Testing of plumbing installations

A method of using a tool to cut out a circular center plate of a test cap for a plumbing system;

• wherein the test cap has a cylindrical body circumscribing the plate and an annular flange extending radially outwardly from the body;
• wherein the plumbing system has a clean-out with first and second branches positioned between sections of a cylindrical drain pipe leading to a sewer line;
• wherein the test cap is secured in fluid-tight relation to one of said sections of the drain pipe whereby the test cap creates a fluid-tight seal against passage of material through the drain pipe to the sewer line, said first branch of the clean-out providing communication with the test cap;
• wherein the clean-out has a third branch extending laterally from the drain pipe and provides access to the center plate through the third branch and the first branch;
• wherein the tool includes a rotary cutter, an elongated flexible shaft connected to the cutter, and means for rotating the shaft to rotate the cutter, comprising the steps of:
• inserting the cutter and the shaft into the third branch of the clean-out until the cutter engages the first branch of the clean-out;
• pressing axially on the shaft to bend the shaft adjacent to the cutter and force the cutter into engagement with the center plate of the test cap;
• and
• rotating the shaft and thus the cutter to cause the cutter to cut the center plate out of the test cap and to create an opening in the test cap substantially the same diameter as the body of the cap so as to communicate with the drain pipe, whereby material intended to be moved through the drain pipe to a sewer line is no longer blocked by the test cap.

A tool for cutting an opening through a test cap that is secured in a drain line to block flow therethrough and wherein a clean-out branch connected to the drain line provides access to the cap after a plumbing test has been completed, comprising:

• a cutting head including means for reaming an opening through the test cap;
• resiliently flexible shaft means connected to the cutting head for extending the head into the clean-out branch and into engagement with the test cap, said shaft means being capable of flexing in the clean-out branch and a portion of the drain line to enable the engagement with the test cap;
• and
• means for rotating the shaft means while in such flexed condition to rotate the cutting head while forcing it against the test cap thereby to cause the cutting head to ream out the opening in the cap so that the drain line is open and provides a passageway through which waste water can flow to a sewer line.

A tool for cutting out the center plate of a test cap in a drain pipe and blocks flow therethrough and wherein a clean-out connected to the drain pipe provides access to the cap after a plumbing test has been completed, comprising:

• a cutting head including means for reaming an opening through the test cap;
• shaft means connected to the cutting head for extending the head into the clean-out branch and into engagement with the center plate of the test cap within a portion of the drain pipe, and
• means for rotating the shaft means to rotate the cutting head while forcing it against the center plate of the test cap, thereby to cause the cutting head to ream out the center plate and to create the opening therein,
• wherein the shaft means has a longitudinal axis;
• wherein the shaft means is resiliently flexible;
• wherein the shaft means has a normally straight unstressed condition but can be flexed out of the straight condition upon application of sufficient force;
• and
• wherein the shaft means can transmit force axially thereof whereby the cutting head can be forced against and through the center plate of the cap by applying force on the shaft means axially thereof toward the cutting head while rotating the cutting head.

A method of using a tool to cut out a center plate of a test cap for a plumbing system;

• wherein the test cap has annular body circumscribing the plate;
• wherein the plumbing system has a clean-out element with a first section secured between sections of a drain pipe;
• wherein the test cap is secured in fluid-tight relation in and to one of said sections of the drain pipe whereby the test cap creates a fluid-tight seal against passage of material through the drain pipe;
• wherein the clean-out element has a second section extending from the drain pipe and provides access to the center plate through the second section after a plumbing test has been completed;
• wherein the tool includes a rotary cutter, an elongated flexible shaft connected to the cutter, and means for rotating the shaft to rotate the cutter, comprising the steps of;
• inserting the cutter and the shaft into the second section of the clean-out element until the cutter engages the first section of the clean-out element;
• pressing axially on the shaft to bend the shaft adjacent to the cutter and force the cutter into engagement with the center plate of the test cap within a portion of the drain pipe;
• and
• rotating the shaft and thus the cutter to cause the cutter to cut an opening in the center plate of the test cap for communication with the drain pipe, whereby material intended to flow through the drain pipe to a sewer line is no longer blocked by the test cap.