Stories from the Trade Show: Drain Cleaning 101

They say truth is stranger than fiction…
A man approaches me at a recent trade show and asks, “Do you guys sell plungers for low flush toilets?”

“No,” I reply, “But any hardware store sells them.”

“I have one and it’s not working because my,” he pauses, thinks, then continues with finger quotes, “my ‘deposits’ are as large as the exit pipe. I eat a lot of roughage and am having to flush several times to move it through. I’m certain I am NOT saving any water. After I flush several times, I wipe then flush that. The rubber on my plunger is wearing out.”

Remembering my training in raising teenagers and thus having no reaction to the absurd, I respond, “There is an item called an ‘auger’. It is metal and is a 4ft. long cable that can go into a smaller opening and clear the clog. It might avoid your need for professional drain cleaning.”

He smiles, thanks me, and walks away.

Good luck, sir. Good luck.