, of course (or he wouldn’t be ‘bugging/boring’ you with the topic, now).

Because the author once lived next to the ocean he remembers how interested he was years ago when science announced the ability to harvest drinking water from fogs. In some countries this research is on-going. In the optimum test area of San Francisco (known for fogs), it turned out the produced ‘fog-to-water’ was too full of contaminants to drink.

Another mind-grabber for ‘water boy’ Pete the Plumber recently materialized when he stumbled upon the AWG (atmospheric water generator) in plumbing ‘literature’.

That word atmospheric confused the author for ‘a few’ for he mistakenly associated it with the device designed for harvesting drinking water from fog. No. Atmospheric water generators (AWGs) are even more ‘sneaky’ (in a wonderful way). They extract water from the air around us. How cool is that. You and I can dwell on this subject intellectually but ‘down the line’ it may/will be an existential one for the ‘remain-ers.’   (And plumbers will always want to remain a non-extinct requirement for modern society, no matter its form).

As the author delved deeper into the topic of AWGs he became convinced that this technology will become a big piece of the future’s ‘humans-need-water’ pie.

*M.I.T. back in the early 2,000’s built an AWG test model in Death Valley, California, the driest spot in America. It produced 2/3 cup of drinking water a day despite only being a small refrigerator sized ‘appliance’.

In time Pete believes AWGs will be ubiquitous on counter tops of most developed world, home kitchens.

 But, we’re still in the embryonic stage of manufacture and acceptance. Pete remembers the pride of ownership of a 9-volt hand-held Texas Instruments calculator in 1959 (that cost his parents a laborer’s then weekly pay). What can you purchase one for today? 2 USD’s. The author believes AWGs will follow suit: mass production/acceptance will become reality, with fierce price competition, removing the the bar of affordability.

Who will first benefit from this exciting technology? Perhaps the very $comfortable$. They are now free to build their splendiferous ‘getaways’ anywhere on the globe because they have ‘checked off’ the first and biggest requirement on Life’s list: fresh water. But, even at this writing, manufactured models are on offer that even individuals who “only drink ‘bottled water” can afford; and, can escape the labors of purchase, transportation, and disposal of mountains of polluting plastic.

Pete, when first delving into this topic, had hopes that perhaps the new technology one day could replace the eco-destroying actions of desalination. It’s not looking like this will ever be the case because of the operating costs of AWGs on a large enough scale to compete. But as mentioned above, for many ‘leveraged’ consumers today, this technology can mean the freedom of place of their dreams. For us wage-chasers, it makes economic and ecological sense (today) to transition off bottled water. Pete is sure that companies like Nestlè and other giants in the bottled water industry are paying close attention to the growth of the ‘Atmospheric Boys’.
The author suggests that the reader read one or more of the following articles if this topic ‘rings’ any of your bells. Pete believes that the ditching of one-way plastic landfill traffic alone is a worthy reason to embrace this Flash Gordon-esq technology.
 
Well, it’s now Hasta Luego!
Ms.’s Arden and Aura await…
 
Until Next Time,
 
PtP

List of references:

Window-sized device taps the air for safe drinking water:
​news.mit.edu/2025/window-sized-device-taps-air-safe-drinking-water-0611

An atmospheric water generator was tested in death valley:
www.google.com/search?q=An+atmospheric+water+generator+was+tested+in+death+valley+by+who&authuser=0&aep=21&udm=50&mstk=AUtExfC8HEKkrcwROMeSExU_dqusgmFLRJndU9Y4pCd0VvulHj9PLazpbf6tfGjg1RuMxUjoKv4rsjpZuCmGYUhRfyEiuwuit2JpbC7YH-zjPK72rfI1lynoAx3X4lj0tIbuKNfscOH4UqjQ-tMuEfZ294ej4Y7wGr347_U&csuir=1&mtid=JvPfafGPDtCI0PEPzePruAo

NUBE SS30: Atmospheric Water Generator:
www.innovaqua.shop/products/nube

Water is flowing faster and vanishing sooner in the western U.S.:
​www.earth.com/news/water-is-flowing-faster-and-vanishing-sooner-in-the-western-u-s/

Hello ‘Pipers’,

Well, again, Pete the Plumber has something to share with you that he thinks merits your attention.  (When he realized all of the time and energy his new discovery would have saved him (had it been invented in time) he is confident it’s a worthy subject). The author wishes there had been one of these devices he’s about to discuss a ‘lotta’ years ago.
​
‘Rough’ plumbers (when cutting and threading new pipe for gas lines or other threaded pipe needed in new construction) (and in some cases remodel), prefer to set up a pipe vice (Photos 1, 2, & 3) on a tripod at a convenient location to where they are working.  Plenty of working room is highly desirable.  

In these operations the plumber is mostly creating anew, adding fittings and cut-to-length nipples (pieces of pipe) as they move along on their decided pathway.  Once beginning their runs (in stud or hung from joist or rafter) the piping is secured to the structure as they move along.  (See photo on page 37 of his book, ‘Plumbing A House.)  This incremental securing of the pipe-run (in the majority of cases) allows plumbers to ‘comfortably’ use 2 pipe wrenches (one in each hand) one ‘backing’ (holding the pipe/nipple still) and the other to rotate the fitting.  Or vice versa.

For repair plumbers it is most often a ‘different ballgame’, requiring them to take apart and modify a section of a previously installed pipe-run, often making new threads inside the wall, in developed ‘living’ space, often kitchen or laundry room for example. Here there is usually no room to use a tripod to hold a cut section of existing pipe to remove an existing fitting or to splice in a new fitting on an already installed threaded section of pipe. 
​ 
*Threading pipe is also a messy proposition due to the required lubricating oil for the tooling and the waste metal chips formed as a result are very sharp and can ruin floors.  Plumbers can find themselves walking inconvenient distances from where they are working (needed) to where a tripod has the room to be set up.  When cutting new threads on removed, previously installed piping, or new pipe, a tripod mounted or bench mounted pipe vice is a must.  So inconvenient or not, the plumber walks (somewhere).

However, when the author is performing a repair, either working through a hole in a wall he made (under a kitchen sink?) (Photo 4) or maybe an exposed pipe in a furnace room (with no space for a tripod to hold pipe as he removes or adds fittings) he has countless times sat on an inverted 5-gallon bucket, new, factory made nipple/s or pieces of pre-threaded pipe and fitting/s in his lap. Trying (like this) to manipulate 2 pipe wrenches, (sans vice) to accomplish his needed ‘assemblage’ can be (usually is) a very frustrating exercise.  In this case there aren’t the proverbial “extra two hands” a pipe vice provides.  When ‘things’ become/became very frustrating the author usually surrenders/ed and walks/ed out of the room or building to his standing tripod/vice (in the garage or on patio?) to accomplish his intent.  Depending upon the size and lay out of the site, this can ‘waste’ a lot of time.

Lo and behold, yours truly just recently discovered a late design of a convenient highly portable pipe tool that would have been a huge blessing for all those previous occasions that he had sat on a bucket and then ‘had to walk’.  This new tool (Photo 5) is basically a new design of pipe wrench, which allows the plumber to assemble or disassemble a short length of pipe and fittings by NOT leaving the work space.  It suffices quite well as those proverbial “two hands” previously ‘not on the job’.

The Vevor pipe tool shown, though advertised as a pipe vice, functions best, in Pete’s view, as a stationery pipe wrench for assembly and disassembly of pre-threaded pipe and fittings.

*(The author personally would not attempt to use this ‘wrench’ to cut new threads.)  It is an ingenious little addition to the world of pipe wrenches which is used in a resting, stationary manner, held to a flat surface by leaning (pressing down) on its light, cast aluminum body.  (Photos 6, 7, 8 & 8a)

In essence, when held (pressed firmly) to a flat (floor or table or countertop) (Photos 9 & 10) surface, it becomes the ‘two extra hands’ longed wished for when ‘bucket sitting’. 

Rubber feet on its underside (Photos 11, & 12) resists any sliding motion and prevents marring of your work surface.  The spring-loaded jaws are of quality, well forged steel.  (The teeth are very well-cut, and grip most efficiently small diameter ½ and ¾ inch pipe and fittings (Photos 13, 14).  Though the author found the wrench gripped galvanized better.

Depending whether you are right or left handed, you can either hold the new ‘vice’ (stationary wrench) in either of two positions: handle in front of jaws or handle behind the jaws (reaching over) (Photos 15 & 16).  Those readers who (like the author) have developed a modicum degree of ambidextrous ability over the years, the above right/left handed question mentioned is often a moot one and the ‘wrench’ can be left in one position.

​Though this particular pipe “wrench” was designed as a plumbing aid, you might find its type (others make them too) handy for ‘hardware’ (less specialized) jobs, one such as fastening pipe flanges to Schedule #40 ‘black’ steel pipe, like the author is doing in Photo 17.  (Pete is building a heavy duty, heavy tool shelf using 4 black-steel ½-in. threaded pipes, 4 one-half-inch black iron pipe flanges and ¾-in. dense hardwood plywood.

If the author were to find himself doing many more tasks involving ½-in. and ¾-in. steel pipe pieces longer than 12-inches, he’d have two of his new, red friend, the second for a pipe rest.

O.K., that’s it!  Now it’s back to work.  Had a great sandwich.
 
Until Next Time,
Pete

​*Many attempts (even large automotive-like sockets) were made by tool designers to come up with a successful, specialized basket strainer installation tool (weighing a fraction of what has been until now the author’s choice) (Photo 2).  The heavy pliers in the photo (Pete’s default choice) are best wielded by the owners’ of a ‘sturdy’ frame. (Plumbers develop strong wrists. Their grip is much stronger than non-plumbers). Those big, bulky pliers though are no fun to wield, under the sink!   

​It’s no wonder then Pete the Plumber was ecstatic when he recently discovered specialized gripping tools (pliers) designed for other trades that make his job easier. (The installation of basket strainers at the top of that list.) The first of the four pliers discussed (Photo 3) was designed for the ‘motoring’ crowd (‘spin-on’ oil filter removal/installation) but also NOW solves a long irritating plumber’s chore: easily tightening the kitchen sink basket strainers ‘installation/lock’ nut (Photos 4 & 4a). This new tool is also much lighter than his old parallel jaw tongue and groove version of slide jaw pliers.

* The author’s third blog, way upstream in July of 2017, titled: “Brass Is Best” has some advice on the selection of basket strainers, along with his thoughts on this topic on page 112 in his book “Installing & Repairing Plumbing Fixtures” by Fine Homebuilding’s Taunton Press (Photo 5).

Who’s Big Idea?
 
*Slide jaw pliers had their beginnings in the automotive sector. They were especially handy at keeping the water pump packing nut (Photo 6) of early motor cars adjusted and through time simply  became known as: “water pumps”. (Yours truly had much experience using a pair to keep his 1931 Ford four door Model A Victoria sedan (Photo 7) water pump packing nut adjusted. (The term “water pumps” may still be traded-about, even today, though the users may be too young/unaware of its origins.)

Change Horses
 
The second specialized gripping tool (Photo 8) is a pair of pliers especially designed for electricians. (There’s even a lightning bolt etched onto the adjuster button.)  When working with EMT (rigid steel tube) and metal boxes, ‘sparkies’ have castellated and hex lock nuts to tighten on EMT adapters (Photos 9 & 9a) for which this pliers V-jaw was designed.*

​*The tips of the handles of these pliers were also designed to de-burr ‘somewhat’ the inside ends of cut-to-length EMT steel tubing so as not to scrape off electrical wire insulation when wire is pulled through. We plumbers may pay no attention to this feature due to our superior tooling and method of de-burring copper and Schedule 40 steel pipe.
 
The author discovered that in most situations the 5 or 6-in. version of these V-jaw pliers also ‘handles’, with ease, the closet nuts (Photo 10) used with the ‘closet bolts’ for toilet bowl installation/removal (Photos 10a & 10b). 

The author’s usual tool line-up for these tasks (Photos 11 & 11a) are a 7/16-in. box wrench ratchet and a ‘¼-drive’ mechanic’s ratchet with a 7/16” deep socket. Now, with these pliers Pete might be able to ‘lighten his tool belt’ and maybe even save a ‘walk back to the truck’ now and then.

​The Old Way
 
Among the four ‘slide jaw’ pliers discussed in this Pipe, the slide action (being able to adjust) falls into 3  camps: 1., the slow but ‘tried and proved’ tongue & groove (Photo 12);  2., the new, quick, pre-set (with spring loaded adjustment button) (Photos 13 & 13a); and the Quick Set, with arced notches all in one handle (Photo 14).

The author has purchased many of this latest type. The few times he’s been disappointed with them is because ‘overly worked’ (too worn) specimens are more lent to failure: Plumbers may have a pair (or two) gripping usually threaded steel pipe and fittings and when the final squeeze is applied (usually audibly) the jaws on one pliers loses its grip. Now, that one is not worth saving.
 
Tongue & Groove designs (Photo 15 & 15a) use a stacked series of arched grooves on one jaw and on the other, a cast-in tongue (‘groove runner’) and stout round pin. Down the center of the arched grooves runs a slot. When the handles of the pliers are fully spread apart, the tongue is moved out of the way (disengaged) and guided by the pin, the handle slides up and down this slot quickly while the plumber adjusts the jaws ‘to fit’. When the handles are brought closer together the slide adjustment process stops, the groove running tongue is once more engaged and locks-in that slide position, and now a gripping/squeezing force takes over to perform work. 

Slide jaw pliers Pete probably uses more than any other of his tools. When you are assembling horizontally lain components and the plier handles are going UP and DOWN, the heft of the tools isn’t a big deal. Now. Try using the tool/s horizontally (while you are standing/kneeling/lying on your back). If the task at hand isn’t solved fairly quickly you’ll wish you worked-out at the gym. (That’s why aluminum pipe wrenches are marketed.) 
 
Using slide jaw pliers (tongue & groove, pre-set and quick set types) (both tightening and loosening) once adjusted and gripping a target part or material (nut or brass/steel pipe?), the plumber will need to release his/her grip, re-set the plier jaws, compress, and swing plier handles in either of two directions to satisfy intent. Are you assembling or disassembling?  When working on your side, under a sink, versus on your knees in front of a sink, there’s more chance of muscle fatigue. When during this “repositioning” movement, using tongue & groove and quick set versions there’s a chance the jaws do not remain in adjustment and the plumber has to repeat this adjustment process. No big deal most of the time. A kitchen sink, two lav basins and two tub waste and overflows (day’s work?) and your pliers don’t need to be in the best shape. (Just maybe a little cursing and finger bruises later the job gets done.)  To repeat any one of these tasks (any too soon) with the same pliers merits a replacement. Now in this case, the question arises: should you purchase a standard ‘parallel’ jaw, tongue and groove or parallel Quick-Set, or consider a change. The author suggests readers take a look at the third tool discussed, the Hipulx parallel jaw, pre-set (push-button) slide jaw pliers (Photo 16). This is not a tongue & groove design. Instead it uses opposing notches with a spring loaded ‘button’ (Photo 17) to push to activate release. When depressed and held, the two handles can be slid back and forth to make an adjustment.

Oh, Squeeze Me
 
It’s not so much as how one adjusts the choice of pliers as much as how long they stay adjusted. The Hipulx  pre-set design  (Photo 18) makes sense for those working with multiple, same sized/shaped parts (1&1/4, and 1&1/2-in. slip-nuts for sinks (KS & Lav), and tub W&O’s. Plus, flushometer toilet, bidet and urinal “bright work” when the ‘soft’ (included) jaw covers are in place (Photo 19). These ‘good idea’ pliers the author believes, will prove very popular with plumbers because the sliding handles have a lock button (compared to tongue & groove and quick set) and the lower jaw slides to fit with a squeezing motion. Great for repetitive movement on faceted parts and because of the slide action being ‘lockable’ these pliers too will stay in adjustment when knocked around on a job-site. They will be appreciated when working on tubular waste slip nuts, especially. But they are heavier which will influence speed of acceptance.

