OATEY 272892 Cherne® 6" Aluminum T-Handle Gripper® Plug (Non Bypass)

No. Part number 272892 is the non-bypass version, so the line stays fully blocked and there's no way to bleed flow through the plug while it's set. Cherne offers the Gripper with or without bypass, so if you need to drain or relieve the line without pulling the plug, order the bypass version instead.

It sets by hand with the integral T-handle: drop it in the pipe and turn the handle to expand the mechanism until the neoprene O-ring grips the pipe wall. No wrench, no air compressor, and nothing to inflate, which is the practical difference from a pneumatic test ball.

The Gripper plug is built for long-term applications as well as short tests. The body is heavy-duty aluminum and it seals on a chemical-resistant neoprene O-ring, so it holds up to sewage and standing effluent rather than degrading like a light-duty rubber test plug.

Go mechanical when the plug is staying in for a while or when you have no compressed air on site. The Gripper is a metal-bodied plug that tightens down on an O-ring by hand and is rated for long-term use, holding 10 psi / 40 ft. of head. An inflatable ball is faster to drop through a small access point but relies on air pressure holding, which makes it a short-duration choice.

It comes in at 8.85 lb, light enough for one person to lower and set in a 6 inch line but solid enough to stay put under head. The aluminum body is what keeps the weight down compared with a cast mechanical plug.