“Plumb-Busters” – The Guardian of Sewer Lines
”Hey, boss, the cabin manager just reported that the four front-right lavatories have lost the vac.” Plumb-Busters to the rescue!
When a passenger presses the flush button after using the toilet, a valve in the bottom of the bowl opens, exposing the contents to a pneumatic vacuum. That vac sucks the load – vapors and all – down the plane's sewer lines beneath the cabin floor into a holding tank in the cargo hold. The vacuum power is the result of difference between the air pressure outside the airplane and inside the cabin. However, if any foreign object is accidentally flushed into the toilet, the lines may be clogged at some bends or elbows of the piping system, causing the loss of suction. If the blockage is located near the far end of the sewer lines, it may even render the four lavatories that share the same sewer pipe inoperable at the same time.
In the hot, cramped areas of the cargo compartment, maintenance personnel have to remove the overhead ceilings of the cargo hold to access the sewer pipes. The detection of a blocked section in the pipes relies on close examination, correct execution of procedures stated in the maintenance manual and, most importantly, years of experience and sound judgment. Once the clogged lines are identified, they are removed to rectify the problem and restore the normal operation of the lavatories.
It takes extra doses of courage and enthusiasm to work on a blocked pipe full of sewage right over your head. Even though our technicians are fully dressed with all protection gears, they are often sprayed by the spilling waste, and their skins sometimes become itchy due to the contamination. Despite all the loathing and discomfort, everyone steps up to the job without any hesitation. What we care most is to unclog the system right away so that the airplane can be dispatched and passengers can enjoy a comfortable flight.
When a blockage is freed and the sound of water flow in the pipe is heard again, we always celebrate with high-fives and loud cheers in the cargo hold. It is a glorious moment of successful troubleshooting shared by everyone, in sweat and obnoxious smell no less.
The Plumb-Busters are committed to working hard to accomplish all maintenance tasks. It is their unswerving pledge to the passengers whenever they wave good-bye to the departing airplane.