Both modern pipe wrenches and most slide-jaw pliers employ parallel jaws. The pipe wrench’s parallel jaws work by a ‘jamming-of’ (binding) and the slide jaw pliers by squeezing. Both actions, when working with round materials and parts (pipe & fittings) ‘make work’ with a minority jaw-tooth count. (Illus. 1 & 1a) Pete’s mentor, fellow plumber Larry Weingarten (larryweingarten.com) has an impressive collection of antique/unique plumbing wrenches and pliers which he displays in classroom settings. (Unbeknownst to us both until many years later, Larry’s first car was also a Model A). There were some intriguing methodology in those old tools of Larry’s that still work well today but are no longer popular in the market.

Round versus Flat
 
Parallel jaw pliers work best with flat surfaces. For a Full Service plumber this occurs mostly working with the faceted slip-nuts on tubular wastes, continuous wastes (under sinks) tub waste and overflow’s,  ‘bright’ (chromed or other electroplating) bidet and closet (toilet) parts and components (‘spuds’ and  flushometers (Photos 20 & 20a) and wrench flats on drainage clean-out plugs (Photo 21). (Pete used to employ permanently in-place, non-marring, nylon coated tongue & groove, smooth jaw (parallel) slide-jaw pliers for this ‘bright work’ (Photo 22). Now he prefers the ‘snugger’ fit of the Hipulx, with soft guards in place. With the ‘guards’ on there are no scratches in the finish. 

Reunion
 
Jaw preference changes when we go from flat to round materials and parts. The ubiquitous ‘die cast’ slip nut in (Photo 23) (which the author abhors) has such wimpy wrench flats that yours truly places this part in the round-ed category and ripe for the last pliers discussed, the quick set type Crescent Dura-Plyer (Photo 24). These pliers are not drop forged as are the others and consequently they are lighter to wield. But the author finds them sufficiently stout for working with ½-in. and ¾-in. Schedule #40 steel and brass pipe and fittings prior to pipe wrench ‘snug-up’. These Dura-Plyer’s have superior tooth-to-material contact than both V-jaw and parallel jaws on round surfaces (Photos 25 & 25a).

Alike But Different
 
But, what about any functioning differences between tongue & groove (Photo 26), quick-set
(Photo 27), and the new pre-set (button lock) slide pliers (Photos 28 & 28a). 

First, our new ‘pre-set’ type slide-jaw pliers too uses a ‘tweaked’ tongue-in-groove method for adjustment. But in this case, the ‘grooves’ in the respective handles are opposing v-notches
(Photo 29) not arced grooves like quick set versions Photo 30) or tongue and groove. On the Milwaukee and Hipulx brand slide-jaw pliers shown in this article (Photos 31 & 32) along the handle slot are v-notches. Pressing ‘the button’ activates the locking/unlocking mechanism temporarily, allowing the plumber to slide open the jaws to make ‘a fit’ (completed adjustment). When the spring loaded button is released, the slide action of the jaws is locked and the plumber now applies ‘squeeze power’ to continue their work. Those pliers stay in that particular adjustment until the plumber changes it by again pressing the button and sliding the handles. (Knock these off a step ladder or work surface and it’s ‘no worries mate!”  Pick them up and they are still properly sized.)   Suggestion: Maybe ‘throw’ some color on them (paint or tape) and they’ll be less likely to ‘clock out” (mysteriously disappear) like has happened to most of us.

Well, that’s it. Pete the Plumber hopes he didn’t put all of you readers to sleep (unless you were in bed trying to get there.)  If the reader is a ‘handy leaning’ person, or is friends with one, they should know that the Crescent Quick Set pliers, due to their lighter weight (and less $$) might pose the best choice for those of you who are just beginning to build your plumbing tool collection. They work best on rounded but do accommodate flat shapes (Photo 33).

Note: The author wishes to thank Brian and Plotzke Hardware for the run of their store while taking pics (and I didn’t buy anything that day!”)
 
Until Next Time (when again the urge is no longer suppressible)
 
P.t.P.

Who Do  Y o u  T r u s t ?
 
Samuel will probably writhe in his grave if he gets wind of my near-full plagiarism: “Water, water, everywhere, nor a drop safe to drink”. Excuse me readers, but it’s gotten to where the ‘water-service-subscribed’ portion of the lower 48 States, today, have reason to at least ‘think about’ what might be (surprisingly or unsurprisingly) found in their supposedly potable, paid-for water supplies. Between Industry, Military, and Agriculture, almost anything (“shady”) involving water supplies can be a “no surprise” anywhere you live, now it seems, via media. Re: “The Dirty Secret of Government Drinking water Standards”. www.ewg.org/tapwater/state-of-american-drinking-water.php  “Where there’s smoke, there’s …”?

​Those who fortunately/unfortunately live on private wells and are responsible for their own safety, have an advantage over “subscribers” when it comes to answering the question of “what’s in my water?”. County-funded testing of well supplies is very common. Conversely, for a “subscriber” to ‘find out’ it costs hundreds of dollars. (More on this downstream).
 
What got Pete the Plumber thinking about this water quality issue was an incident recently occurring with his own water supplier. One day not long ago the once-weekly major print & digital voice in the County devoted color for their front page. (Always a heads-up). “Purple Water Everywhere!”  It was a scandal. Complaints to the Paper of Note poured in from every compass point in their service district. Subscribers’ color photos could not be dismissed. (The color reminded Pete of an ‘ancient’ $$$$ Bordeaux.)  The big fright, was on however. Readers and subsequently the public were demanding the Water District ‘fess-up’ and answer all concerns.
 
Of course the end result was that scientific testing of the water proved it was still safe to drink. The cause was a high concentration of a particular mineral safe at those concentrations. Even though that reassuring information defused the safety issues, the color of, still, was a big “bother.”  (This reminded yours truly of a similar situation occurring in the 80’s, in a Central California “development” near my then home. It was the same complaint: color of the water. In this earlier case the color bright blue was the Devil.)  Now, recently, my own supplier was crying foul: “Sorry for the color but it’s “safe to drink”. The cause, again, was harmless, excessive minerals. Lucky for everyone. (We’re taking them at their word.)
 
This 1980’s Central California development not far from me, mentioned above, then, comprised hundreds of homes which were plumbed in copper. ‘Plumbers in a hurry’ (tract/development) like to save time wherever they can. Cleaning copper pipe and fittings prior to soldering them together is a case in point. The raw-er (cleaner) the inside of the fitting and the outside of the copper pipe the better the solder will flow and make a water tight joint. Even on brand new pipe and fittings (all shines) the “learned” plumber gives a fitting a cursory inside brushing (with a fitting brush (Photo 2) and scratch-“polish” the end of the pipe to be inserted. “Sandcloth” (Photos 3 & 4) available in boxed rolls are available to the plumber for this task. 

*The author has addressed all of this in his book: The PEX Edition of Plumbing A House
 
This cleaning procedure being discussed is even more important on copper pipe and fittings that have been in storage from months to years. The darker colored material requires more time to get it properly ready to assemble. But, what if you could buy a copper pipe plumbing flux (brush-on combination solder ‘flow-agent’ plus acids, to clean the pipe and fitting) so potent that you no longer had to use a wire fitting brush or sand cloth?)  At the time there was marketed a flux that was so aggressive that plumbers in a real hurry (or lazy?) used in an attempt to get the job done ‘quicker’.
 
When a plumber has completed a water system for a structure, he/she (or any combination) plugs off all water outlets, both hot and cold, and charges (fills) the system to a designated pressure. Then the plumber goes around looking for possible leaks. If no leaks materialize after a proscribed length of test time, the plumber can then look to performing other needed plumbing feats. However, the longer the newly created copper water system remains unused and not flushed out, residual acids in solder fluxes continue to do their job and eat away at the copper. The super strong lazy plumber’s flux, if not flushed very quickly would turn the inside pipe walls (and wherever that flux was used on a connection, on the outside) blue.
 
 
The Benefits of “Singular”
 
If a  plumber was plumbing a single structure, served by its own water source, and sharing time and space with other construction trades on the job (cooperation), (“Pete the Plumber Goes to work”), the plumber might find himself back on this particular address and installing fixtures and valves in maybe six to eight weeks. On this latter,  finish cycle of the job, with sinks and tubs and showers in place, the plumber can flush the entire system, through every valve (including hose bibs) and rid the system of the residue flux (+ other “line trash”) and standing water. However, if the plumber/s is/are ‘in a hurry’ (tract/development) they may be completing water systems for weeks and weeks and weeks before the systems are thoroughly (at all fixture locations) flushed. This was the case of the ‘blue water’ development near my then home. Many structures were completed before being flushed and, this project employed plumbers in a hurry who of course used the super strong soldering flux. The acid had a long time to act on the copper and new homeowners started out brushing their teeth with water the hue of commercial mouthwash.
 
Now again in the case of the author’s present residence, his ‘subscribed’ purple water proved a mineral in a too great of concentrations for the volume of the reservoir (rumored partly due to fire retardants aerially dropped on forests within the watershed). The water supplier did have ‘adequate’ technical ability/support to provide safe to drink water. Correcting the color issue though was beyond their capabilities of treatment. In an attempt to compensate, the developer offered homeowners, at no cost, a ‘citrus solution’ back-flushing, in hopes of mitigation. Some homes required multiple flushes.
 
 
Poor Barry B.
 
*Funny/not so funny: Pete happened to have a friend who lived in the “blue water” development at that time, and Pete listened to his complaints, almost daily. (Barry B. was a sales agent at a wholesale plumbing supply where Pete did 75 percent of his purchasing.)  However, purple or blue, in neither case were these ‘subscribers’ considered at risk. Thankfully. The subscribing public rarely gives a thought to the hard working treatment workers who come to work every day to provide and protect our very lives. According to UNICEF: “ More than 1,300 children under the age of five die every day because of diseases caused by unsafe drinking water”……..all in Third World Countries. Something not all dreary though: according to the World Health Organization, as of 2022, “…. 73% of the global population (6 billion people) used a safely managed drinking water service……”  Pete would’ve guessed we were not that far along.
 
Now, what would You, the subscribed Reader do if you feared or suspected your tap water was not ‘all that you hoped’?  Those who consume vast quantities of drinking-water in bottles, both plastic and glass, in many cases are being fooled: many times their subscribed tap water tests ‘cleaner than’ (when ‘things’ are going right). Those on private wells can get free water analysis. But ‘subscribers “ain’t so lucky.” 
 
*A mind teaser: According to Rebecca Eagan McCarthy in her August 6, 2025 Grist article: “Groundwater is drying up, and causing sea level rise”. apple.news/A-hehMZgrT0ijpaNjuY7kiQ We also learn “The United States sources half of its drinking water from groundwater.” This author sees a lot of free testing here. Are subscribers being ‘shortchanged”?
 
 
Who’s Who?
 
There are many private water testing labs doing business offering a wide range of analysis for many waterborne, organic/inorganic bad guys. Being an old Berkeley-ite the author is familiar with the 4-star   folks at UC Berkeley’s Tap Score, a drinking water laboratory. Unfortunately for many of us, the cost of testing services can be a ‘deal breaker’. Federal testing rules for public water suppliers are established by the Environmental Protection Agency under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). This act includes a Public Notice requirement: “Community water systems must also provide an annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) to inform customers about their water quality.”  Subscribers can contact their water supplier and request a copy of this Federally required report. How readable to the layperson is it?  Not as lucid as that of private labs which are answering your specific worries, but it’s still worthy of leaving on the toilet tank lid and peruse over and over. (In most cases it will be reassuring and lower your blood pressure and should cost you nothing or ‘next to nothing’.)
 
“Fine”, you say. “But I don’t know (for sure) who is my water provider, or how to contact them.”  Well, Pete the Plumber would like to help you out in that endeavor. He himself just recently stumbled onto a long-in-need, free, quick solution: the EWG.  The Environmental Working Group has an electronic data base free to the public, that lists the names of water providers serving areas by zip code, and, what contaminants are/have been showing up in their product. Pete highly recommends his “water subscribing” readers do do diligence by reading and seeing where their respective supplier’s/service’s present and past record of operation stands. Search: “Tap Water Database, STATE OF AMERICAN DRINKING WATER: “Tapped out: America’s drinking water and the health risks hidden behind legal limits”. www.ewg.org/tapwater/?_ga=2.5818867.1741466710.1501056528-502228928.1501056528#.WXhYr4jyuUl
 
 
 Now (finally) A Little Fun
 
After all of the upstream ‘fire and brimstone”, yours truly would now like to look at a more lighthearted direction: having a little fun with your kitchen sink faucet. “What you say.”?  Yup.  
 
Pete mentioned upstream regretting not championing, in print, one, simple, available plumbing component, the Moen 20200 swivel aerator (Photos 1, 1a, 1b & 1c).  Well, he’s now going to try and do his Penance:

Remember the unfortunate, Barry B., of the upstream “blue water” scenario?  Well, Pete first used to purchase from Barry B. the Moen 20200 Swivel Aerator for about seventeen dollars and some change. That was in the late ‘70’s through the 80’s. Pete’s labor rate during that time probably went from the $40.00’s to the $60.00’s. He personally found this product, mounted on a single handle faucet, such a pleasure to use that he’d leave one attached to his deserving customer’s faucets, as a ‘Thank You’. Still, after all these years, in Pete the Plumber’s opinion, this humble invention, The Moen 20200 swivel aerator, is one of ‘plumbing’s’ best ever improvements. And, the author, a little bit downstream, in this Pipe is going to show his Readers how easy it is to install on their kitchen sink’s one-piece spout (Photo 5).   Before starting that endeavor, however, the author first wants to say a few things (opinions) about 2 other plumbing choices.

The first opinion involves Pull On/Down (spout) kitchen sink faucets (Photo 6).  He never thought they were a good idea. The second opinion is what he thinks of the lift up and pull out (retractable) deck-mounted, kitchen sink ‘dish-spray’ (nozzle on short hose): (Photos 7, & 7a). ​

​In some quarters these devices are referred to as a ‘side spray’ or ‘deck spray’. Pete the Plumber always thought this latter was born of a good concept, but held back due to the poor choice of poly tubing manufacturers used for the hose. It was too stiff. The operator often had to run ‘full hot’ water through the spray nozzle for minutes to relax it before trying to use it. For repair plumbers this sink spray/side spray’s sink mount (Photo 7) proved a common ‘p.i.t.a.’ location for a splash water leak, into to the cabinet. This is because the stiffness of the hose often loosens the grip/location of the (usual) all-plastic mounting base, allowing for the leak (and subsequent $$$$ cabinet damage).
 
Another shortcoming/dissatisfaction with the typical deck spray/side spray design was the upper spray head ‘supply’ connection (Photo 8).

This compression joint was composed of 2 all-plastic threaded components; a rigid plastic ‘backing’ washer; a soft rubber sealing washer; a tiny neoprene o-ring; and a tiny, circular metal clip. This mostly all-plastic (less metal C-clip) design was rarely capable of maintaining water tightness. The threaded parts loosen when the soft sealing washer compresses with use. Then we have a leak that often remains undetected for some time. Water can run back down the hose. It drips into the kitchen sink cabinet (and possibly on supplies related to housework) stored in the cabinet.
 
*But/However a small spray head on a very flexible hose is very helpful and especially so when the sink hosts a garbage disposer. When behaving (with due diligence inspections) Pete would say the “side spray” sink-mounted dish-spray offerings were O.K. if the resident was the ‘handy type’ and could keep both connections tight.
  
 
The Other Not So Good Idea
 
Now, the hose portion of a “retractable” Pull On/Down kitchen sink faucet (Photo 6, above) will or won’t be the cause of its retirement. The homemaker will value the faucet if the head comes out and goes back easily, and if there are no leaks (and the hose proves otherwise trouble free). But again, this plumber finds fault with the hose due to tangling episodes, with itself and with other objects under the sink, like angle stops and faucet supplies, waste piping and dishwasher/garbage disposal issues. On many pull on/down faucet hoses, plumber-adjusted weights (Photo 9) are employed to return the faucet head. 

