Waste water unclogging system and method

Abstract

A system for clearing a clog includes a body, for example a sink or toilet, has an interior chamber fluidly connected a sewer or drain field. A wastewater passage has a wastewater valve and a trap therein and an outlet which is fluidly connected through a drain line to the sewer or drain field, the passage opening to the chamber. A pressurized water supply line is provided to selectively discharge water into the chamber. A shunt valve fluidly connects the supply line to the wastewater passage intermediate the wastewater valve and the outlet. During normal use the shunt valve is closed and the wastewater valve is open, however, when a clog occurs, the wastewater valve is closed and the shunt valve is opened to apply water under pressure to clear the clog.

1 . In a system for clearing a clog blocking the flow of wastewater to a sewer or a drain field or the like, a body having an interior chamber for receiving water therein and a wastewater outlet, conduit means for selectively discharging water under pressure, means for controlling the flow of water from the conduit means into the interior chamber, a main drain line fluidly connected to one of a sewer and a drain field, a wastewater line having inlet and an outlet fluidly connected to the drain line, a wastewater passage fluidly connecting the interior chamber to the wastewater line inlet for conducting wastewater in the chamber to the wastewater line inlet, the wastewater passage having a wastewater valve operable between an open condition for permitting liquid flow therethrough and a closed condition, a wastewater passage having an outlet that opens to the wastewater line inlet and to the interior chamber and providing trap means for blocking flow of gases from the drain line to the chamber while permitting the flow of water therethrough and shunt valve means fluidly connected to the conduit means and selectively operable between an open position for shunting water under pressure from the conduit means and through a fluid connection to the wastewater passage fluidly opposite the wastewater valve from the chamber and a closed position blocking such flow whereby in the event a clog occurs fluidly opposite the fluid connection to the wastewater passage from the wastewater valve, the wastewater valve is operable to its closed position and the shunting means is operable for blocking water flow from the conduit means to the wastewater line and alternately permitting such flow to apply water under pressure to the clog while the wastewater valve is closed for clearing the clog in the wastewater line. 
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein a shut off valve is provided in the conduit means between the fluid connection of the shunt valve means and the means for controlling the flow of water from the conduit means. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the wastewater valve is fluidly intermediate the trap means and the wastewater passage outlet. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the wastewater valve is fluidly opposite the trap means from the chamber. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the body is one of a sink, tub, a toilet and a combination of a toilet and a toilet mounting platform. 
     
     
         6 . The system off  claim 5  wherein there is a vent line, the main drain line extending downwardly of the vent line and a joint fluidly connecting the vent line, main drain line and the wastewater line to one another at a lower elevation than body outlet. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the means includes a faucet mounted to the body for selective discharging water into the body and blocking discharge of water into the body and a shut off valve intermediate the opening of the shunting means to the conduit means and the faucet. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the body is a sink, the wastewater passage opens directly to the body chamber and extends exterior of the chamber. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the trap means comprises a generally U-shaped trap that is at a lower elevation than the body and is fluidly connected to the wastewater line, the wastewater line at least initially extending to a higher elevation than its fluid connection to the trap. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the body is a toilet having a stool and the wastewater passage is contained therein. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10  wherein the stool has the wastewater valve extending therein. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the body is a combination of a toilet and a platform on which the toilet is mounted, the wastewater passage has a portion extending through the platform and the wastewater valve is provided in the platform wastewater portion. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12  wherein body includes a stool having the chamber, the wastewater passage having a portion extending with in the stool to open to the chamber. 
     
     
         14 . Apparatus for clearing blocking flow of wastewater from a body to one of a sewer and a drain field, comprising the body being one of a tub and a sink that has a wastewater outlet, a faucet for selectively discharging water under pressure thereinto, a supply line fluidly connected to the faucet for conducting water under pressure thereto, a main drain line fluidly connected to one of a drain field and a sewer, means fluidly connecting the body outlet to main drain line for conducting wastewater from the body outlet to the main drain line, said means having a trap therein for blocking gas flow from the drain line to the outlet while permitting water flow from the outlet to the drain line and a wastewater valve fluidly connected between the outlet and the trap, and a shunt valve fluidly connected to open to the supply line and opening to said means intermediate the wastewater valve and the trap that is operable between an open position to permit water flow from the supply line to said means and a closed position to block such flow, the wastewater valve being operable to its closed position when a clog occurs in the wastewater line and thereafter the shunt valve being operable to its open position to apply water under pressure to the clog for clearing the clog in the wastewater line and after the clog is cleared, first operating the shunt valve is operable to its closed position and thence the wastewater valve is operable to its closed position. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein the water supply line includes a shut off valve fluidly intermediate the opening of the shunt valve thereto and the faucet. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein a vent is fluidly connected to the drain line. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein said means includes a wastewater line fluidly connected to the main drain line having an inlet and a wastewater passage is fluidly connected to the waste water line inlet and includes the wastewater valve and trap therein, the trap being a generally U-shaped trap at a lower elevation than the wastewater valve and being fluidly connected to the wastewater line at a lower elevation than the wastewater valve. 
     
     
         18 . A method for clearing a clog in one of a wastewater passage and a wastewater line that is fluidly connected to one of a drain field and a sewer line and to a water outlet of a body such of one of a sink or a tub and a toilet with a trap therein for permitting water flow from a chamber of the body to one of the drain field and sewer line while blocking flow of a gas therethough toward the chamber and a pressurized water supply line for conducting water through a first means for selectively discharging water into the body chamber and alternately blocking such discharge, the steps of providing a shunt valve opening to the water supply line downstream of said first means and opening to the wastewater passage intermediate the chamber and the outlet that is operable for blocking water flow from the water supply line, providing a wastewater valve in the wastewater passage fluidly intermediate the outlet and the chamber that is operable between an open position permitting water flow from the chamber to the outlet and a closed position blocking water flow from the chamber to the outlet and when a clog occurs in one of the wastewater, passage and the wastewater line fluidly opposite the wastewater valve from the outlet, first operating the wastewater valve to its closed position, then operating the shunt valve to its open position to apply water under pressure to clear the clog, thereafter first operating the shunt valve to its closed position and then the wastewater valve to its open position. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the supply line is a hot water line. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18  the step of providing a shut off valve in the supply line that is fluidly intermediate the opening of the shunt valve to the water supply line and said means is a faucet that is operable between a closed position blocking water flow into said body and an open position permitting such flow and when a clog occurs in the wastewater line, operating the shut off valve to its closed position prior to operating the shunt valve to its open position and after the clog has been cleared, operating the shunt valve to its closed position prior to operating the wastewater valve to its open position. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the body is a sink and the wastewater valve is provided in the wastewater passage intermediate the chamber and the trap with the shunt valve opening to the wastewater passage intermediate the wastewater valve and the trap. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the body is a toilet having a stool with the wastewater passage together with the wastewater valve extending therein and having a first passage portion extending upwardly and a second passage portion that extends downwardly from the first passage portion and the opening of the shunt valve to the wastewater passage is provided by a shunt passage opening to the first passage portion. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the body is a combination of a toilet and a platform and the toilet has a stool mounted on the platform and the wastewater passage is in part provided within the stood to open to the chamber and in part to extend through the platform with the wastewater passage extending therethrough with its outlet opening through a wastewater line to a main drain line and the wastewater valve is in the platform passage portion.