An inexpensive Deluge Shower Tester Ongoing inspections are a must important element in a laboratory safety program. One of the more difficult inspections is a deluge shower test where operating the shower may flood the laboratory with gallons of rusty water a t a rate far above a modest floor drain's capacity. Commercial test units are available a t $50-100, hut the students in the American Chemical Society Student Affiliate Chapter a t Illinois Benedictine College fabricated one far under $10. A long canvas tube sewn from an old salvaged awning is supported by a loop of %-in. copper tubing bent as shown in the drawing. The tester is held over the shower head and drains into a janitor's cleaning harrel with casters. A drum on a cart, or even a mop bucket on wheels, may be suhstituted for a receptacle. Care must he taken since some showers have a minimum time release that may cause an overflow in the smaller containers. After testing, the barrel is returned to the janitor for normal duty. During our first set of tests, a shower shut off for other plumhing line repairs which had not been returned to service was discovered. Our tester was an instant success. Pulling the shower is so much fun that the Student Chapter raffled off chances for the privilege, as a fund raising activity.
Wayne E. Wesolowski Illinois Benedictine College Lisle. IL 60532
Volume 60
Number 4
April 1983
329