​These weights can hang up on other under sink components resulting in a faucet head not retracting fully and nesting quickly on spout end. Other designs have tried long, coiled springs. Yours truly isn’t happy with either. Pete the Plumber has a (better) idea. In moments he’ll introduce you what he’s always thought the prudent answer for a clean-of-food-debris kitchen sink: the (Moen) (20200 swivel aerator. (And, best employed on a single handle kitchen sink faucet.)  Before jumping into that topic he’d like to say just a few things about kitchen sink faucet aerators in general.
 

​Aerators In General
 
In this plumber’s opinion, there’s one company that makes the standard, single function (Photo 10) design of aerator that’s hands down the best. The company is Neoperl. 

​This simple (from the outside) little ‘end piece’ for kitchen, bathroom and bar sink faucets occupies (even subconsciously) more of your feelings about your faucet satisfaction than you realize. The author recommends you take the time to watch My Water. My Design. Link: m.youtube.com/watch?v=ezq4AtGD1SI and discover how much more thought and appreciation you’ll give your slave, the 24/7 kitchen sink faucet aerator (and the job it performs). 

​Good Riddance
 
Mid-way in the author’s plumbing career there happened to be a couple of faucet manufacturers whose product line was a popular one in Pete’s plumbing region. These companies both provided aerators for their faucets that consisted of a series (3 to 4) little, stackable, circular, screen/disks of different mesh sizes and washers. If the repair plumber/resident cleaning them wasn’t mindful of their arrangement, and did not re-arrange them accordingly, the end result was disappointment. With even three not to mention 4 possible combinations, can you guess how long you ‘might be at it’, pending a resilient patience?
 
Since then that archaic type has been discontinued and the modern basic design has been much improved and often made of all plastic, any screen/s included. If the reader wishes to be happier at the kitchen sink with a single function aerator on a traditional single-piece faucet spout, the author recommends they train their search engines on the name: Neoperl. The company has many choices of single function/stream and also dual stream aerators of the highest quality that fit any budget.
 
 
Swivel Hips
 
What yours truly also appreciates about the Moen 20200 is the higher arc he can send a stream (spray or column) in and around the sink. On a single handle faucet, with a little practice the user can with three fingers go from spray to column and back while the other hand chooses volume and temperature. It almost becomes a tai-chi entrant. The author also appreciates the low profile. Most of the competitors swivel spray’s hang down from the faucet spout so low that when in use we  can end up banging pots, large bowls and glassware into it. 

​Now the little adapter (white poly) that comes with the aerator (Photo 11, lower left, above) allows the aerator to be threaded into spouts with internal female fine threads. Some faucet manufacturers tend to choose one or the other (male or female) for spout mounting threads for an entire line and different models. The most common sizes for faucet spouts made in the U.S. are the following: 55/64”-27; 15/16”-27 and 13/16”-27. The first two numbers, with the slash between them is the diameter. The -27 means the threads are 27 per inch. The little white poly threaded adapter that accompanies the Moen swivel aerator is 15/16” and will fit a Moen kitchen sink faucet (or others) (Photos 11a & 11b) with a 15/16” female opening. 

The 20200 with a poly adapter is about to be threaded into a 15/16” female threaded opening of a non-Moen faucet.)  If your faucet IS other than a Moen there’s a chance you will need a different adapter. Pete purchased an assortment of 11 adapters from a company dba BOSICATS. They have a website: (Photo 12).   It included (in plated brass) a ‘twin sister’ to the poly one Moen shipped with the aerator (Photo 12a).

Ah So! Moments
 
In 1957 the author’s father remodeled the kitchen of the family home. Pete was 12 years old. The new kitchen sink faucet had a foreign, “strange” appearance. Pete had never seen anything like it. It happened to be the original Moen single handle design. (Not the cartridge used today). When Pete first operated it he saw immediately, the genius in it. Many years later as a working plumber, when he saw his first Moen 20200 swivel aerator, Pete the Plumber immediately recognized genius. It’s been some years since he has purchased one. I believe I paid around seventeen dollars for the first one and thirty-dollars for the last one, probably in the 1990’s. Just recently my purchase dealings with Amazon Prime sucked fifty-five dollars outta my MC for one. But the author appreciates the quality and function so much that he’s fine with that. And, there will be a ‘payback’ when he replaces the terrible, cheap, all plastic version his partner put on her faucet (Photos 13 & 14) and which Pete has been cursing for the last three years (she preps…Pete cleans). HELLO!!!  (Photo 15)…

Until Next Time
P.t.P

It operates on gas and electric powered cooktops (and Grandma’s old wood burner and your Coleman camp stove). That is important: you have several choices for energizing this still. This lends a hand when there’s a need but no electric service, maybe due to a calamity outage?  The most important aspect of the Kitchen Crop (yours truly considers) is the affordability and performance. You get abundant supply and it ‘doesn’t break the bank’.
  
Besides That
 
This drinking water still is an efficient one, operates with ease, and provides its owner with life’s most basic need: safe drinking water. The unfortunate fire victims of Southern California (as most all of us are) were already poisoned with micro-plastics and “forever chemicals” via our drinking water. (Which distillation but not necessarily filtration removes). That was the 1st Whammy, the plastics industry. Now, the 2nd Whammy: Post wild fires (and because of), we learn other terribly harmful ‘agents’ have been released and threaten the safety of area fresh water supplies. Some ‘for-the-layperson’ explanations of this threat are:
​

1. O circle of blue where water speaks “What’s Up With Water” 12/21/2020 (www.circleofblue.org/2020/world/plastic-pipes-a-water-contamination-risk-after-fire-data-shows/ ) also
2. theconversation.com’s “Wildfires are contaminating drinking water systems, and it’s more widespread than people realize” is another good one (theconversation.com/wildfires-are-contaminating-drinking-water-systems-and-its-more-widespread-than-people-realize-159527) and
3. the Google answer to the author’s question: “Was underground plastic potable water pipe damaged in the L. A. Fires?” Their “AI Overview”: “Yes, underground plastic piping in Los Angeles can be damaged during wildfires…”  

​Can?  Plastic water lines 5 feet deep in the ground burned and melted during the Camp Fire in Paradise, CA. (And many a foot of the stuff also failed in the SoCal fires which in time will need to be replaced, causing a high number of pipe industry ‘advisors’ paying visits to California Building Departments.)  And whether communities re-pipe with plastic or copper (water quality the wildcard) will have far reaching health effects. 

These horrendous wildfires however represent a never more appropriate matching of one particular need and its solution. The simple, Kitchen Crop three-piece, all-stainless steel water distiller (Photo’s 2, 3 & 4)  from Amazon.com could, one: make life safer for those living in these fire areas as the re-build phase gets underway and two: it can provide all of us with the safest, ample amounts of the purest drinking water easily available, now and every day with no filter required!  

As we learn by ‘Googling’ the topic, distillation removes more impurity’s (including) PFAS’s, and, even the best filtration system (R/O) (reverse osmosis) can leave behind some PFAS’s and other bad guys. The low cost of Kitchen Crop’s distiller, the simple design, using no expensive filters and usable on any cooktop—gas or electric (or Grandma’s wood stove) can get almost anyone interested in producing distilled waters, into the game of better health. Pete says: “Get one. Enjoy one. And, have ‘exact space’ for, in your “family preparedness trunk” (which yours truly does).
 
 
Until Next Time
​PtP

We privileged individuals the world over living with convenient sanitation infrastructure ne’r give a thought to what happens to our previous meals as we do (or don’t) gratefully watch them take leave of our toilet for someone else to deal with. For those living on septic, their (poop) “after-life” is spent right on the property!  Now, what about those of us living in communities served by municipal sanitation infrastructure?  We the luckier ones send our former meals on an ‘off the property’ journey, to be dealt with by others.

The men and women who operate municipal water (fresh), wastewater, and sewage treatment facilities (for the benefit of us) during and after storm disasters are no less the heroes than firefighters when responding to natural (and sometimes otherwise) disasters. In the author’s bailiwick it’s forest fires. Along local roads “THANK YOU FIREFIGHTERS” signs are common.

​However, the enemies to human health in untreated water and untreated human waste need not a ‘season’ to wreak their damage. This presents a continuous challenge to the ‘invisible’ operators of municipal treatment plants. In times of national emergencies such as hurricanes their challenges multiply. The public rarely has an inkling of a system’s ‘instabilities’ until the system is overcome and fails. All the human ‘might’ thrown at maintaining uninterrupted operation is not celebrated with heartfelt “THANK YOU signs, roadside, for them. Do you think that maybe we could start to change that? with perhaps a commemorative Postage Stamp ? 
 
 Big Shaker

The earthquake that decided to distract the author when he was beginning this Pipe turned out to be a 7.0’er that centered roughly a hundred and fifty miles away, 40 some miles offshore in the Pacific Ocean. Because of the distance from Pete’s present bailiwick it wasn’t as bad as the 1989 Loma Prieta 7.1’er that broke the toilet that Pete the Plumber happened to be sitting on (no injuries) mere miles away at the time. But this new one, off the Humboldt County Coast was big enough to revive that memory. Those of us that live in ‘seismic land’, long enough, tend to become indifferent to the non-stop “mini” shakes, until a ‘muscular’ intruder wakes us up. Those readers living in ‘hurricane country’ are luckier: trouble can be plotted on a calendar. Either way, our biggest inconvenience is ‘waiting in the wings’. Will you be prepared? It’s a Slam Dunk!
 
​
Until Next Time
PtP

Greetings,
​
It was too hot all summer for this old plumber to journey. My friends Neal and Barbra who live on San Francisco Bay, were hoping I’d come down and consult with them on a needed new sewer system. Those mystical/magical SF Bay fogs are the author’s own “Sirens”. Too good to be true. The author can only blame Pete, Pete the Plumber, Yours Truly (and occasionally Doctor Waterheater) for his anxiousness. Any person who plants a big garden and thinks they will have time for travel is dreaming.

Unquestionably, a good portion of inhabitants in the Lower 48, in the Summer of ’24, felt somewhere between ‘uncomfortable’ to miserable for a perceived “Dastardly”  (Terry Thomas?) length of time. Thankfully due to living through the summer hot spells, the cool flowing Hay Fork with its deep, clear holes, its fish and fur, is short strides away under towering cottonwoods. Matter of fact, the author needs a heat break as he writes this (110•F). He’s headed there now and will pick up again…in…an hour? Or so.
 
Back

This Pipe is Pete the Plumber’s biggest gamble to date (the author frets) and your danger of anesthesia (as a result) has never been greater. Pete originally surmised it might be a workable idea to use his blog space to discuss (in solo toto?) a sizable chunk of technical ‘ground’, as a stand-alone article?  A case of “….know when to hold them…..know when to fold them”?  Pete thinks the author never heard those words. Whatever, editor Anne will make the call. (You might well be reading serialization.)  (For your own sanity.)

This Pipe experiment (regardless of eventual format) is an attempt to add more knowledge to the reader’s (maybe modest) already earned experience in dealing with household plumbing clogs, using a “plumber’s helper”, or in ‘spec-speak’: plumber’s force cup. There are other tools made for the same purpose, some reaching the level of over-technical. But this Pipe not only hopes to “…turn the lightbulbs on” for many who flail (or fear to) when faced with using a plumber’s force cup.

 *It is also Pete the Plumber’s idea to share a number of secrets of your domicile’s plumbing that might serve you well both financially and for your physical wellbeing.

The antithesis of ‘happy home’: clogs?   The plumber’s force cup or ‘plunger’ can be quite effective on clogs when the operator knows some basics of his domicile’s plumbing, ON BOTH SIDES OF THE WALL. This discussion has borrowed from Pete’s original Taunton Press book: Installing & Repairing Plumbing Fixtures.

(The author wrote a children’s story dealing with clogs: “Pete the Plumber Meets Arnold the Ant Eater” @ PeterHemp.com)

*The introducing of rotating steel cable (‘roto- rooting’ & augering) in drains to clear clogs is not discussed in this discussion. We’ll stick with what the author ‘feels’ the layman can practically and effectively muster in this regard.

As the reader will discover/already know? there are many causes for stoppages (clogs) in residential DWV (Drains, Waste & Vent) piping. Some of these stoppages are/can be a mere inconvenience. Unfortunately, though, when “your number is up” and ‘snaking’ (inserted metal cables [$$ by others] and plunging (by you?) were all for naught, resolution can be a painful and expensive bad dream. (Yours truly has had to open ceilings/walls/floors to get at drainage pipe and fittings that needed ‘going away’: to be replaced because of “unworkable physical conditions”. These may include corrosion, physical deformation of pipe and or fittings, plus introduced unretrievable hard objects including busted ‘root’ers’ snakes. Plunging (working the force cup) does have its limitations. However, with the following text and photo’s and illustrations woven together Pete hopes he can improve anyone’s chances of success using a plumber’s helper (‘force-cup/plunger’) on viable circumstances.

That does not mean that ‘miracles’ cannot be witnessed using force cups. The author would allow himself 20 minutes of ‘cupping’ labor time to open a clogged drain, before abandoning that hope. I was amazed at how many successes occurred really close to ‘the buzzer’. Pete the Plumber’s advice: “….do not give up without a fight.”
 
As you have maybe noticed on visits to the hardware purveyors, there are a lot of choices for a plumber’s helper (force cup). Vastly narrowing that conundrum is another hope of the author, via: May the Force Be with You.
 
Clogs are happening because our sanitary systems are relatively advanced: the use of pipes (versus: ‘tossing the water and squatting anywhere’). A big factor is the usable inside diameter of residential sanitary drainage systems (piping), 30-40 and 50 years after installation. ‘Deez pipes’ are not the same as they were when new. (Pete knows this, personally.)  The old piping, inside, about now, has a ¼ to ½-in. thick (or more) slime and/or rust lining on the walls. Washing machine drains will have a “furry” lining. On all drains the deposits are thicker on the inside bottom radius.

*Mature vent systems (because they transmit dry air) tend to remain in good shape.
​
*When a drainpipe has been unused for an extended period of time, when put back into use, often clogs soon after, due to the now “dry rough sponge” texture of the build-up on inside walls of the pipe. With consistent reuse the ‘dry sponge’ texture morphs back into the ‘slippery slime’ of old, and clog frequency drops drastically.

Quick note on liquids:  

Never use liquid drain cleaners shortly before attempting to unclog the drain using a plumber’s force cup (‘plunger’.)  If the ‘liquids fail’ (for your own safety) Pete the Plumber recommends that you do not try opening the drain with a force cup for 12 hours (unless you’re in a full wetsuit, hood and face mask.)  Drain Cleaning Contractors disdain being called to a clog job following a failure of a prior chemical attack to clear obstructions. The reason why is their mechanical snakes (steel cables) will turn brittle, much more prematurely when bathed in cleaning solutions. Some ‘rooters’ will not answer a call if they know/suspect chemicals were tried first, unsuccessfully.  
Surely the author believes that a lot of structure dwellers, children to adults, would recognize a plumber’s force cup, aka: plunger, aka: ‘plumber’s helper’ when they see one.  (See Photos 1 & 1a)

*Important note: The handle unscrews on most rubber cup models. (Pete the Plumber ‘Likes’…and, ‘for/why’s’ discussed downstream). 

​The rubber cup body is commonly of red or black color. There are various ‘cup’ profiles, but the common denominator is: all are round in the bottom flat plane. A few are also hemispherical-ish (See Photo 2, 2a & 2b). All of these can also make a big mess when used both properly and improperly. In this Pipe we’ll first do a ‘postmortem’, taking note of the materials, and the designs of popular models. Then Pete will share some tips on how to use a force cup effectively on individual fixtures

Scalpel! Please
​
See Photo 1a below. This is an “of late” example of the typical plumber’s force cup (‘plunger’) of old still being manufactured. As the reader can see at their local retailers, it is still widely represented amongst the modern options. 

​
​*A one John Hawley patented the “force cup” in New York in 1871. His was named: ‘Vent Clearer for Wash-Bowls”. (See Photo 3, below). Present-day ‘artsy’ entrepreneurs are still copying his design.

