Anyone who has ever had to unblock a clogged drain, or retrieve something valuable lost down the sinkhole will greatly appreciate this piece of plumbing brilliance. Called the PermaFLOW, it is one of those inventions that just leave you gobsmacked that no-one had thought of it earlier.
There are two parts to the PermaFLOW’s ingenuity, the first one being that it is transparent. It’s such a simple idea and so easily implemented, but would make life so much easier when trying to identify the location and cause of a clog.
The second part is more invention than bright idea, but is equally as helpful. In the bend, an external knob enables you to clear an internal blockage and even help retrieve lost jewelry with a twist of the wrist – without you ever having to remove the trap or mess about with plungers or caustic chemicals. If you put-off your DIY plumbing task too long and the situation becomes critical, the knob also has a setting that can release backed-up water via an unused upper chamber, bypassing the blockage in a snap.
While we may start seeing devices like this as standard equipment on new plumbing in the future, the PermaFLOW p-trap system can be retrofitted to existing bathroom and kitchen sinks and even baths for around $40 direct from PFWaterWorks.
Sources:
PFWaterWorks via GadgetLab and Core77