Keeping readers abreast of new developments in plumbing materials, products, tools and practices.
 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.  Photo 1a: Photo Credit: Plotzke Hdwe. *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.  Photo 1b 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.  Illus. 6: A sanitary tee (san tee) vent & trap arm pattern 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.  Photo 9: Hair snake on lav basin pop-up stopper. Photo Credit: Unknown 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.  Photo 10: The old ‘tried and true’ bathroom lavatory basin/sink rubber stopper waste. Photo Credit: Zoro.com 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.  Photo 12a: Overflow port on inside front wall of Pete’s 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).  Photo 13: New: T-handles on plastic force cups/plungers. 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.  Illus. 16: Red dotted lines are the most common locations for disposer clogs. The p-trap’s j-bend only occasionally. *(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.  Photo 14: Single basin kitchen sink sans disposer from Installing & Repairing P. F.’s 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)  Illus. 14a If your garbage disposer is hard wired you will need to locate and switch-off the circuit breaker. It may seem counterproductive, but you have a better ‘view’ of the grinding chambers ‘workings’ if the kitchen is in dimmed light and you have a bright, long, slender flashlight with ‘focus’ (Mag Lite is one). You want to adjust it to the widest coverage. The light needs to be held easily, compactly, while poked into the disposer. You want all the viewing room possible (even in square inches) while depressing the rubber skirt at points along arc’s. This allows you to peer into the circular chamber, from many points, looking for ‘causes’ and cleaning opportunities. Overhead light greatly hampers this procedure. After several minutes of force-cupping (eye protection in place) the garbage disposer can be re-energized and switched on. The rotating grinding plate with cutters acts like a pump when operating. The author de-energizes the garbage disposer between retrieving (metal tweezers) attempts “just to be safe”. Pete discusses below that he has found better success with the force cups internal ‘skirt’ pulled down for plunging the disposer if the skirt fits the opening and the ‘skirt’ folded back up for applying on a standard kitchen sink's ‘basket strainer’ drain fitting. 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.  Illus. 16: Red dotted lines are the most common locations for disposer clogs. The p-trap’s j-bend only occasionally. 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.  Illus. 5: Most popular tub waste and overflow designs. 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).  Photo 15: Generic acme threaded wooden push broom handle. Because of irregularities take your rubber force cup with you to purchase one and make sure it’s a tight fit. (They are also found at garage sales for pennies.) 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.  Illus. 19: This rubber gasket seals the overflow housing to the backside of the tub wall. If it falls out of position you won’t get it back and will have to purchase another for replacement. *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.  Photo 16b: The Tried & True 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.  Photo 18: A raised tub hair strainer for ‘elevated’ stoppers such as Lift & Twist and Toe Tap 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?  Photo 18a 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?  Illus. 20: San tee vent & trap arm for shower pan. *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.  Illus. 20a: A wye branch, up, for vent. 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”.  Illus. 24 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?  Photo 21: A standard 2 & 1/8-in. horn and passageway of domestic toilets. Photo Credit: Terry love 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.  Illus. 24 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.  Illus. 25: The siphon jet aids flushing with its higher velocity water stream ‘pulling’ the slower bowl-exiting water through the passageway. The jet’s water source is the ‘tank-to-rim cavity’ highlighted in blue. 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).  Photo 22: A pleated plastic ‘bellows’ type force cup. 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.  Illus. 23: Traditional rubber force cup (L) and taller pleated plastic plunger (R). The ‘GT water products Inc.’ plastic plunger (R) has a removable handle allowing for filling the whole cup with water, increasing performance. 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
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Peter Hemp is a San Francisco East Bay residential plumber and plumbing author and former R & D steam vehicle plumber. His hobbies are ocean kayaking and touring the Left Coast by bicycle. Archives
September 2021
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