If we dissect the above Photo 1a sample into two symmetrical parts (Photo 1b, below) the ‘thickness of the rubber walls and volume of design can be studied. The wall’s thickness and where it is and isn’t, in relation to volume, is the major contributor to the success (or failure) of force cups.

The larger the volume of the rubber cup, the thicker the walls need to be. (Plastic plungers are discussed farther downstream). The thicker the rubber walls (without creases), the more energy (muscle power) is required to operate (deflate/plunge and suck/lift). *It’s this “forcing” (pushing down) and then “sucking” (‘lifting’) action that loosens up (particle) (not root) clogs. The thicker the side walls of the (rubber) cup, the more muscle power is required to flex (compress) the wall. And it is your physical strength and endurance (aside proper choice of design) that will spell success. The shape of the fixture’s (toilet; tub; sink; and shower) drainage passageway (wide variation) determines which design of “plunger” fits best for the task at hand.
 
In past writings on the subject (The Straight Poop A Plumber’s Tattler, and  Installing & Repairing Plumbing Fixtures) the author explained that to be successful using the force cup the user must/should prepare to make somewhat of a mess (depending upon the fixture being massaged). Therefore, Pete prepares the fixture’s surrounding dry areas for the great possibility of splashed water (and maybe some ‘evidence’ 😖)  (Your least coveted towels?). And…this is very important: wear eye ‘SAFETY’ glasses/shields and maybe comfortable gloves if you have tender hands.

​Vent Your Anger
​
The vent piping in your structures DWV (drains, wastes and vents) and overflow channels/tubing within fixtures themselves, present the biggest challenges to a successful or force cup ‘campaign’.  If the overflow ports on a sink (Illus. 4)  and the overflow of a bathtub (Illus. 5) are not “stopped-off” (temporarily plugged), the “force” you generate with the cup is wasted. 

Instead of applying pressure to the clog, all the ‘force’ (captive water) inside the cup (which you want pressing on a ‘column’ of water all the way up to and against the obstruction), is allowed to escape. The generated force, instead of breaking up the clog or shoving the obstruction further along to the main building drain, and on to sewer or septic, or lifting the obstruction out of the fixtures drain and/or bowl (for recovery) is allowed to escape out unplugged overflow ports.
​
*Also, when an obstruction on a sink, toilet, tub or shower lies past (further downstream) of that fixtures vent connection, the effectiveness of force cups is drastically reduced. ​

If you suffer a stoppage on a sanitary tee waste-to-drain piping pattern as in Illus. 6 (probably the  most common of all) and your icky stoppage lies within the green dotted line (by far the most common location) force-cupping would stand a good chance. If your stoppage were however a bit further on as the red dotted line portrays, sealing off the the outlet of the sanitary tee, your chances are less.  This clog left a pathway for your generated force to bounce off the top of the clog and take the path of least resistance up the vent (you sweating and nothing happening).

(Pouring chemicals is easy. Plunging may require your wind and muscles with a little added housekeeping.)  Ohhh but that ‘rush’; the new sense of self-accomplishment; the esteem of the Brotherhood (ladies always welcome) for/with the “Little Plumbers’ Helpers”. Pure adrenaline excitement. Your own golden, crossed, force-cup lapel pin! (with flag, x-tra).
 
The Offenders

Each fixture (type) clog presents a different challenge to the ‘force cup’er’. So, the author thought perhaps a little illumination on fixture specifics and cup technique would best serve the class.

Let’s start with the plumbing fixture served with the smallest drain (and waste piping). A cross section of the bathroom lavatory basin/sink, with waste is Illus. 4a. The drain and vent is found in Illus. 7.  Now, in ‘4’, note the overflow port near the top left of the drawing. Its existence and influence on a successful force cup action will be made clear, downstream.

*The author has never stopped giving thanks to illustrator Frank Abbas for his fantastically lucid work on Pete’s books from Taunton Press/Fine Homebuilding Magazine, which the author adapted [or in some cases ‘mangled’] in this Pipe.) 

Many lavatory bowl users never give a thought to the often-unnoticed overflow port/s and the overflow channel/s of the fixture. The obvious reason is these features are sometimes ‘easy not to see’, due to the manufacturer’s effort to not detract from the ‘beauty’ of the often-seamless design. Well, on lavatory basin/bowl clogs, knowing about and how to work with overflow ports may spell your success.
 
Why 4

It’s an irony that Illustration 4 depicts a Four Inch Center Set.  Plumbers are sometimes claimed to be a superstitious lot (far less though than seafarers). Numerologists were kind to the number 4. *Note: the particular lavatory basin/bowl we’re observing in Illus. 4, above, is a 4-in. Center Set hosting a pop-up stopper waste. The pop-up stopper waste is well accepted because the user need not get their fingers wet when plugging and draining the basin/bowl. 

As convenient as the pop-up stopper is, it is also ‘culpable to guilty’ for many slow-downs and stoppages. But it is a hygiene issue that influenced the author to include maintenance of pop-up stopper wastes in an article focused on choice and manipulation of a ‘plumber’s helper’.
*Once you learn the simple method to remove and replace a pop-up stopper, you’ll feel better about living with your present plumbing servant.

In this endeavor, Pete recommends the stopper itself should be removed from the waste prior to ‘plunging’, for two reasons. The 1st: So as not to push the stopper down onto its seat, and sealing the waste, defeating you immediately. Removing the pop-up stopper is a simple procedure requiring only one tool. And, 2nd: You will forever be grateful to have mastered this simple but extremely satisfying hygiene maintenance: Eureka!

If the stoppage has created standing water in the bowl, the author recommends (while you are a novice) first bail it out (with household kitchen items or large ‘car wash’ sponge?) to remove the pop-up stopper from the waste (yes, with some spillage).  *Soon following the author demonstrates the good reason for this precaution: Eureka!

In Illus. 4b we have the exploded cross-sectional view of a lavatory (bathroom) basin hosting a pop-up waste. Among the author highlights are the ‘threaded  nut/cap’ (pink) and ‘Spring clip’ (green). These components retain and allow for the removal of the pop-up stopper.

Some of these threaded ‘caps/nuts’ on pop-up wastes are made of plastic and some are metallic. The plastic versions are often loosened and unthreaded with only your fingers. Metallic ones usually require a grooved-jaw (8” is best) pliers, as seen in Photo 8, above.

*When the pop-up stopper in a sink will not stay up, just a little tightening of the threaded nut/cap cures the problem. These finer threads are the common/everyday right rotation to tighten; left rotation to loosen.

Once the ‘nut’ or ‘cap’ is loose and free of the waste body, by pinching the spring clip, you can slide back the actuating arm which frees it from the waste. Then, put the actuating arm back into the waste and gently lower the arm. By doing this you raise the stopper off its seat. Now you should easily (with your other hand in the bowl) be able to grip the stopper with your fingers to remove it. (Underneath the bowl, let the round chrome actuating arm dangle, captive to the flat zinc/galvanized lift strap. Again, see Illus. 4b, above.

*Sink wastes made of all plastics will have their own versions of lift arm and lift strap. But they function alike and being designed for “the public”, fasteners will be more user friendly.

Eureka!

This removal of pop-up stoppers from their wastes (and cleaning the revolting looking/smelling hair-sludge snakes from stopper bottom and lift linkage), Photo 9 is often: Eureka! (That was your clog.)  No need for plunger and wetter mess.

For the less fortunate (no sufficiently sized hair snake to be the ‘cause’) with the stopper removed you now need to re-install just the actuating arm (with ball seal), into the waste body prior to applying a force cup.  If you don’t, you’ll have a flood pouring out of the ‘arm to waste body’ threaded opening when you start to half-fill the basin with clean water.

Now, the clean water level in the bowl wants (best scenario) to be higher than the top of the rubber cup. Plus you’re probably going to lose some to the floor, so add a bit more if possible.

As mentioned above each fixture type (lavatory bowl; kitchen sink; shower; laundry sink; and toilet) tends to suffer from their own, same ‘nemesis’ clogs. For lavatory bowl/basins we’re dealing with hair; soap sludge; toothpaste, denture care products; dental floss; makeup and, if there happens to be little munchkins in the house, maybe small objects from coins to toys (and/or parts of).

*In days long past, when rubber stopper wastes, (See Photo 10) were common, toothbrushes, makeup pencils, hair pins and small combs were the cause of many clogs. Today with (properly adjusted) pop-up stopper wastes being the norm, far fewer small-ish hard objects are the cause of clog problems.

Knowing the enemy will also tip-the-scales for successful ‘cup work’. For lavatory bowls, when ‘munchkins’ were suspected or detected, the author then almost arbitrarily removed the p-traps J-bend and freed the little toy soldiers and such. (Pete wouldn’t risk wasting time on questionable cup-work success against such a difficult enemy as small, heavy, hard objects). However, if he suspects his client’s long hair mixed with beauty products and spent toothpaste ‘be’ the cause, he’s ready to plunge (and splash) a little water first, before maybe having to take the under-sink waste tubing apart.
 
Bull’s Eye
​
The closer a basins/sinks (bathroom lav’s included) waste is to any vertical or near vertical inside sink wall, the lesser the chance for successful plunging. Styles of basins (and tubs and toilets) vary because once your house is plumbed the plumbers and fixture manufacturers can’t get their hooks ($$$) back into you until you ‘wanna move stuff around’ or buy new. For most of us that’s expensive and the idiom: “if it works don’t fix it” tends to prevail and we end up living with out of vogue designs. Photo 11 is of a ‘dated design’ style of lavatory bowl. Look where the waste is located. Almost centered. This would greatly lend to successful force cup therapy. Look at Pete’s sink (Photo 12). 

His sink’s pop-up waste is almost tight to the vertical back wall. Less than desirable. The degree of ‘centered’ rubber force cup contact, encircling the waste, will be wanting in his case. This often results in side-squirting, where the ‘cup’er’ sends water escaping the poorly sealing force cup, up the flooded walls of the bowl and out and away to space (and to the floor).  (And when the captive water in the submerged cup escapes under the foot/lip, much effect is greatly reduced. Photo 12a, below, shows location of the overflow port on inside front wall of the lav basin.

Up In Air

As mentioned earlier, overflow chambered sinks/basins (and tubs, with their overflow wastes) present the ‘cup’er’ a challenge. On a tub, if the port to the overflow chamber, see Illus. 5, below, is not sealed over (wet sponge in plastic bag?) all of the force produced by your downward cup ‘plunges’ and ‘strong upward ‘lifts’ will escape in a circuitous journey through the overflow chamber, as in Illus. 14, back into the room. 

What Pete dislikes about plunging, solo (the author, yours truly and Pete the Plumber are nowhere to be found) is: he basically has only one arm to conscript. His other is firmly pressing a wet sponge (in a plastic bag) to the overflow. This ‘goes’ for both sinks and tubs. Not only does it hamper accuracy, but resulting muscle fatigue can be expected.

To the fortunate reader who can conscript an extra ‘two hands’ to hold the wet sponge/s (in the plastic bag/s) over the basins overflow port/s, giving you two arms and hands to operate the force cup, will greatly simplify and fortify your labors and chance of success (‘call-in your ‘chits’?)
 
Go For It

Let’s just say you have ‘standing’ water in a single bathroom lav bowl with a missing stopper or old style ‘rubber stopper waste’. *(Double lavatory bowls are discussed downstream.)  There happens to be no, young, munchkins in this house. Before cupping/plunging, is the newly introduced clean water (following bailing of dirty) higher than the top of the plunger/cup body?  If it is, O.K. If the added water level reaches the sinks overflow port/s and the top of the plunger is still higher, that is the level we’ll have to work with.
 
With one hand gripping the force cup handle, use the other hand to hold tight, the wet sponge (in the plastic bag) over the single overflow port. (It will not be an easy exercise, the older you are.) 

If your single lav bowl has two, widely separated overflow ports, you’re in a pickle. Both need ‘stopping-up’ and how do you do this with one arm and hand and have the other remaining body parts to hold and actuate the plunger/cup? (Some ingenious readers might be able to ‘concoct’ physical barriers for this purpose (whittled wine corks and Gorilla tape?)  An extra pair of hands and arms is the simplest method.

Pete tends to lean over the sink and grip the plunger handle with his right hand, near his-now shoulder height, close to his ear, and slowly begin to force water back and forth, by first pushing down and deflating the cup, and then lifting (keeping the cup’s mouth sealed to the drain area) in a steady, near vertical motion, creating a vacuum, then pressure. This motion (water under pressure) moving back-and-forth, is usually successful in many situations (and usually more effective than compressed air).

Pete the Plumber repeats this ‘sequence’ of ‘up and down’ maybe four of five times before lifting the cup off the waste, in a strong, abrupt ‘finish’ of motions (big splash—water on the towels). The now ‘standing’ water, for a second, is a violent mini-ocean and waves have their mischievous ways, so the towels on the floor.

Then Pete repeats the rhythmic ‘up and down’ four or five times and finishes with a downward plunge, alternating between lift and plunge.

Lavatory sink drain clogs may thus be ‘broken-up’ and leave your piping to join other. Until then, the standing water may now resemble Gazpacho). After your successful labors, (usually) and audibly, the clog takes its leave: a gurgle-gurgle rush….and then gone!
 
*(From now on: Why not spit the toothpaste in the toilet and make sure the dental floss goes in the waste basket; and not comb hair directly over the sink?)
 
As yours truly mentioned upstream, he is prepared to expend 20 minutes when he has decided to use his plumber’s helper. If he’s successful Pete has saved his client a notable sum for not needing a ‘snaking’ and/or possible cost of new waste parts like j-bends and trap arms (old ones can crack and leak when disturbed).

The author is now seeing an interesting new addition to ‘force cup’ handles: plastic and aluminum. Some plastic handles have a cross-piece at the top, or in other words, a T-handle (Photo 13, above). He can see where this might be a great idea for the wood handled, rubber-cupped designs, also. ‘T’ handles might meliorate wrist fatigue between two methods of “gripping” the handle. Pete can also see some savy ‘offshore’ manufacturer making a ‘clamp-on’ t-handle for (the standard size) wood handled force cups.

*For the author and the aluminum handle ‘the jury is still out’ on whether he embraces the addition. He’d probably not use one around electric motors, like garbage disposals.
  
Double Bowl Bathroom Counters

Some designers? a long time ago had an idea. Maybe ‘they’ thought it was sexy: “I’ll put two lav basins on this ‘long’ bathroom sink counter here.”  (Using a continuous waste (Illus. 15 & 15a) and the same drain and vent). That idea caught on and was/is still very popular, probably for a ‘long run’ yet. 

*If designers ‘wanna’ continuing ‘spec-ing’ double bowls they should have the integrity to also call for separate sanitary tees, and trap arms. ‘Their’ design can be “iffy” at times, and wreak havoc on your wallet. Was it as ‘sexy’ as its proponents might have believed? The author knows very few folks who want to be in the bathroom when other folks will also be in there. Even lovers may prefer ‘single occupancy’.

Good idea or bad, for plumbers (now including you), maybe not so. Two bowls with overflows and pop-up wastes, on one (1) drain & Sanitary Tee. Are you alone on this job?  How are you going to hold wet sponges to two (or 4?) overflows and stop-up the other pop-up waste, and have an arm and hand for plunging?  In this case, with double bowls sharing one Sanitary Tee, again (Illus. 15 & 15a, above) unless you have another person to hold ‘cling wrapped’ or ‘wet-sponge-in-plastic-bag’ at 3 to 5 locations, ‘snaking’ might be your only option if the stoppage were not hair snakes in the pop-up wastes as discussed above. Plunging one sink will only drive the ‘soup’ to the other bowl.

With Luck

Don’t give up without a fight. Find a friend who will give you 20 minutes of their time and attention: ‘Gazpacho Duty’.  Maybe you’ll get lucky with only an easily dislodgeable stoppage at the San Tee (nemesis location) again, (Illus. 6 & 7). The reader won’t know...until you “give it a go.”

