About Johnny Jolter The No Mess Plunger
Building a Better Plunger
Local man turns frustration into finding a better way to clear clogs
Only two percent of submitted inventions receive a patent, but Eric Smith of Larwill has managed to come up with a unique invention that was recently patented. Smith, who grew up in Columbia City, has found a way to get rid of toilet clogs without the mess caused by typical plungers. He invented the “Johnny Jolter” plunger. This plunger looks anything but typical, and works differently than the average plunger. The device works by drawing in water and then using the water to release the clog. Water is used instead of air or agitation. Smith said it is like a big syringe that uses one or two plunges instead of several. Smith said the plunger is easy to use and can be easily cleaned by taking the two pieces of the device apart. Smith came up with the idea as a result of owning rental properties and dealing with clogs on a fairly regular basis. He said he couldn’t believe someone hadn’t come up with a plunger that didn’t make a mess when used. “Most, inventions or thoughts come out of emotion.” Smith said. He took his frustrations with cleaning up messes after unclogging toilets and invented the “Johnny Jolter Power Plunger.” Smith said it took two years from his first thought about the plunger to the product being patented. It was patent-pending for more than one-and-a-half years.
The first step in the process was for Smith to research whether or not such an invention already existed on the market. He said he spent 20 to 30 hours researching, and then also hired a patent attorney to research further.
After finding out there were no plungers using his idea on the market, Smith drew up a rough sketch of what he thought the plunger should look like. He worked with Metro Plastics in Noblesville to come up with a prototype. The company is currently manufacturing the product, which will start out in small hardware stores.
Currently, Smith is concentrating on distributing the product to ACE and Do-It-Best hardware stores. He said a couple of ACE stores have already purchased the product. One of the stores is Teghtmeyer ACE Hardware in Columbia City.
Lori Pfeiffer, co-owner of the store, said she has a stock of “Johnny Jolters” on order. They aren’t available at this time, but are expected to be deliverable within a few weeks. “It’s a unique, innovative product,” Pfeiffer said. “I think is has market potential.” She added that she thinks it could be used in commercial businesses, such as restaurants and hotels, where plunging is done on a regular basis. For now Smith is content with seeing his products sold in local hardware stores. His long-term goal, though, is to have the product sold in larger hardware chains such as Lowes and Menard’s.
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News and Other Mentions
Eric Smith,Eric, when you approached me in the fall 2005 with your gadget called the Johnnie Jolter, I was a bit skeptical. After your demonstration on one of our floor models, I was still skeptical. When I told my service plumber to give this a try he laughed at me and said “ARE YOU KIDDING ME”, I demonstrated how to use it and he reluctantly put it on his truck. A couple of days passed when my tech reported to me that he gave the Johnnie Jolter a try and after plunging this toilet for about 20 min, and cleaning up water for 10 min, he got out the Johnnie Jolter and in two stiff blows he had the stool open. Several times after that he used the Johnnie Jolter, and to this day I don’t even think he has a plunger on his truck anymore.
Thanks for allowing me to test drive your gadget, “THE JOHNNIE JOLTER”. If you should come up with anymore gadgets, please feel free to contact me for a test drive.
Thanks again,
Jay Meredith
Service Manager Flow-Tech Plumbing and Heating
Johnny Jolter Power Plunger
What is it? The only plunger on the market to use water pressure, rather than air pressure, to bust drain clogs.
How’s it work? Place Johnny Jolter in the water of a toilet bowl or stopped-up sink and draw the water into the plunger body by pulling on its handle. Using the flexible adapter, seat the Johnny Jolter into the drain opening and push the power plunger handle down. The water drawn into the plunger is focused toward the clog, providing a powerful force to remove it.
What’s it good for? Ergonomic design allows for smooth, comfortable operation. Flexible bowl adapter fits most styles and sizes of toilet drains. Disassembles for cleaning. Doesn’t spill water on the bathroom floor.
– Karen Martin for the Arkansas Democrat Gazette
TOOL UPDATE: Splash-free plunging
When was the last time you used a toilet plunger and splashed water all over your bathroom floor? Probably the last time you used a plunger.
The new Johnny Jolter Power Plunger uses water pressure instead of air pressure to unplug toilets with little mess. The Johnny Jolter draws toilet water into its body, then pumps the pressurized water at the clogged drain.
– Reid Forgrave for The Des Moines Register
A New Take on the Plunger
June 4, 2006
How can we write this delicately? Using a plunger can be messy — you push down on the wooden handle attached to the hard rubber plunger and air pressure dislodges the “clog.” But sometimes, you end up with water all over the toilet and the floor.
A new product, the Johnny Jolter Power Plunger, made by Metro Products, promises to do away with that messy problem by using water pressure, rather than air pressure, to do the job.
“It’s a new twist on an old product,” Metro products spokeswoman Lauren Kinzler says. “The rubber and wood plunger uses air pressure to get clogs out. That’s why it’s so messy and takes so long. The Johnny Jolter uses water pressure — just one little pump will bust everything out of your pipes.”
The Jolter draws water into the plunger body by pulling up on its handle. It is then placed into the toilet, and the plunger handle is pushed down, using water to break through the clog.
– Chicago Tribune
