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(ARA) - If you’re dreading the thought of reaching for your plunger the next time your toilet gets clogged, you’re not alone. Just about every household in America will have to deal with the messy problem this year. According to a recent survey, the average American home gets a clogged toilet or drain between one and three times each year. Some people, like Kirk and Mark Leaphart of Simpsonville, S.C., have to deal with the problem more often. The brothers are in the property management business.
“We got tired of tenants calling and saying they had tried to plunge the toilet, but it didn’t work so they needed a plumber or maintenance man to come out. We also had numerous drain clogs at our personal residences that never went well. Out of personal frustration, we set out to find a better way,” says Kirk Leaphart.
After four years of engineering, research and testing, their solution has now hit the market. The Jet Plunger is a two-piece barrel system made of anti-microbial plastic and rubber. It works on the same principal as a traditional plunger, but in a much smarter way. In addition to unclogging drains, the Jet Plunger’s hands-free stand also contains the mess left behind.
To use it, Leaphart says all you have to do is pull the inner barrel out until it reaches the stop collar, then put the device in the toilet, being sure to create a seal when covering the drain. Once in place, you push the inner barrel back in and the force of its movement sends a volume of air into the outer barrel, which is compressed by a unidirectional seal. The seal then penetrates the clog at the drain entrance and blasts it away.
The device is effective in all kinds of toilets, and even does a particularly good job in older homes. “Our house has smaller pipes and low flow toilets which my children are constantly clogging with toilet paper,” says Michael Brown of Charlotte, N.C. “Until I found the Jet Plunger, it was always a drag to have to get up and try to unclog the toilets. The water would turn a soupy brown and splash everywhere. With Jet Plunger, I place it over the drain, push the handle down once or twice and the clog is gone. No splashing, no disgusting water getting all over the place.”
As they were working on the plans for their invention, the Leapharts took the “disgust factor” into consideration. The ‘hands-free’ stand is designed to hold the Jet Plunger and any excess water so it will never leak on the floor. “All you have to do to get rid of any excess water is tip the Jet Plunger on its side, after placing it in its stand, and pour the water back into the toilet bowl. “ The stand that comes with the device contains a built-in dry well that holds the water. The stand has two foot holds, so its hands free.
In addition to being user friendly - it works by the virtue of sheer muscle, but requires so little force, even a small child can use it - the device is also environmentally friendly. There are no chemicals or CO2 cartridges to contend with.
When asked, 54 percent of Americans who had called a plumber to clear a clogged drain or toilet said they paid $50 or more for the service. The Jet Plunger retails for $24.95 and can be used in either the toilet or sink.
“If you had to gauge the Jet Plunger on 1-to-10 scale with a 1 being a plunger and a 10 being a plumber, the Jet Plunger is a 5 or 6. It will revolutionize the plunger industry,” says Leaphart.
The Jet Plunger will be available in stores across the country soon, but currently is available directly from the manufacturer, 2L Products, Inc. Log on to www.jetplunger.com for more information.
Courtesy of ARA Content