Kitchen Sinks

There’s a few different angles here, with kitchen sinks that we did not encounter with lav basins. (Yet both sink types are fortunately mounted on “33-34 or “36 high cabinets, which when applying the force-cup saves your back from the discomfort of plunging bathtubs, leaning over the side, on your knees, or leaning over toilet bowls.

Today the majority of kitchen sinks do not have overflow ports and chambers. The ‘high-end’ of the market is the place to look for that feature.

Unlike lav basins, there are kitchen sinks available in single bowl models, and kitchen sinks are also available in double and even triple bowl. The majority also have a drain ‘mostly centered’ in the pan. This makes for better force-cup-to-sink suction (also produces less side squirt). (Mentioned in Lavs, upstream.). The further you get/got into ‘designer’ options for your sink, placement of drain holes in tight corners or close-wall are more common. (Looks great, but hope you never need to plunge this sucker.)

Again like lavatory basins, stopped-up single bowl kitchen sinks without a ‘disposer’ are similarly ‘plunged’ with the same 4 to 5 force-cup ‘plunges’ and ‘lifts’ we used on lavatory basins. The big difference between plunging lav basins and kitchen sinks is when you add a garbage disposal. Illus. 16 shows the 2 most common clog locations for disposers.

​*(If the cosmetics industry isn’t checked, we could possibly see one day: lav basins with disposers) (and bigger pipe size regulations?)  
 
Grinders (no, not the burger variety)
​
Now, a single bowl kitchen sink,  like Photo 14, without a garbage disposal, uses the same fittings used on lavs, but bigger ones. Lavatory basins have a 1&1/4-in. code minimum drain diameter size. Kitchen sinks now need a code required 2-in. diameter drain. With bigger diameter wastes and drains more water passes faster through kitchen plumbing than the lav plumbing. The late Code increase to 2-in. kitchen sink drain line was a very smart move. 

Along with this larger diameter waste and drainpipe size requirement the more possibilities one gained to cause a clog. Sinks hosting disposers went from the minority to parity and the ‘2-in. requirement’ might figure in. By and far on most occasions the stoppage is unwanted green cuttings and prepared food leftovers.

*The ‘experts’ tell us that around 20 percent of our household waste is composed of vegetable/scrap food waste.

The warning list of items NOT to feed a garbage disposer may surprise some who live without one. Among those on this list are some items that can get wedged/wound-up under a disposers rotating cutters. This includes ‘stuff’ like stringy celery stalks, artichoke leaves, fish bones etc. Also, (surprisingly) yours truly discovered the pasta clog for himself, thus: “Pete the Plumber Meets Arnold the Anteater” @ PeterHemp.com

The author, after looking back all the years, would say the most common clog causes involved a waste ‘pattern” where the clog happens in the sanitary tee, as the author has mentioned above.  If the clog also clogs (seals off) the upper vent connection to the sanitary tee our chances are good. (So we’ll give it 20 minutes.)

When a single bowl KS hosts a garbage disposer, again (see Illus. 16, above) it complicates matters. You are lucky if you’re one of the few with disposers who find the clogging at the disposers 90 degree discharge elbow. (Not a ‘bad’ job for a ‘handyman) to remove/clean out and replace). 

As ‘disposers’ drag along into their ‘middle-age’, like us, their ‘dietary tract’ suffers slowdowns and their cutters (teeth) have dulled to the point that they are producing a ‘salad’ instead of a slurry. (“Doesn’t slide down the pipes very well anymore”.)  Enough ‘salad’ sent down older kitchens 1&1/2-in. drains can cause a clog by slowing down the rate of drainage to a point where smaller debris joins the scrum and eventually enough ‘food waste’ seals the pipe.
  
Scary Odds
​
Before trying to plunge ‘standing’ water in a single bowl kitchen sink that host’s a disposer, (which in turn hosts a dishwasher's drain port) inside the disposers grinding chamber) (See Illus. 17 & 18).

This juncture also needs to be plugged (wine cork?)  If the opening is not plugged (with something), the dishwashers drain hose (connected there) will happily allow a bunch of ‘Gazpacho’ be sent back down to the washer’s cabinet (and clean dishes there awaiting being ‘put away’?)  Or, Gazpacho may rise to the level, inside the dishwasher, that could pour out onto the floor if the appliances door is not locked. And look out after opening the door.

(If Pete lives long enough he’ll tell you about a garbage disposal replacement job that came straight from hell.)  (Even the tv “Home Improvement” bunch couldn’t have dreamed up what happened to Pete the Plumber, AND his client!)
 
Back

Now, if you have a stopped-up single bowl hosting a disposer and you want to try clearing it with a force cup, the author suggests ‘newbies’ bail the sink. Splashing clean-er water opposed to ‘messed-up’ water will make the exercise less ‘icky’. Then (using a short section of garden hose and bucket) siphon the grinding chamber of its standing ‘liquid’. Your success depends upon how clean of debris you can make the drainage holes/slots in the sides and floor of the garbage disposer’s grinding chamber.

You cannot find the holes and slots through opaque (Gazpatcho?) in the grinding chamber. Also, ‘tools’ such as long, straight and curved, hemostats are invaluable for the cleaning/retrieving chore.
 
Now De-energize (Un-plug) GB

Most garbage disposals installed in the last couple of decades, by code, need to be energized by a standard, rated appliance, three-prong cord and electrical outlet, installed near the appliance in the same cabinet. Simply pull-the-plug to work with safely. (Illus. 14a)

Double Trouble

Both kitchen sinks, one with a garbage disposal and the other, without, mostly use the same (behind the wall) vertical sanitary tee pattern. (It was the same for the lav but in smaller diameter pipe and fitting.)  Even kitchen sinks with garbage disposers (as mentioned) stoppages occur many more times at the branch of the sanitary tee, again (Illus. 16, below). As disposers age they do a poorer and poorer job of grinding and the ‘Gazpacho’ gets thicker and thicker and slows down the velocity of the discharge, increasing conditions for a stoppage.

Plunging a double bowl kitchen sink (one of) hosting a disposer creates the same need to ‘plug-up’ escape routes for the Force you are about to create as we did with overflows and passageways on lavs and tubs. You want your force to attack the clog, not climb up and out into the other bowl. It’s (big) wet sponge in plastic bag time again. Again, when possible while force cupping a disposer it’s best to do so with a plunger/cup skirt pulled down, and slipped into the garbage disposers sink opening, if it fits your disposer opening. You will/should be able to feel it drop in if the Gazpacho is too opaque to see through it. With a good ‘fitting’ of skirt-into-GB opening, fewer side squirts.

*If you do not have a cup/plunger with a fold down skirt just try to keep the cup centered (as much as possible) over the disposers opening. (Eye Protection On?)
 
Isn’t This Fun

In any sink or basin (with standing ‘dirty-soup’, or new, clean fresh) the rubber force cup works better when, resting still, in place, is fully submerged. This condition is not always possible and we work with what we got.

Let’s start by applying the force cup on the now ‘cleaned out’ disposers opening. (Water level hopefully above top of force cup). Begin the 4-5 slow, rhythmic ‘plunges’ and ‘lifts’ as we did for lav basins. Can you give it ‘the 20’?)

On double bowls with disposer, the chances are still good that the clog is at the sanitary tee branch, again (Illus. 16, above). If you can still find (seriously?) the stopper that came with the disposer, put it in, hold it down with one hand and ‘plunge’ the ‘naked’ bowl without disposer.
As Pete has mentioned/alluded to, this “plunging” business is a first line of attack on clogs/stoppages. It is/can be a messy enterprise. (With the author it is/was ‘hands down’ messy.)  Pete reckons it’s the reader’s level of $ liquidity $ that governs their participation in this ‘water sport’. (But maybe just knowing is worth the read?)
 
Tubs

Pete’s immediate prior address had no house numbers, on a cliff above the river. It did have a glorious 6-ft., cast iron legged bathtub, on the ‘under-the-stars’ deck. During snow flurries or autumn full moons both, Pete enjoyed a good, long soak. There were no stoppage worries. And no overflow worries. Pete sealed-off the overflow so he could fill the tub to its very top edge. When yours truly got in the tub, a ‘certain’ amount of water left the tub. No worries. Sealed deck. Watered flowers. Not even any need for towels (not touching skin).

*For most of you, tub bathing has been quite a different experience. For all of the joys bathtubs bring us, when expected operation is hampered by a clog, not being able to use this fixture can be exasperating. “How dare it!”  Well, compared to ‘plunging’ lavatory and kitchen basins/bowls, plunging a tub presents more ‘issues’. The ‘tricky’ aspects of plunging a tub involve the design (type) of W&O (waste and overflow), again Illus. 5, below, and where to place your body to perform the task. 

Leaning over the head edge of the tub, trying to hold a wet sponge ‘in-bag’ over the overflow (bent/twisted elbow?) while ‘plunging’ with one hand (hot or cold valve handle or tub spout in your face?) is not very comfortable, but ‘do-able’ to a degree.

Two items can make plunging a tub drain much easier and effective. (Pete already has several, long, 1-in. rubber contractor’s hoses he can couple together so he can be outside and siphon a stopped-up tub.). The first item is a ‘handy sized’ plastic bowl which with wet sponge inside, aids your covering and sealing of your W&O upper overflow port and trip-lever plate.) (The second item is an acme-threaded, wooden push broom handle (Photo 15).

Tripped-up?

If your tub waste is of the trip lever design as in, again Illus. 5, above, removing the internal ‘bucket’ stopper, with the linkage, will sometimes cure the problem outright as the lav pop-up stopper demonstrated upstream: hair and sludge. Usually only two screws hold the trip lever plate to the tub. One should be gentle when removing and re-installing the linkage and captive ‘bucket’ (stopper). It’s best to ‘jiggle’ this linkage as you lift. And, do not afterwards apply any “lubricant” to the bucket/ stopper before re-inserting the assembly into the overflow port. If the linkage with bucket stopper does not easily lift out of the overflow port, do not continue this ploy and replace the lift lever/overflow plate.

Tubular (brass) overflow piping (behind the tub wall) is flimsy stuff. Excessive side or rotational movement as a result of trying to lift out a ‘stubborn’ linkage/bucket stopper (or running a metal cable ‘snake’ through the overflow port) can cause leaks at the slip-nut locations. This is because many waste and overflows made of tubular brass employed rubber slip nut washers which after decades crack and leak from movement. Also, the ‘doughnut’ foam rubber sealing gasket (Illus. 19) which is held tight to the back side of the tub, surrounding the overflow opening, can fall out of position. When the gasket falls out of position a ‘splash’ leak may occur when the tub is used, even when showering.

*Solvent welded Schedule #40 ABS and PVC ‘kit’ waste and overflows (they provide the fittings, you: the cements) stand the test of time when they are installed by the ‘well initiated’.
 
Captain Nemo?

For a tub hosting a pop-up stopper, again Illus. 5, third above, removing the slide-out stopper and the actuating linkage will often benefit you as it did to remove the lavs pop-up stopper and ‘linkage’ (upstream): hair and sludge removed, problem solved. If the stoppage is further on, having clear pathways increases your odds of success. The author as rote would try the “uncomfortable” sponge-in-bag/lean-over-routine, upon arrival. That failing, it’s time to get serious: out come the coupled garden hoses and siphon-drain the fixture. (Run the water outside where it will not cause any problems.). Then, refill the tub with clean water to a depth that covers the top of rubber force-cup/plunger.

With neoprene, ‘stocking foot waders’ and kneepads, the author could comfortably kneel in the tub, which is a big deal. With rubber force-cups, replacing the factory’s acme threaded, short, force cup handle with a custom cut-to-length (3-ft.) section of acme threaded push-broom handle allows for far more successful clearances, especially if you can conscript an extra pair of hands to hold the wet-sponge-in-bag over the overflow plate. No waders?  No kneepads? Your tub?  No problem: ‘shorts’ or au natural.

Use the same four ‘compressions’ (plunges) then four ‘‘lifts’ as we used on the lavatory and kitchen basins/sinks.

*The extended length of the 36-in. custom-cut push-broom handle (for tub clogs) greatly reduces the muscle fatigue for your hand/arm/shoulder doing the work. The extra ‘tallness’ of the 36” custom cut handle allows you to grip high up and the ‘cup’er’ then pulls down instead of shoving down, and your arm, back and neck muscles are used in a more comfortable/less tiring way. It’s fine to go back and forth with ‘shoving’ and ‘pulling’. If you successfully conscripted help, then having both hands/arms working greatly increases your odds of clearing the clog.
  
Toe-Taps
 
Photos 16 & 16a illustrate a late entry of tub drainage hardware. 

​Because both trip lever and pop-up stopper waste and overflows may require ‘re-adjusting’ over time, the good designers looked for a simpler but effective way of stopping-up the tub. The original rubber cork method (Photo 16b) must have influenced them. 

The toe tap stopper is a modern version of the old rubber cork. The usually chromed plastic toe tap stopper on less expensive models and the more expensive metallic stopper type still makes a water tight seal using a modern neoprene ‘rubber’ O-ring or other custom designed ‘rubber’ seal. The elevated ‘toe tap’ stopper is spring loaded and presses down on the rubber seal, sealing the water entering the tub when pressure is applied to the top of the stopper by the bather’s fingers or heel or toes. When bathing ends, a mere ‘touch of toe’ trips the spring which raises the stopper to allow drainage.

Sounds sexy?  This design does have some convenience aspects that trip lever and pop-up stopper waste and overflows lack. The first is toe tap W&O’s ditched the linkage that its brethren are stuck with. That is a big deal. But there are also negatives involving this design which the author finds too severe/objectionable to embrace.  One involves springs which are required. The author has found them to be too fickle to ‘stay on the job’ long enough to earn his acceptance. Another detractor is the slower drainage rate for this design versus properly adjusted linkage versions. (Need to clean the tub more often).

For a plumber or ‘handyperson’ removing this stopper prior to force-cupping is not a big deal. For the layperson the author at this time feels it’s stretching the mandate of this tutorial. Like pop-up stopper and trip-lever waste and overflows, hair collection underneath the toe tap stopper is enemy number one and because of the usually slower drainage rate involved with ‘toe taps’ it presents a lesser opportunity for force-cup success on stoppages.

The second drawback to plunging/force-cupping a tub with the toe tap stopper is its height. It greatly limits the design of force cup you can use and also limits the range of ‘down’ plunges you can perform before ‘bottoming-out’ on the stopper.  Though a benefit for this type is the overflow plate, again (Photo 16a, above) is flat and much easier to ‘stop-off’ with the wet sponge in a plastic bag. The author’s choice of force cup for this application would be the larger ‘hemispherical-ish’ force cups like Photos 1, 2, 2a, & 2b. A more abrupt shorter plunge with the usual suction/lift followed by the ‘Gazpacho Finish’ lift is the author’s recommendation here.

Lift and Twist
​
The final drain peculiarity for discussion is another elevated stopper that employs weight instead of springs to stop-up the drain. The Lift and Twist Stopper waste and overflow (Photos 17 & 17a) are usually a pre-cut ABS or PVC kit. 

The plumber cements and mounts. For deeper tubs the ‘kit’ might only include the tub shoe and overflow housing and trim plate and mounting screw. The weighted stopper waste and overflow (Lift & twist) assembly often sees the plumber measure the distance between the plastic components and then cut, plumber-supplied, Schedule #40 pipe pieces to length and cement together.

The stopper for lift and twist varieties is intentionally heavy. It’s the mere weight (usually/thankfully brass) of the stopper, weighing-down a neoprene O-ring or other proprietarily designed neoprene rubber seal. This heavy stopper rides up and down on a post for accuracy and retainment: it won’t get misplaced. (As long as the set-screw under the bottoms edge remains tight). Of the two styles of elevated stopper waste and overflows, the author sees the lift and twist the lesser of “surrendered performance”. Again, a high volume hemispherical-ish force-cup would be suggested to plunge the tub without removing the stopper and post. Same cupping technique as for toe tap stoppers: shorter downward plunging but don’t “wimp out” on lifts. *There are hair screens for this type, see Photo 18.

