Question 1

How do you blow it up

Accepted Answer

It has the same fill valve as your car tire or bicycle tire.  Any regular hand or foot pump will work.

Question 2

Can these be used to block a sewer drain pipe in a basement to attempt to block water from coming into the basement say during a flood?

Accepted Answer

Interesting question. I would think so, but that's only an educated guess; I have not used one for that purpose. For the typical purpose of pressure testing drain pipes, my county's inspection required the system to hold 5 psi for 15 minutes, which this test ball easily held.  5 psi is equal to 138 inches water column, so if the test ball holds water pressure as effectively as it does air pressure, it would hold back water pressure from flood waters 11 1/2 feet higher than where the plug is. I believe the plug could hold back significantly more air pressure than 5 psi. However, performance with water, not air, might be worse because the water could reduce friction and possibly let the plug slip.
And then, even if this holds back water rising in the drain pipe, if the water level is high enough, there will be other places it gets into the house.
Bottom line - I wouldn't count on it as the primary means of preventing entry of flood water, but as a backup or last resort, it would definitely be worth a try. Especially if flood waters aren't high enough to put significant pressure on basement walls.

Question 3

What are the chances of this product working on a corregated drain pipe? No pressure involved. Just infiltrating groundwater.

Accepted Answer

No experience with this use, but I'd say good chance it will hold back most of the water, if it's not pressurized. The plug should contact 3 or 4 of the "ribs" inside the corrugated pipe. That said, there's always going to be some head pressure if there's a height difference between the end of the pipe and the source of the water. If you need zero water leaking through, I wouldn't count on this.

Question 4

does this come with an adapter for an air pump that fits a Presta valve, instead of the standard shrader valve?

Accepted Answer

No, and we found that using a bike pump was not successful anyway.  The act of removing the pump hose from the ball allowed too much air to escape.  The ball deflated to the point that it was not water-tight.  There really is only a small volume of air in the ball.  We got the best results using an air chuck mounted on an air hose running from a small compressor.

Material	Rubber,Steel,Natural
Brand	Cherne
Color	Black
Item Weight	5.28 ounces
UPC	675115270107 696505374052
Global Trade Identification Number	00675115270107
Manufacturer	Oatey
Part Number	270108
Item Weight	5.3 ounces
Product Dimensions	3.5 x 3 x 5.5 inches
Country of Origin	USA
Item model number	270108
Size	2.5 Inch
Style	270108
Shape	Plug
Item Package Quantity	1
Number Of Pieces	1
Measurement System	inch
Included Components	Rubber Test Ball Plug
Batteries Required?	No

Cherne 2-1/2 in. Test-Ball Plug

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