By David Parker – Calgary Harald – Mar. 10 2021
We’ve all been there. Standing in front of a toilet bowl that is dangerously close to overflowing, so we make a grab for the plunger.
Mike Scheuerman, a master plumber who has seen more than his share of that situation in his 35 years in the trade, got fed up with trying to get the job done with the minimum amount of splashing over floors and pant legs. Thinking there had to be a better way, he set out to invent a new type of toilet clog clearing tool that would eliminate problems and be much easier to use, while preventing transmission of viruses through airborne droplets.
He worked on prototypes in his garage and got to the point where he was happy with the initial design of his CLOG BOSS® — enough that he was bold enough to face the Dragon’s Den, where he was told it was a great idea but needed some refining and more sales.Today, six revisions later after diligently working nights and weekends, Scheuerman is happy with the newest design that is selling through wholesalers, retailers and online through Amazon.
He says he was surprised at the number of sales Amazon has recorded, including to one man in Austria who is apparently reselling CLOG BOSS® at a profit throughout Europe.
Technically it seems quite simple, like many well-thought-out ideas, but the new drain tool required months of testing and changes to get it to a saleable product.
The conventional cup-type rubber plunger is awkward, splashes and has become even more inefficient with modern jetted toilets that make it harder to create a seal.
CLOG BOSS® has a flexible foam tip that fits deep into the drain, stabilized so it won’t slip, and inserts beyond the jet in jetted toilets so water can’t short-circuit, wasting pressure. Gently moving the hand pump up and down will powerfully dislodge clogs.
No splash. And pumping afterwards in soap and water will clean and sanitize it thoroughly inside and out.
Scheuerman notes splashing of raw sewage can lead to bathroom surface contamination and direct bodily contact with a host of harmful and infectious pathogens, such as germs, bacteria and viruses — including COVID-19.
Alberta Health and the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) agree. Alberta Health responded to his inquiry regarding the risk of transmission, saying when sewage is sprayed onto adjacent surfaces and into the air, a plumber can be exposed to COVID-19 and other disease-causing micro-organisms. IAPMO recommends plumbers wear proper personal protective equipment to protect from aerosols and droplets.
CLOG BOSS® eliminates splashing and airborne contamination, so plumbers and homeowners don’t have to touch and breathe any of the nasty stuff anymore.
Scheuerman says splashing and placing the wet plunger on the floor for the next time may not seem like a big deal, but “when we look closer at the vast array of the infectious germs, viruses and bacteria in any clogged toilet, doesn’t it make sense to treat raw sewage as the biohazard that it really is?”
Today, infection has taken centre stage, impossible to ignore, meaning CLOG BOSS® should be a big winner.
So, Scheuerman has to find a way to increase productivity of his modern plunger — it’s amazing that no other improvement on the cup plunger has surfaced over its many decades.
He needs to expand marketing and retail distribution channels to expand sales, which might require the Canadian product be recognized by a larger company that will provide needed investment.
Hospitals and clinics are obvious targets, and there are a lot of toilets in North American homes that need clearing out once in a while.
David Parker appears regularly in the Herald. Read his columns online at calgaryherald.com/business. He can be reached at 403-830-4622 or by email at info@davidparker.ca.