Shower Enclosures

Showers really ‘take it in the neck’ when it comes to clogs or slowdowns. A bathtub, when draining, has the advantage of the heavy weight of standing water flooding the waste and drain. When taking a shower (especially today with ‘the water saving’ shower heads) the draining bathing water stays below your big toe. Very little applied weight by comparison. Less water, less ‘carry distance’ for the oils/soaps/hair/hair products in the draining water. This ‘slowness’ accounts for ‘build-up’s’ which in time encourage full stoppages.

Until the 1970’s most States had codes designating a minimum 1 &1/2-in. p-trap, trap arm, and drain line for stand alone showers.  Well, we humans tend to learn by our mistakes. Today, most codes demand a 2-in. p-trap, trap-arm and drain line. This was/is a smart move. (It is the author’s belief that also today, we send more hair/health care product ‘slurries’ down shower drains than anytime in our short history of shower bathing.) This ‘gunk’ wasn’t around when plumbing engineers calculated required drain and waste diameter for ‘then’ fixtures. So, it’s important not to further slow down the exodus of this junk by not maintaining a hair trap over the shower drain to keep it from “reinforcing” the sludge. What do you suppose Photo 18a could contribute to a blockage in my daughter Kelly’s shower enclosure and my grandson Justin’s shower, separated by a wall?

Stoppages in shower pan p-traps occur when the slow-moving drain water releases their load while still transiting the trap. This ooze builds up, mixing with hair and creating mini-‘Fatbergs’.

*Some references to ‘Fatbergs’ at end of article.
 
Fat Chance

Eventually this hair reinforced sludge (fats) invades the trap arm and creates further slow-down. Total blockage happens when the growing ‘mini-fatberg’ builds up at the juncture of trap arm and sanitary tee branch. It’s also at this juncture, between trap-arm and sanitary tee that Mr. Spoiler, the vent also shows his face. Your chances of success if the clog occupies space anywhere between the shower drain fitting and a short distance to the vent (red dots) are good. If the clog is past (downstream) (green dots) of the vent to drain connection (Illus. 20) un-clogging the drain with a force cup are slim. But give it 20 minutes’ worth?

*Most codes allow 5-ft. trap-arm lengths to vent juncture for 2-in. pipe. It’s a convenient length since most American ‘built-in’ bathtubs are also 5-ft. long and the plumber can run his vent up a wall at the backrest end of the tub if framing closer to the drain is inhospitable for this purpose.
 
*It is not evident in a completed bathroom but when the plumber plumbed a shower pan (or tub) with a wye branch fitting as in Illus. 20a instead of a vertical sanitary tee, the ‘Cup’er’ is still equally handicapped by the vent’s effect on compression and suction while plunging. In the case of a wye branch vent juncture, the stoppage will usually occur downstream for this pattern.

The Toilet Bug-A-Loo

O.K. (any hangers on), we’re now ‘suiting-up’ for the Major’s.

Thomas Lynch in his “The Undertaking: Life Studies from the Dismal Trade” had this to say about toilets: “The flush toilet, more than any single invention, has “civilized” us in a way that religion and law could never accomplish.”  And, the toilet (‘closet’ in plumber speak) is probably the fixture most requiring a “plunging” now and then. We knew what to expect when plunging the lavatory bowl, the tub, and the shower. Plunging the toilet bowl (the why for) has many more players, a couple of which involves design and construction of the toilet itself, as the reader will see downstream.
 
* An apropos aside: Pete was once given a special illumination device (known as a ‘bore scope’) to test and see if the device could fulfill a need in the plumbing trade. The manufacturer wanted Pete to use it for a spell and give them a report.

The author found it very handy but it could not do the one chore he wished for most. He wanted to be able to see if an ‘Aunt Mabel’s wedding ring’ or ‘Uncle Joe’s watch fob’ or ‘grandma’s’ eyeglasses might be in the trap of some customer’s toilet. The donated bore scope was rigid. It wouldn’t go around corners. It did though help Pete looking for leak sources in walls and ceilings.

The report Pete eventually ‘sent in’ mentioned the products ability to let Pete see inside walls, ceilings and floors. But he also told them if they could make a flexible one which could slide through a toilets passageway, that they’d be ‘on to something’.

Yours truly never heard a peep after he submitted his report. Then one day some months later, while ‘leafing through’ a plumber’s trade magazine at some wholesaler’s counter, he saw an ad that caught his eye. The same manufacturer was advertising a new flexible device that allows plumbers to look and see what’s inside toilet traps and passageways. The name of their new gadget: “Toilet-o-Scope”!  The author chuckled.  Photo 19 is one of the latest such devices that is exactly what Pete the Plumber had dreamed about. 

Tried And True

The old-fashioned force cup (header photo, above) when its rubber quality has not deteriorated badly, can be effective on simple “too much paper” and/or “too much (normal) #2. in toilet passageways. When an aged rubber cup becomes riddled with cracks …and leaks air, good luck. There are humans who produce ‘mondo’ stools, ‘logs’ of such girth and length that few toilets can facilitate them.

*There was a toilet manufacturer (Carmona) in Australia, producing a toilet with an extra-large internal passageway just for this situation/‘condition’, but it is presently no longer in production. ‘Tis a shame. It had a reputation built by performance and the understanding: ‘If you can make it, we can pass it.’

Photo 20 reveals the extra diameter Carmona  passageway and ‘horn’, compared to 2&1/8-in. passageways of most manufacturers in Photo 21.

Rectifying this situation via ‘plunger’ demands a good-quality one. For years Pete the Plumber’s favorite force cup was marketed as: “Toilaflex”, manufactured by the Radiator Specialty Company: good strength and flexibility. This model (and since, knockoff’s) have a pull-down skirt which is a great aid when ‘plunging’ toilets. (The skirt is best left unfolded for disposer-less kitchen and bathroom lav force cup’ers.   
 
Why Me?

Ever wonder why someone else’s toilet clogs more than yours (other than aforementioned biological anomalies?)  (Pete doesn’t think that question is too creepy.)  One easy ‘answer for’ are young children: lots of toilet paper. Children also have imaginations almost as fertile as Pete the Plumber’s (he was told by an associate). And, your imagination is capable of giving you some help here, if there needs to be an explanation. When the author answered a ‘stoppage’ call, and the customers had either aquariums or cat litter boxes, the bells would ring in his ears. (Like doctors meeting presenting patients for the first time in examination rooms: an almost immediate ‘good guess’.)  (book: “How Doctors Think”)

Aquarium gravel and cat litter are big time offenders. Pete need not tell non-pet owners how the gravel and litter got into the toilet bowl. Many times ‘plunging/cupping’ will be unsuccessful for this problem and now the toilet requires the tank be removed and the bowl gently rolled outside on a convenient soft space, while getting a garden hose enema in both openings. (Sometimes only the embarrassment of the client when Pete performed this procedure on their front lawn did a change of habit occur.)
 
(Safe Passage?)

Most users of flush toilets would recognize ‘them’ by touch in complete darkness or blindfolded. What practically makes ‘them’ different on the inside (passageways) the same users understandably draw blanks. Aside the shape and volumetric capacity of the toilets bowl, it’s the diameter, path, and internal surface of the passageway that really spells operational success of gravity flush toilets. According to manufacturers data sheets most internal toilet passageways, today, are of 2 &1/8-in. inside diameter. The average human stool is about 4-inches long and ¾ to an inch in girth. How easily sanitary fixture designers can send our poop on its way and maintain an effective volume of flush water in the bowl (after the ‘flush’) determines the success or failure of the fixture (and your happiness with it).
 
*An Apropos Aside:  Pete the Plumber unfortunately once found himself in a health clinic in Arizona for six weeks dealing with his own “plumbing” problems. And, some of his fellow patients were the ‘coke bottle/brown bear-sized’ grazers. The four toilets were always clogging. Now it just so happened that Pete had just recently written a product review to a national builder’s magazine for a brand new “super-flusher” 3.5 gallon gravity toilet. The author had demonstrated the toilet at a plumbing wholesaler's location. He placed the toilet above a 55 gallon white plastic drum and repetitively and simultaneously flushed 6 (thawed) standard American hot dogs into the drum. Time after time.

For the clinic, Pete called the manufacturer and asked for new toilets, for free. They sent them. Pete installed them. (Effective but quite noisy they were). Fortunately though, the plumber slept elsewhere and never had another need to visit the clinic.

When the author started in the trade, 7-gallon cisterns (toilet tanks) were common. The industry later thought they were being ‘conscientious’ when they began making 5-gallon versions. California has since led the Nation in paring down the amount of (drinking) water needed to flush toilets. Today, thankfully, the necessary volume has been reduced in some cases to a little more than a gallon and a few two-ounce ‘jiggers’. How has this occurred?  Smarter engineering coming to our rescue: improved and improved and improved passageways. 

Closer Look
​
For all survivors of this Pipe stream (to this point) the author wants to show the reader some differences in manufacturers’ internal passageways, further downstream. Illus. 24 is taken from my book “Installing and Repairing Plumbing Fixtures”. 

Like all other sanitary fixtures (sinks, showers, urinals, bidets etc.) each of these fixtures must be served by a sanitary trap.  For sinks and showers the plumber attaches the trap. Toilets, bidets and sometimes urinals have internal traps. The traps Pete buys and puts on sinks, tubs, showers and other ‘sanitary experiments’ have mandatory standards set by numerous governing bodies. A p-trap in Arizona is the same one in Maine. A toilets built-in trap/passageway may differ until the cows come home. It sure would help if the ‘cup’er’ could see a profile of the ‘prospective’ toilets passageway. The where and why of the stoppage could signal what ‘cup technique’ would be best to employ.
  
Glazed (or Caked?)

How do you like your doughnuts?  Can you tell the difference between the two when you swallow?  Well your toilet knows when it ‘swallows’ something different than ‘normal’ human poop.

*Another Apropos Confidence: Pete has an airline captain brother who retired after many thousands of hours flying people all over the world. He referred to himself as “a bus driver in the sky.”  Well, Captain Tim flew one of the first Boeing 747’s between San Francisco and Tokyo, Japan. Almost all passengers were Japanese. They got there on their second try. Half-way across on the initial flight they had to turn back. The toilets were plugged. In San Francisco the mechanics discovered the Japanese poop was so different that it clogged the toilets American poop had not (in testing). Pete’s next-door Japanese sculptor neighbor, K.G. told yours truly that Japanese fixture manufacturer Toto used mochi dough molded to the ‘right’ dimensions to test their toilets. Pete likes that rice dough, and he would have to admit that there is a likeness and that it would be a good choice to test passageways.
 
Smooth As What?

In the late 1950’s when the author was introduced to the world of plumbing he cannot recall seeing a glazed passageway when he unseated ‘leakers’ and re-set (re-installed) them. He also can’t recall when he came across the first glazed one. But what Pete thought when he saw his first one was: great idea. Could you see that glazed Caroma ‘horn’ opening in Photo 21? 

​Eventually Pete the Plumber was glad to see his customers wanting them. And, stoppage problems with the ‘glazed’ (in Pete’s experience) were fewer than with the traditionally cheaper bisque (un-glazed) models. As the author brought to readers’ attention in his books: inspecting before you buy is a major step to a happy purchase. Porcelain fixture manufacturers have sizable ‘bone yards’ of dud, deformed, glaze-failed fixtures that they caught during the manufacturing process. Thankfully. But many more escape and are boxed and shipped. The retail customer was rarely shown their purchases (naked) before leaving the store/warehouse/shop. Wise contractors do and/or demand. Pete found (among others) many glazing problems while inspecting purchases. These often occurred inside walls of the horn and close to the juncture with the passageway. They appear as the little, pointed curls on ‘chocolate drops or cake frostings. These are razor sharp to human skin and great hooks to catch any manner of ‘stuff’ people send down toilets. Sometimes it’s a de-formed horn as the author has covered upstream in another Pipe article. If someone lives with a continuously clogging toilet, ‘lifting’ and inspecting is a ‘good idea’.
 
Whose Big Idea

As Pete the Plumber mentioned upstream, toilet designers have carte blanche (restraints only by physics) on bowl and passageway shape and path. Only a plumber (or savvy builder) would be ‘told anything’ when glancing at installed and/or toilet bowls just ‘outta da box’. Again, the toilet bowl and passageway, Illus. 24, borrowed from my book illustrated by Frank Abbas: Installing & Repairing Plumbing Fixtures, has a fail-proof bowl/passageway design. No sharp corners anywhere. 

Compare to Illus. #s 26, 26a, 26b, 26c, 26d & 26e, which are tracings from manufacturer’s schematic cross-sections with two versions exhibiting one or more sharp 90 degree angles. Give the author the soft curves every time. Illus. 26e is the shape of one manufacturer that Pete the Plumber thinks recognized the importance of soft turns and it resembles the Abbas design from Pete’s book. (Mr. Abbas was in fact a plumber before putting his wrenches down and picking up illustrator tools.)

In Illus. 25, below, note Pete’s highlighted, lower right: Siphon jet. Toilets operating at today’s mandated ‘lows’ usually need this siphon jet to flush fully. The 7-gallon cisterns (toilet tanks) of yesteryear alleviated the need for this jet feature.

Modern toilet bowl designs have to work with low-water-usage constraints. We today, do not have the advantage of almost 59 pounds of water ‘pushing’ to ‘get the brown down’. To accomplish today, with approximately 8 &1/2 pounds of water what we once did with almost 60, means some smart folks need to keep going to work and see if we can’t ’raise the bar’ by lowering it with even less water use. 

Now, in Illus. 26e, above, the passageway from the bottom of the bowl, up and over and then down (looks like what Doc cut out of Pete) to and through the horn would be a great flusher: an almost vertical drop into the drain. Contrarily, passageway tracings which are of actual factory schematics by yours truly, show how different they may be.

Which one/s would Pete the Plumber want to pin his reputation to?  It wouldn’t be any with sharp angles. (On really old installations, without 7 gallons in his holster Pete would rather hide in the livery.)  Next time you have to shop for a new toilet you might ask for a ‘cutaway’ schematic and look for any sharp angle passageway turns.

Now the purpose for the siphon jet is to aid, in a ‘pulling’ manor, the complete evacuation of bowl and contents. Remember, we’re doing this (today) with new, lower water allowance regulations, most with 3.5 gallon to a now low of 1.6-8 gallons of drinking water. The jet, served by the highlighted upper rim cavity, again Illus. 25, above, uses the falling water of the tank, which constricted into a much smaller lower elevation opening, creates water of higher velocity. This higher velocity stream is aimed at the center of the passageway. When the tank lever is tripped, releasing its contents, the ‘jetted’ water races up to and over the weir of the trap (highlighted) pulling the slower velocity exiting water of the bowl along with it. This is the same principal that placer gold dredges work on.

When plunging/force-cupping a clogged toilet bowl ends with failure, the next technology to employ is the toilet auger. Pete’s done thousands of auger rescues but that is outside of this discussions purview.
 
Power to the Pee-ple

All of us at one time or another have used a toilet in a restaurant, gas station, hospital or other venue serving the general public which when flushed almost made us ‘leave or shoes’ because of the outrageously loud noise. These locations/businesses may employ (due to high number of users) and paper towels, toilets with ‘pressurized’ cisterns (tanks) which ‘blast’ the toilet bowl contents through the passageway. They are effective (but who wants to live with that noise in our living quarters?)  When these power flush toilets clog the efficacy of force-cupping usually does not meet success rates of our residential gravity toilets. But don’t let this fact stop you from trying to unclog one with a force cup. Got 20 minutes?
 
Plastic Force Cups

When one goes shopping for a force cup they will discover some “Darth Vader-ish” to ‘creepy’ looking devices that may remind you of children’s monster toys. Most all are of bellow construction (Photo 22).

The author appreciates the “anti-side stretch’ of this pleated material. This keeps forces going mostly in only one direction, quicker. One aspect the author finds intriguing about the plastic Master Plunger” (GT Products, Inc.) Photo 22, is the threaded handle. With one ‘un-screw rotation’ (CC) captive air is released. If this force cup had a soft ‘kisser’ (like rubber models) yours truly believes it would open a new strategy for ‘force cupping’. Also, with full removal of handle, additional water could be poured in until water filled the pleated ‘bellows’. This would increase the efficacy. If plastic force cup makers co-operated with some “rubber” guys and found a way to bond a ‘grippy’ neoprene like material to the openings of their now muscular plastic designs they might earn a devoted, growing market.

