Aplunger is a device driven by or against fluid pressure.[1] In plumbing, the term plunger commonly refers to handheld tools used to clear blockages indrains and pipes. Plumbing plungers consist of a rubbersuction cup attached to a stick (shaft) usually made of wood or plastic. A differentbellows-like design is usually constructed of plastic. Alternate names for plumbing plungers includeforce cup,plumber's friend orplumber's helper.[2]
In musical performance, tools called plungers are used tomutetrumpets andtrombones. A plunger may also refer to a component of a device that generates fluid flow, such as in a medicalsyringe or aFrench press coffee brewer.
The plumbing plunger was invented in 1874[3] by New York confectioner[4] John Hawley, with the flattened rim added in 1876.[5] The invention is referred to in the patent as a "vent-clearer", and was marketed as a "force cup".[6]
For the common plunger, the cup is pushed down against the drain opening, either pressing hard into the drain to force air in or pushing down until the rubber cup is flattened. The cup is then pulled out, creating a vacuum to pull blockage material upward and dislodge waste or other material.
The cup of a kitchen plunger looks like a rubber ball cut in half with a flared edge, while the toilet plunger's cup looks more like a distorted bowl, tapered on one half, with a large opening on the bottom.
A plunger is much more effective with water in the pipe, as water does not compress and thus transmits more of the appliedforce than does air.[7] When a plunger alone is ineffective, it can be supplemented by a chemicaldrain cleaner for sinks and tubs; or aplumber's snake for stubborn clogs, and clogs of the main line or toilet.[8]
Insyringes,plungers are constrained to linear motion as they are pulled and pushed within an outer tube or "barrel." The plunger allows the syringe to take in or expel fluid through an orifice at the open end of the barrel. In disposable syringes, the plunger is often made of plastic with a rubber tip that seals between itself and the barrel.
