Alternative use for a pneumatic (don't try this at home)

[dongfang]

Hi,

I had this clogged washbasin drain in the bathroom. After taking few litres of water, it would fill up from where it was blocked somewhere far down the pipe, and all back to the washbasin.

Today I had time to look at it. I searched through my potato cannon materials shelf to find some pipes, whatever that fit, that would fit down the drain and make an improvised vacuum pump. No luck. Then, my eyes fell on the secret 50 mm DFTV cannon prototype back in the darkest corner of the cupboard.....

Yes. You got the idea. Borrow the pipe from the vacuum cleaner that fit onto the drain, and again would fit inside the 50mm barrel. 25 pump strokes of air in the chamber, no ammo, fill up the drain with water, DFTV cannon on top of the whole thing....

A final check, and then a slow twist on the 1/8" ball valve (it's a DFTV valve, no need for a pilot valve).... BOOOOM! Something flew up in the air and hit my nose hard, then came back down on the washbasin. I was wet all over. No, not exactly wet. The stuff was black. My silhouette was there on the wall behind me, white shadow on black sludge on white wall.

Hmmm it worked. It had put a blast of air and water down the drain, and then shot itself off the barrel. Probably, some air pocket down in the pipes got compressed and then shot everything back to where it came from.

Pros: Well the drain is better now.

Cons: Everything else.

Conclusion: Hmm so absurd things one can do sometimes.

Once I get that cannon clean again I will publish it. It has a problems with cracking valve seats that must be fixed also.

Nice weekend
Soren

[Hubb]

If I'm not mistaken, there is actually a tool designed to do the same thing, although I'm quite sure it is not that powerful.

You should rename the cannon "Drano"

[jackssmirkingrevenge]

i would be wary of putting DWV piping under pressure, personally I would have gone the chemical route nonetheless - still, glad it worked for you

How about a big sticker on the chamber

[dongfang]

Hi,

I walked the chemical route already, and came back .. empty handed. But at least the alkaline had burnt away the smelliest of the stuff - the remaining wasn't really that bad at all.

Good idea with the stickers, but I got some surplus one from airliner use instead. There's a big one with dozens of patent numbers on it. Another explains about a valve. They're pretty cool.

Regards
Soren

[Carlman]

I absolutely pissed myself lauging when i read this dongfang!!

it reminded me of a mr bean episode... lol

it would hav been hilarious to be a fly on the wall, just not behind you...

[Hotwired]

Yes there are pneumatic drain clearing plungers...

...but they looks like this

Dumping an air cannon blast into the drainage pipes isn't very healthy at all. DWV isn't mean't to take pressure y'know

[potatoflinger]

I did something similar with one of my cannons. I was ordered to clean my room (which is usually pretty messy) and when I was vacuuming the floor, the vacuum cleaner hose got clogged, so I took the hose outside, duct taped the barrel of one of my pneumatics to one end of the hose, and fired the cannon, and a huge cloud of dust and hair flew out the other end of the hose. I thought it was pretty funny, but apparently my mother didn't.

[Hubb]

I did something similar with one of my cannons. I was ordered to clean my room (which is usually pretty messy) and when I was vacuuming the floor, the vacuum cleaner hose got clogged, so I took the hose outside, duct taped the barrel of one of my pneumatics to one end of the hose, and fired the cannon, and a huge cloud of dust and hair flew out the other end of the hose. I thought it was pretty funny, but apparently my mother didn't.

The only thing worse than dust bunnies is hairy flying dust bunnies.

[Eddbot]

LMFAO!!! that stuff is crazy! omg, i gotta catch my breath... ok that's funny, i don't know what else to say/type so i'll leave it at that :joker:

[Carlman]

exactly how i felt after reading it!!!

[jimmy101]

That wasn't too bad of an idea dongfang, you just used a little too much pressure

Kind of along the lines of "if you can't fix it you just need a bigger hammer".

Looking at the little pump Hotwired posted, I would WAG the maximum pressure it'll produce into a typical U-trap at 5~10 PSIG.

[Fnord]

I thought about doing this when my drain was clogged a month or so ago, but my mom wouldn't let me for some reason.

That, and the only air chamber I have is the cold water tank from the BGP. Unless I want to discharge a 4x hybrid blast down the drain...

[mopherman]

That, and the only air chamber I have is the cold water tank from the BGP. Unless I want to discharge a 4x hybrid blast down the drain...

why not just throw a pilot valve on your piston hybrid and run it pneumatically? I have tried this to, because i clogged the drain while mum was out

[Fnord]

I've used it as a pneumatic before, but the chamber volume is kinda small for drain unclogging. (To small for me, at least:)

[dongfang]

Hi,

Yeah it was a pretty funny experience after all. Almost compensates for the cleaning job.

Dumping an air cannon blast into the drainage pipes isn't very healthy at all. DWV isn't mean't to take pressure y'know

Huh? I never heard about that? I have made a supersonic gun out of DWV once; it survived, and so did I?!? (maybe that was a mistake).
OK I know what you mean, but these drain pipes are heavy cast iron ones and the pressure wasn't that high.

I know you can get pumps for the purpose, but do you know how overpriced simple little plastic gadgets can get in Switzerland? It would probably have cost me the eq. of US $ 20 - 30, all that for using it just once or twice...

Unless I want to discharge a 4x hybrid blast down the drain..

LOL!! I can just imagine that! Black blasts shooting up from every drain in the neighborhood. Rats with panic in their faces zipping through the air, some seen coming down over 1/2 mile away .. etc

Regards
Soren