With force-cups, it’s water that does your bidding. With the much larger plastic versions, air makes up a big part of its ‘muscle’ (Illus. 23). As we all learned in school eons ago: air compresses. Water: naught. Who do you want fighting for you, pushing trouble away?  Someone who gives no ground, or someone who can be shoved around?  The GT’s Monster’s provision to rid itself of the air and fill with water is a step in the right direction.

Pete’s Dream Cups

If the author were a younger man he would try to scrounge up some funds to make a prototype plumber’s force cup with some “new twists”. But like a life-long wish to hike the Appalachian Trail, paddle his kayak to Micronesia, learn to hang-glide, fifty-years later the urge doesn’t get him off the couch.  But it’s not been an ‘overly bored’ life, either. One new development (for Pete) was rubber cups on aluminum handles, like Photos 2a & 2b, and a ‘pleated plastic’ plunger solely for toilets (Photo 24).  He trusts there are sufficient numbers of smart people who will continue to find time to dwell on cup improvements while he sits on his.

Air Force

 There are all manner of sophisticated compressed air devices on offer for clearing plumbing clogs. The author one day thought he might like to just ‘pull a trigger’ to clear clogs. He saved his dimes and got a beauty.

Pete the Plumber could not wait to have an excuse to use his new air ‘blaster’. Well, the day came. He got a call to a huge mansion (jade tile wainscoting in bathrooms). The offending clogged toilet was a giant, old, jade-green, wall-hung tank, elongated toilet bowl with ceramic trim covering the flush elbow piping bringing water down from tank to bowl. Of course a 7+ gallon tank. Guests from afar were being inconvenienced. (Pete the Plumber was happy as pie.)  With a big smile (and boast) yours truly slid his C02 amo into the breach, positioned his ‘gun’ and pulled the trigger. He dislodged the clog but also blew away the bee’s wax ‘ring’ sealing the bowls ‘horn’ to the drain. As a result, Pete ‘donated’ 5 hrs. labor time to replace the seal. Would Pete do that again?  (T & M?) (With helpers?)  Hmmmmmm, he thinks not. The author might. Sure was excitement though pulling that trigger.
 
Pseudo Finìsto

Congratulations to readers who slogged through Pete the Plumber’s musings comprising this Pipe. He hopes you came away with some improved comprehension of what the many forms of force-cups can accomplish, and sometimes not.  He would like to end this attempt by leaving you with a last (I promise) apropos aside.

The word ‘force’ was used so much during the above argument that Pete worries that it may have lost a little of its p.s.i. For that reason the author would like to leave you with a little tale involving Force that might get the reader to consider the real existence of the Force. It was the coincidence of writing (a bit technically) about plumber’s force cups and then reminding himself of an incident that happened (involving a “household name” entertainment figure, that is cause for the title of this Pipe: May the Force Be with You
 
There Has To Be Angels

Pete believes that somewhere in his blogs and books he admitted plumbing and maintaining restaurants constituted a sizable chunk of his billing and happiness. He makes no secret of it: Pete likes to eat and restaurants (after he’s done working) always treat him royally with a table for one and wonderful fare, gratis.

Well, one day Pete the Plumber was called to one of the restaurants he plumbed in Berkeley. The restaurant occupied a busy ground floor corner location with second floor residences above. The cause to call Pete was problems with an ice maker. It was housed in a purpose-built shed, up on the roof. Around the outside corner restaurants ground floor, on each side, were big, old fashioned (original 1930’s) ‘crank-out’ canvass awnings, to provide shade for a small number of checkered cloth, two-person tables (‘duces’).

The ten o’clock Sunday morning Pete was called to the restaurant, the sidewalk tables were hosting a Mimosa quaffing, crêpe and blintze indulging (tiramisu to go) pro-brunch regulars. The awning on one side (East) had not yet been ‘cranked-out’. That was the same wall, up at and on the roof (now properly called a parapet wall), where the ice maker shed had been backed up to.

Pete the Plumber (after a latte [he was allowed behind the counter to make his own] and coffee cake) climbed the back stairs to the roof with his tool sack over his shoulder. The ice-maker enclosure (as mentioned) was backed by a 4 ft. parapet wall running around the building perimeter. Pete fixed the ice maker without too much effort and began getting his tools back in his sack. Next is where the Force comes in.
 
You Knew Better

In the course of repairing the ice maker, Pete did something very foolish. It had nothing to do with the repairing of the machine. The “unforgivable” lapse-of-good-judgement could have resulted in tragedy.

A whisper in your ear: Shipyard workers have to scale and work at many high places when building and repairing a hull (with many co-workers working below them). For good reason a draconian code is in force: drop a tool once, fined $500.00. Drop a tool twice: fined $1,000.00   No third time. You’re fired!

Pete the Plumber had lain a heavy Crescent wrench on the flat top of the 6-in wide stucco parapet wall. He knew better. (He had already punished himself (sutures and more than once) by leaving wrenches (and other tools) on high steps of tall ladders (where they could not be seen from below). One big reason for ‘hard hats’ and face shields. After performing the repair, when the author reached for his ‘drop-forged buddy! (too quickly) he committed the unforgivable: Yours truly, accidentally, knocked the wrench off… into 2-story  space!
 
Holy Chrome Moly

Down at the ground floor sidewalk tables (moved close together for a party of four) sat the unsuspecting foursome. From the plumber’s vantage point (directly above) only the style of clothing (gender) differentiated the café guests.

At the instant of judgement failure the author suffered a very terrible, ‘sickness’ in both heart and stomach. (‘Blood and Lawsuit’ imagery shot to the front of his shattered train of thought.)  To this day, Pete can still see that big, chrome-moly, sunlight reflecting ‘arial killer’ landing in between the two, close together (6-8-inches) tables of innocent, unsuspecting diners.

The falling wrench hit the ground with very audible ‘metallic’ sounding impact, then ricocheted with a REAL loud ‘BANG’ off one of the two tables metal central column supports. It landed, finally motionless, several feet out in the center of the sidewalk. Pete was frozen in place, and still peering down on the ‘crime scene’- the diners were also in a state of frozen animation. It was as if a combatant in a foxhole witnesses a too close for comfort landing mortar round, but seconds intervene before any coherent cerebral machinations can coalesce. (Fortunately NONE of the diners were struck or in any way, injured.) (PTSD?)

The author’s memory is a blank between descending from the roof until mere strides from one, standing, and three sitting diners. From a short distance Pete the Plumber sensed he might not be physically attacked (four against one?). But the author did expect a very angry ‘dressing down” from one and/or all. Very thankfully that did not become reality. The gentleman stood several feet in front of the tables, and with neither stern nor warm facial features/body language, merely extended his arm, hand grasping tool, and said in a calm, normal timbre: “The Force was with you.”

This incident required a report to the management. The café owner, graciously removed the bill from table top and apologized to the diners, then gave Pete a look that would be difficult to describe. In a low voice he told Pete to meet him at the restaurants back kitchen door.  There, it was: “Do you know who that guy is?”  The author honestly answered: “No”, I don’t.”  “Well, if you went to movies you would.” 

However, importantly, Pete did not lose his privileged key to the restaurant, or the walk-in, or the wine/beer cooler (for another 20 years).

Now this is/was one incident (of way too many) of myriad dangers, that, life-long, have not ended in tragedy for yours truly (and others). Pete the Plumber ‘knows’ he’s had some force intervene on his behalf. And, he hopes one day (in the nick of time?) The Force May Be With You, too!
 
 
PtP

References to ‘Fatbergs’:

Rise of the Fatberg: Secret of the Ooze
https://www.vactor.com/home-news-press/what-is-a-fatberg
 
Pandemic Wipes Create Sewer-Clogging Fatbergs – Bloomberg
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-26/pandemic-wipes-create-sewer-clogging-fatbergs
 
 Huge Blobs of Fat and Trash Are Filling the World’s Sewers
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/fatbergs-fat-cities-sewers-wet-wipes-science

And being a ‘greenhorn’ in such endeavors he foolishly went a bit overboard. (Homer, his long-deceased Wisconsin farmer grandfather would most certainly find this spectacle hilarious.)  A bit like ‘gold fever’ the author succumbed to the ‘gardener’s mania’: he left his MasterCard on file at the nursery. (You can just imagine what folly would be possible via such ‘short’ sightedness.) (Oh, but what fun!) (When discounting the sunburn and aching muscles). As of this writing Pete has only one melon trellis to build before he dives (fully) into this next In the Pipe: M.I.A.

In Pete’s last Pipe he had a few things to say about helping with the installation of a commercial kitchen for the fledging food Co-Op in his village. During that effort it was necessary to deal with a ‘problem’ which used to be a chronic bone of contention for old time plumbers, long past. True to The Pipe, this ‘bone’ involved both materials and practices.

Because in today’s world the majority of freshwater plumbing systems are either plastic (PEX, CPV and a few exotics) and copper, what Pete is going to share in this PIPE will benefit repair plumbers, mostly. The reason for discussing such a ‘limited interest’ topic is because there are still millions of plumbers around the country who ‘now and then’ will want to shake my hand for learning what this article did/does for them.
 
Iron/Steel and Rust

Pete ‘cut his chops’ when plumbers were still ‘cranking’ (threading) galvanized steel and galvanized iron pipe for fresh water supply. In many older cities these fruits of plumbers’ labors are still on the job, still supplying life supporting fresh water to millions. In the previous Pipe article the author mentioned working on the NSF (commercial) kitchen, and this endeavor required the use of one of Pete’s specialty plumbers’ tools. A tool that in today’s plastic and copper FWD (Fresh Water Distribution) practice is rarely required. In old metropolitan areas with lots of galvanized pipe still on the job the tool Pete is going to tell you about remains a must have. Will the reader of this Pipe ever need to work with this tool? Hopefully not.
 
My CO-OP assistant for the kitchen plumbing, Ryan, had scored two commercial kitchen faucets, used, on-line. They were ‘workable’ Fisher Company wall-hung models. One of the faucets had broken and corroded galvanized nipples in the supply fittings. NO room for a pipe wrench to grip anything. How were we to get rid of these corroded and broken nipples?  The faucet (regardless of its good condition) would be useless unless the supply ports were clean ½ in. F.I.P. (female iron pipe) threads. To rid ourselves of the broken nipples required the use of a Pipe Nipple Extractor (‘back-out’).
 
A  LITTLE  HISTORY
(It won’t hurt you)
​
Back in the 1930’s and until the 50’s most kitchen sink faucets were “Wall-Hung”. Deck sink/counter mounted varieties were yet, years away. An experienced framing carpenter (if not the plumber) in that time framed two, (in those days, ‘rough’) studs: 9.0” to 10.0” ‘inside to inside’, at a point on the wet wall that centered on the sink. (Illus. 1.) 

The ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ galvanized pipe (risers) supplying the kitchen sink faucet were fastened to the insides of the studs with “spikes” (considerably bigger than standard #16 penny for framing.) The fastening consisted of “bending over” the spikes on the piping. There might be 6 or more spikes used on each pipe, to hold it firmly on (or very close to) 8 inch ‘on centers. What’s the 8 inch on center for?  The reason is the pipe connections of the wall-hung kitchen sink faucet was/still is 8-in. on center.
 
Post Tile

On the top of the galvanized “risers”, before spiking, 90-degree change of direction fittings were installed, port facing out. (See Illus. 1 above.)  These ‘90’s’ were behind (inside) the ‘finish wall’.
 
The’ finish’ of the finish wall might be tile or stone for the financially able or Marmoleum/linoleum for the proletariat. Regardless, galvanized steel nipples (of several possible lengths) needed to be threaded into those ‘in the wall’ spiked 90’s after ‘finish’ wall was completed. The length of these nipples depended upon how deep in the wall the plumber spiked the risers and the thickness of the ‘finish’: mortar bed and tile (2-in.?) versus linoleum (1/8-in.?) (or as part of a wall hung cast iron sink ‘backsplash’ (2-in.?)
 
* If brass nipples were used in place of galvanized ones, and their lengths were under 6-inches long, the corrosion that occurs at the brass nipple and galvanized 90’ is more difficult to deal with than corroded nipples at the faucet connections, with steel nipples. Corrosion deeper inside the wall at the riser 90’ makes the extraction/repair a much more difficult operation and much more $$$$$$ (rather than shorter nipples near the finish wall surface.

* Brass nipples 6 inches long (or longer) may join steel components with less dielectric caused corrosion than the practically useless dielectric unions sold to plumbers today.

* 8-in. wall-hung kitchen sink faucets (fortunately) include off-set adapters which allow the plumber to install the faucet to nipples not on a perfect 8-in. on center. (Few were).
 
With Time

Once the wall-hung sink faucet was set on the finish wall, years to decades (occasionally) a generation later, galvanized nipples holding the faucet in place commonly begin to leak and need replacement. The speeds at how quickly the corrosion occurs also depends upon the quality (purity) of the water supply.

 Without a specialized tool to accomplish this nipple removal, the job cannot be done without opening the wall (unless you are a dentist, with all your tools at home). There are a number of manufacturers making various designs of ‘specialized’ tools (pipe nipple extractors) (‘back-outs) for this task. The author has found one particular design, by one particular manufacturer to have never ‘let him down’. He’s tried almost all of the others, with mixed results. In this Pipe, the author reveals his ‘tried and proven’ choice/method for removing broken or leaking galvanized ‘in the wall’ nipples.
​
As mentioned, the inspiration for this Pipe topic was born when Pete, during his recent NSF kitchen work, had to dig out his nipple extractor to remove broken nipples from a used, commercial wall hung sink faucet the owners wanted installed. Pete’s helper, Ryan, had never seen one before. It made quick work of the problem. At that moment, this Pipe’s direction catalyzed: introduce readers to the ACE E-X7 (for ½-in. pipe) nipple extractor.   (Photo 2.) ​

As the author mentioned upstream it’s predominantly repair plumbers who might best benefit from this post, but there may prove the existence of just “unlucky” home repair activated homeowners sometime faced with extracting a broken galvanized steel nipple for a wall hung faucet, F.I.P. hose bib, F.I.P. washing machine bibs, kitchen/bathroom sink F.I.P. angle stops, and maybe even pumps and other equipment/devices. So, learning about Pete’s choice/favorite pipe nipple extractor, now, will save any of you needing one, the years and anguish Pete paid to ‘figure it out”. On the kitchen job (thanks to the Ex-7) the faucet got mounted on the NSF sink’s stainless-steel backsplash to serve another decade or more.

The Line Up
​
Photo’s 3, 3a, 3b and 3c are the most popular, common choices for pipe nipple extractors available today.

Some are tapered and square sided, some are tapered spirals, some are almost round with straight ridges and others use a cam action. Pete’s favorite uses tapered spiral gripping ridges in its design. It’s the spiral ridges (at the rate of climb and the overall taper) of his favored tool that’s the ‘magic’ of this tool’s successful performance. You may find other makes of spiral design extractors with similar characteristics, but the author (after all these years) isn’t salivating to experiment. He’s found it! with the Ace EX-7. It resembles the long used broken screw/stud extractor mechanics employ. (The first screw-stud ‘back-out’ the author (at 17) had to use was to remove a broken stud (motor) on his Model A Ford.
 
What’s In a Name

The EX-7 means: ‘Number 7 Extractor’, sized to fit ½-in. iron/steel pipe. No.7 is one of several standard sizes in the industry for use with ½-in. pipe. As the pipe diameter increases so does the size of the extractors and its corresponding number designation. For example an EX-9 would be used for ¾-in. pipe and a Number 11 would serve 1-in. pipe.
 
