Talk:Plunger

History

What is the history of the plunger? Who invented it? (6/6/2008) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 199.46.200.230 (talk) 12:43, 26 June 2008 (UTC)

the exact invention date and inventor are not known. According to the New York University, no patent records exist. Cha Cha suggests that in 1932, on the Isle of Jersey, Jeffrey Gunderson may have been the inventor of the modern day plunger. It is more likely the plunger was invented between 1850 and 1900 when the use of wood and synthetic rubber were becoming common practice, says New York University. The invention of the suction cup during the 1850s supports this theory. Furthermore, plungers work due to the shape of the S-trap drainage pipe. Toilets with S-traps existed at least as far back as 1852. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 222.178.186.36 (talk) 15:43, 3 March 2011 (UTC)

A man named John S. Hawley invented the plunger in 1874. He worked at a candy factory when he invented it, and apparently bought his own candy company with the proceeds of the invention. He became a successful candy maker and sugar merchant. Interestingly, his company, Hawley & Hoops, was later acquired by MARS, and the company manufactured M&Ms during the 1940s and 1950s. http://esnpc.blogspot.com/2014/08/force-cups-plumbers-friends-and.html Svaihingen (talk) 16:38, 21 June 2016 (UTC)

Thanks Svaihingen, this is a gold mine! I've chased down references (mostly those given in your link) and folded in a bit about the invention and what words were used at the time. Now I'm quite curious when "plunger" came to mean the force cup: Blake's 1920 Building Repairs clearly restricts it to hard flat plungers (as opposed to bell-shaped cups), and there are late-60s patents that use "plunger" in the modern sense, but that leaves a big gap. Any sources? 79.86.170.133 (talk) 21:16, 2 July 2020 (UTC)

Sorry, a blog post is not a WP:Reliable source and cannot be used in the article. EEng 21:23, 2 July 2020 (UTC)

I think you misread my comment quite badly: I didn't cite the blog post, I cited patents, books, and a magazine that I found by reading the blog post. Separately from this, I noticed that the word "plunger" wasn't applied to force cups in 1875-1920 texts, and I think it would be worthwhile to include a sentence or two about how usage changed, but I don't currently have that info. 79.86.170.133 (talk) 01:05, 3 July 2020 (UTC)

Patents are WP:PRIMARY and not usable except under very limited circumstances. Noticing what was or wasn't in texts over a certain period is WP:Original research. What books and magazines? EEng 02:05, 3 July 2020 (UTC)

As an aside, I do not believe that a blog can never be considered reliable, even under Wikipedia guidelines which read, "Self-published expert sources may be considered reliable when produced by an established expert on the subject matter, whose work in the relevant field has previously been published by reliable, independent publications." The blog at issue here has a page with citations to no fewer than 70 outlets where their work has been cited or published, including the Stanford Law Review, the Paris Review, The Atlantic, and The Wall Street Journal. Considering that the blog post at issue is also well sourced with copious references and citations, the reliability of the particular post may confidently be considered greater than the mere opinion blog posts and such that the general rule is obviously geared toward. Since the conclusion that the person who invented it is based on evaluating the weight of numerous sources, it is almost impossible to recreate the same conclusions without copying the research - so why not just cite the blog, with a few references to the original sources? Common sense over rigid conformity to rules which, even on their face, permit sensible leeway in application. No one else in the world has bothered to figure out who invented the plunger. Why make it so difficult for someone to share that information.Svaihingen (talk) 23:26, 21 July 2020 (UTC)

https://esnpc.blogspot.com/p/in-news.htmlSvaihingen (talk) 23:34, 21 July 2020 (UTC)

Usage and cleaning

how is a plunger used? specifically, how do use it and keep it clean/hygenic ? (after you have unblocked a toilet with it what do you do to remove sewrage from the head of the plunger?) —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 220.238.50.24 (talk • contribs) 06:14, November 3, 2005 (UTC)

First of all, that's why you should never use the so-called "toilet plunger" with the funny extension. The plain and normal toilet plunger, here called a "sink plunger", is far more hygenic. It even works better; the silly extension thing gets stuck the wrong way and reduces effectiveness. 24.110.60.225 02:34, 28 December 2005 (UTC)

Second, part of the answer is to just consider a toilet plunger to be dirty. Don't handle the business end. I'd rather not touch the handle actually; a wrapping of paper is nice. Store the toilet plunger upright, off the floor, on top of something you don't care about, with ventilation underneath. For example, a small bucket with some rocks in the bottom would be decent. (the rocks allow air circulation by preventing the plunger from sealing against a flat surface) You should swirl the plunger in the toilet while flushing a second time, maybe while pouring in a bit of bleach. 24.110.60.225 02:34, 28 December 2005 (UTC)

Usage is ridiculously simple. Apply the suction cup to the hole and pump it. Fixes most clogged up toilets in a matter of seconds (maybe except for complications caused by unusual bathroom use -- tampons, condoms, household waste and deceased pets don't belong in the toilet). If that doesn't solve it, call a plumber. — Ashmodai ^{(talk · contribs)} 21:01, 17 January 2007 (UTC)

Disambig

Should this page be re-written to discuss general plunger types (air-tight pistons, as in a syringe or pop gun) and then specific types, as in the common toilet plunger? Alvis 06:40, 12 March 2007 (UTC)

Reference to plunger used during CPR

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=9E0CEED81F3FF930A35755C0A964958260

Apparently, not only was a plunger successfully used to revive a man, but a company was producing a Cardiopump. However.... http://www.boogieonline.com/revolution/body/health/fda.html ...says that the FDA refused to allow this to be used in the US, although the device is apparently available in much of the rest of the world. --80.47.207.117 14:04, 20 March 2007 (UTC)

When was it invented?

Does Anyone happen to know when the plunger was invented?—Preceding unsigned comment added by 222.155.118.207 (talk • contribs)

Not long after the first pepperoni and banana pepper pizza was invented! ;) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.78.211.39 (talk) 22:28, 28 November 2009 (UTC)

Around 1890. Cheffromage (talk) 21:29, 3 August 2010 (UTC)