Saved by a Goblin.

[Jacob]

Had a hand basin waste pipe drainage problem for some time - tried all the easy things, plunger etc, cleaned out bottle trap, but no cure. Caused by lime scale (this a hard water area).
Got worse last week and thought time for a serious blast - ordered a gallon of vinegar first and ran steady trickle of hot water for half an hour or so with a trickle of dry caustic soda to open it up a bit. Had reverse effect - obviously dislodged scale which had merely jammed itself further down the system and stopped it off completely.
Now had basin filled to brim with caustic soda solution, also filling the pipes. No way to trickle in the vinegar - f***k!
Major plumbing job in the offing, and how to handle the caustic safely if I cut a pipe or whatever.
Then remembered my little Goblin in the basement - an old decrepit wet n dry vac which I just use occasionally as a blower - never used it as a sucker.
Dipped pipe into full basin - one powerful gulp all gone in seconds! Stuck it into plug hole, blocked overflow with a flannel - great gurglings and the blockage gone too!
Amazing - a year long problem gone in about 5 seconds!
2 gallons of mucky looking caustic soda solution, lime scale flakes and smelly gunge in the Goblin.
Thought it was worth mentioning - I hadn't realised how effective the wet function was and how potentially useful.
Henry do one - I'll definitely buy a wet n dry when I need another.
Boring story but I thought worth knowing!
Anyway it's the most interesting thing which has happened to me this Christmas, including the Morecambe and Wise show!

 

[Garno]

I wonder how many people have actually used the "wet" part. I know in all the years we have had one that we have never used it tp unblock anything.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

The Cheap Lidl ones will do wet and dry or blow if the hose is attached to the rear side.

 

[Fitzroy]

I use the wet function on my shop vac regularly to hoover off my boys trampoline. It has a mesh deck that hold about a pint of water, sufficient to make socks, knees, and bums quickly wet. Shop vac once over and it’s good to use with minimal clothing dampness. I also use it in the yard for hoovering out the water drain traps when they block.

 

[paulrbarnard]

Mine gets used to clean out the dishwasher. It blocks every couple of years. I was away last time and wife and daughters has seen me do it so decided to do it themselves. They unfortunately didn’t know that I remove the bag and filter before using it for water. Made quite a mess when they tried to empty it.

 

[Garden Shed Projects]

I use mine to clean and dry the paddling pool before it gets put away. You are ever certain if you are gonna get it out again.

 

[Inspector]

I use one of mine to suck up melted snow in the garage before it gets to the walls all the time and have used it in the dishwasher when a pump went. Great way to "dry" the hoses and pump of an old washing machine so it doesn't dribble everywhere when carrying it out of the house. Works on a toilet when you want to change one of them out too.

Jacob because of the caustic nature of the water you slurped up I would run a few tubs of clean water through it. The clean water vapour might help clean the fan/motor as lots of them use the same air to cool it. There is still a chance it will die in the near future because of corrosion anyway.

Pete

 

[HappyHacker]

I use mine to empty the washing machine via the silly little drain hose, that comes out at ground level, when the pump blocks.