Using the Tool
​
All ‘back-out’s’ (extractors) operate the same way: insert the pointed (or tapered) end of the tool into the nipple (may require a gentle ball-peen (hammer) ‘tap’; and, then a large Crescent wrench is applied to the wrench ‘flats’ (Photo 4) on the ‘fat end’ of the tool. With both hands rotate the wrench (and tool) in a counterclockwise direction. 

Sometimes Pete has to lean hard against the wrench while using it. As for kitchen wall-hung faucets (and maybe laundry F.I.P. bibs) the plumber remains standing while doing battle. This not the case for F.I.P. angle stops at approximately 16-inches off the floor in bathrooms under a wall-hung lavatory sink or cabinet supported bathroom sink or a kitchen cabinet deck- mounted sink faucet. When someone finds themselves needing to replace broken/leaking nipples in a situation where the labor cannot be accomplished while standing, the chore becomes much more distasteful. For an F.I.P. angle stop serving a toilet or bidet, the job may require lifting the fixtures to gain sufficient “tussle room”.
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The ACE-EX 7 works wonderfully for extracting nipples that happen to be as long (or longer) than the tool itself. When the situation though involves a short (‘close’): 1-in. long or 1 & ½-in. long nipple threaded into a 90 or 45 degree fitting, sometimes the tip of the tool strikes the inside radius of the fitting before the ‘gripping’ ridges can engage (effectively) the inside walls of the nipple allowing it to be “un-screwed”. (Illus. 2.)  

Pete solved this problem. With a diamond ‘cut-off’ disk on his grinder he shortened another EX-7 for those occasions when the standard EX-7 is too long. (Photo 5.) A manufacturer of plumbing tools, PASCO, has come to the same conclusion and offers a ‘shortened’ version of a # 7 spiral extractor (Photo 6).

Wrenching Thought

The author’s first choice of wrench to use with the #7 extractor is a 12-in. Crescent wrench. If it’s a “no budge” attempt, he gets his 15-in. out for the job. This operation does have a ‘worry aspect’ about it. On very old piping Pete has broken piping inside the wall trying to extract stubborn nipples. Depending upon the circumstances the degree of damage varies. If Pete broke piping for a wall hung sink, on tile, we now (unfortunately) have a need for a tile setter to repair the finish when the plumbing work is completed. When breakage occurs behind ‘drywall’ or plaster it’s still unfortunate but usually within the ability of the author to repair.
 
Under Cabinets

Attempting to extract galvanized nipples under sink cabinets, using adjustable wrenches is almost always a futile effort because of restricted working space. (Pete the Plumber absolutely hates/despises two-door cabinets with a center divider.) It is sometimes necessary to remove from the wall a small bathroom sink cabinet to achieve working room.

It required a ‘gestation’ period but Pete came up with a method to remove nipples when they happened to be under a sink cabinet. The author happened to have a good collection of mechanics’ tools (to keep his trucks running) and one day, when needing to replace nipples but challenged by a kitchen sink cabinet, the lightbulb went on: ‘breaker bar’, three ½-in. socket extensions, and a 12-point socket to fit the ‘flat’ (butt) end of the ‘back-out”. Instead of the usual 6-point mechanics’ sockets used on hexagonal (SAE) nuts and bolts, a 12-point socket (Photo 7) fits a square nut and the square end of the ACE E-X7!  With a few long socket extensions, a 12-point socket to host his extractor, and breaker bar, Pete could remain kneeling, outside of the cabinet and remove those pesky/leaking nipples. Whew!

* Not all squared wrench flats of the various manufacturers’ ’back-outs’ are able to use a same-sized 12-point socket because of un-uniformity in quality control efforts. The author has found it might be necessary to have two sockets if you are not using an Ace EX-7 due to the sometimes-larger dimensioned competitor’s extractors/back-outs. (Photo 8.)

That’s about ‘it’ for this topic for now. Gotta get my watering done this morning before the expected 106 degrees arrives around noon. Aphids anyone?
 
Hopefully you, the reader (unless you are a plumber) never have to replace any leaking galvanized nipples using extractors, of any design/make. (Or have to go purchase the extra tools mentioned in order to perform the work.)  But/however you may, someday, be able to enlighten an unfortunate individual who is faced with this very need.
 
Next Time
PtP

The national press will be visiting this health issue closely as progress hopefully will materialize. What’s at stake? Our very health. The technical explanations for this are clearly dissected in the few articles of recent publication mentioned at the end of this Pipe. What the author wanted to bring to your attention in this missive is that: highly portable plug-and-play technology already exists to protect us from Forever Chemicals (PFAS’s) (“PEE-FA’s”) infecting us via the freshwater piping in our domiciles: Photo 1. To protect a family it would require indulging in a unit resembling Photo 2. You do not have to wait for bureaucrats to ‘come up to speed’ when providing critical prevention for you and yours from PFAS in drinking water.

Unfortunately, it’s not just drinking water born Forever Chemicals that threaten, but a cornucopia of causes involving every aspect of our daily lives: We live in a world surrounded by Forever Chemicals such as clothing; food packaging; plastic water bottles; medical supplies, the list is endless. It is estimated that 15,000 individual PFAS threaten our health. Contact by ‘drinking-water’ through some forms of plastic piping/water packaging, is one major culprit (and here we’re going to delve into that).
 
Ancient History

Many (MANY) years ago, Pete the Plumber was very fortunate to find himself the assistant of a ‘mad’ professor. ‘Doc’ was a nuclear physicist living (near me) in desert lands of Southern California. Aside from designing electric deep-space rocket motors (and WMD’s), Doc was helping a start-up R&D design and test solar powered drinking water stills. Their design was applicable for far off-grid operation and emergency humanitarian settings/situations. (Eased his conscience?)  For Pete it proved immensely interesting (dealing with H20 in that way) and the results were highly effective and reassuring.

After recently reading articles (mentioned below), Pete’s heart sank a bit, reckoning how many billion gallons of drinking water were infected with Forever Chemicals (PFAS). And, how much or more would be consumed by humans (before high-tech ‘infrastructure’ could/would make any meaningful difference). THEN Yours Truly recalled how efficiently the ‘long ago’ solar stills purified hideous examples of H2O of viruses and bacteria and *minerals!  That word, minerals, will be re-visited, downstream.

The thought, then, occurred to Pete: “Would a modern, electric, ‘countertop’ drinking water distiller have any effect at leaving behind the Forever Chemicals?”  Answer: Wholeheartedly YES!!!!!  For an explanation, please avail yourselves of the remarkable YouTube eye-openers: “The REAL Reason Why You Should Drink Distilled Water” by Dr. Eric Berg…with a chaser: “How Bad Is Tap Water for Health”, by Dr. Andrew Huberman.
 
Rah-Rah RO

The author installed a number of Reverse Osmosis (RO) units over the years but less than a ten-count of these modern, electric “stills”. Before the “Plastic Problem” we all live with (and contribute to) it was mostly known biological threats to our drinking water supplies causing public concerns. Back (then), aside Water Utility added chemicals, the “bugs” could be dealt-with by employing filtration systems. The “Literature” does mention Reverse-Osmosis (RO) among effective methodologies to treat Forever Chemicals in your domicile’s drinking water. In most homes this technology is still being installed UNDER the kitchen sink (or immediate, lower R/L cabinet space). For ‘family-sized’ drinking water distillers they unfortunately are of the size that coveted counter space is commonly surrendered. For a ‘lone dweller’ though, there’s the plug-in drinking water ‘still’ the size of a coffee pot mentioned upstream in Photo 1.

For Reverse-Osmosis owners it was: “…no space left for ‘anything else’ under my kitchen sink!”  Pete the Plumber just recently consulted on and inspected a commercial kitchen installation for a fledging food Co-Op. Having all that clearance under the big, tall, legged NSF sinks (5) I slid around on my mechanic’s “creeper”.  Pete was relieved there was no RO involved. (If the author were to return in a year or so he’d wager/see a similar reality to most American’s “Under Kitchen Sink” Situation: jugs; bottles; brushes; sacks; bags; rags etc.
 
Safe?

Reverse Osmosis water has long been deemed safe for drinking without further treatment. But distilled water? The old argument went something like this: “The distilling process removes many nuisance and dangerous compounds, BUT lot’s of good *MINERALS, too. If YOU do not add back the ‘good’ minerals, and you consume solely distilled water, your body’s store of ‘good’ minerals will be ‘raided’, to compensate. Prepared packets of these ‘good’ minerals, for adding to distilled water before consuming used to be market available. Well, now, thanks to Dr. Eric Berg for putting that inconvenience to bed, health ‘motivated’ souls with the means now have a wide selection of drinking water distillers to ‘delete’ maybe one of the the major source of PFAS in their family living. (Dr. Berg’s YouTube video under references, below.)
 
I’ll Take That…

The author is pleased to see the recognition of late, by Congress, that many Americans are drinking unsafe water primarily because it’s contaminated with lead* due to a delivery pipe material: lead.

Lead is not the only culprit. There are other minerals (manganese is one) that when occurring in excessive amounts also pose hazards, not to mention organics: ‘bugs’. Our water and waste treatment plant operators are humans. Now and then, somewhere…

By employing Distillers or Reverse Osmosis we can remove Forever Chemicals (and *lead) from their strongest beachhead. However, other than the Forever Chemical threat of drinking water from some forms of plastic water piping (and plastic bottled drinking water) you’re now on your own. Only by practicing due diligence (informing ourselves) will we succeed on multi-levels that are ‘outta Pete’s orbit’.

Until Next Time,
PtP


Reference Articles/YouTube Videos

EPA Announces First-Ever Drinking Water Regulations for “Forever Chemicals”
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/epa-first-ever-drinking-water-regulations-pfas-forever-chemicals/
 
Why Drink Distilled Water (Dr Berg) - YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSRxZXbQVxA
 
How Bad Is Tap Water for Health? | Dr. Andrew Huberman – YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-x2rbkEjjsU
 
Past PFOA and PFOS Health Effects Science Documents | US EPA
https://www.epa.gov/sdwa/past-pfoa-and-pfos-health-effects-science-documents
 
Does Distillation Effectively Remove PFAS from Drinking Water? - Living Whole
https://www.livingwhole.com.au/does-distillation-effectively-remove-pfas-from-drinking-water/


Crossing My Fingers

On an entirely different matter, only slightly involving water (ocean, lakes and rivers): Pete lost his ‘Sea Sock’ for his 2003 Feathercraft K-1 kayak 🥲. Do any readers have one the author could make a pattern from?  (They are very scarce.) You can contact him through the Contact the Author portal on his website: PeterHemp.com

The Septic Systems Owner’s Manual

If there was/were? just one book on a plumbing related topic that the author thinks should be read by the public at large, it is The Septic Systems Owner’s Manual. (I can hear you laughing.) But it’s no joke. About 25 million septic systems are operating in the U.S. and each year 400,000 new ones are added. That’s millions of people making the average 1lb. of their poop a day their responsibility for sanitary disposal. Now, what might you think this has to do with the rest (majority) of the population living with paid municipal sewerage privileges?
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A realization is now forming in the minds of forward-thinking sanitation professionals that the present model of municipal, centralized, pool enabled sewage and wastewater treatment facilities face a troubling future due to climate change. (At some point no longer enough water). Experts have been late to understand that our drinking water wasting sanitation model might not be feasible at some future date (possibly sooner than later).

Opposed to our present model of ‘municipal centralized/pool processing, our long-proven septic (de-centralized) designs at some point in our future may need to ‘save’ us from no longer working, energy gobbling, high maintenance ‘pool’ methodologies. (Now “no worries Mate”). This great threat probably/might not/ won’t occur in a few short years’ time. But by reading (now) The Septic System Owner’s Manual, if you do happen to still be breathing at the unfortunate time of ‘Poop Armageddon’, you’ll have the good sense to go move-in with your old Aunt Edna, out on the ‘outskirts’.
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Understanding how human liquid and solid waste (thanks to ‘bugs’) in conjunction with soils is made into a safe “afterthought” is the chemistry lab probably most of the Country would now flunk. However, invest the little time to read this book (and thanks to its author, Lloyd Kahn, and illustrator Peter Aschwanden ) it’s a very humorous read to boot.  You’ll be fully schooled in this extremely important fact of life and ready to attend your next class reunion (with lots of new gosh bathroom humor for ‘ammunition’.)

Bonus
Not only are septic systems fully discussed but included is a invaluable chapter on gray water systems which will be playing an ever more important role in our modern hygiene existence.
Happy, Fun Reading…
 
PtP

Clean And Decent, By Lawrence Wright

Hello Again,

Now in this, the second review, the author fondly recalls many service calls to homes of customers who over the years became good friends. Luckily for Pete a goodly number of these customers-into-friends were also very good cooks. And even more fortunate for Pete (who owns an insatiable appetite), not only a few enjoyed feeding the author. Yours truly truly understands the passage: “Have your cake and eat it too.”  Who, ever, had a gig as good as that?!?!  Me wagers not many. Matter of fact, one of Pete the Plumbers most coveted accounts was a world class fine dining venue. Over the years Pete and the head chef formed a wonderful bond, and the plumber became also the home plumber for his chef.

On one particular ‘light workload’ day the author got a hankering for some good food and proceeded to his friend's restaurant. As usual, when Pete would appear, the Maître d would announce his arrival. On this particular visit, the chef told Pete that quail was on the menu. “Oh…I just love quail” said Pete, “but they’re not especially filling.”  “Well, how many of the little birds do you think you can eat?” said my friend. “At least five,” Pete told him. “We’ll see,” said the chef and Pete was seated. (Yours truly devoured all of them.)

Another true friend/client of Pete’s was a Geography Department Chair at a world-famous university. This professor was not in need of his university salary due to inheritance. The educator’s kitchen looked like a commercial kitchen supply store.  Pete’s friend (a gourmand) was known to fly to Paris to procure mustards. This professor happened to enjoy occasionally cooking for a select group of his postgraduates, and on some those occasions would call Pete, the day before, and invite him to attend. Those occasions were always jocular ones, and the author always happily answered any questions involving plumbing (which always arose).
At one of these feasts, following the final exit of the student guests, Pete’s professor friend pulled a book from a shelf and handed it to the author, telling him that “…every plumber would be well served by reading it.” The book? “Clean And Decent”.

This plumber has thanked his mentor’s gift of Clean And Decent for opening many conversations among Pete’s plumber friends and prospective clients alike. (Reading this book of plumbing’s historical progress makes one so glad they are alive now…not then.) It is a most enlightening, enjoyable and profusely illustrated history of bathing, pooping and other personal hygiene habits of mankind. It is actually pure enjoyment masking a rather scholarly endeavor. With reading we discover the first known advertisement for a house with a bathroom was in a Paris newspaper of 1765. (Real estate agents paying attention?) Another: In 1908, in London, there was one municipal bathtub for each 2,000 inhabitants!  Or: In 1851 a bathtub was installed in the White House. (We know it wasn’t a cast iron one because those weren’t on the market until 1880.)  And, it wasn’t until 1910 that porcelain bonded cast iron fixtures became available. 

Lots of fun such facts, wonderful historical illustrations, but attitudes are also noted. Example, page 41, last 4 sentences: “In medieval stories of amorous intrigue, the two lovers usually begin their evening by bathing together. Ideas of propriety were different from ours; the whole household and guests shared the one and only sleeping apartment, and wore no night-clothes until the sixteenth century. It was not necessarily rude to be nude. Home life seems to have combined luxury with discomfort, and a strange indifference to privacy.”  

The biggest takeaway (for Pete) from reading Clean and Decent is a reinforced appreciation for our present-day level of ‘sanitary convenience’. The common man is living a lifestyle that even kings and royalty could have only dreamed of. Clean and Decent is a fulfilling and entertaining account in text and illustrations of man’s sometime wobbly progress along the path of increasing our knowledge and practice of personal hygiene.
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By taking Pete’s cue and setting aside time to digest this recommended read, at some future social gathering the read reader will be able to amaze his/her fellow attendees with encyclopedic factoids (when inevitably) the suffering conversation ‘comes round’ to irritating bodily ‘shortcomings’. And, by all means take up the challenge on Page 7:

Until next time,
P.t.P.