Three mechanical DWV test plugs compared on IPS’s, Oatey’s and Sioux Chief’s own spec sheets, plus a checker that tells you if a plug will hold your test.
By Isaac Daniels, journeyman plumber · Licensed in Georgia, #JP507711
Updated Oct 22, 2026 · New page
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Get the IPS Twist-Tite 83593 for 3-inch DWV: it’s the only plug here whose maker publishes the pipe range it seals, a water rating and an air rating. Use the Oatey Gripper on open stack tops, and the Sioux Chief TestTitan in cleanout threads.
Top pick: IPS Twist-Tite 83593$8.99 at AmazonPrice as of Oct 24, 2026, 5:30 AM EDT
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
How the three compare on our spec score
Five checks from IPS’s, Oatey’s, Cherne’s and Sioux Chief’s own pages and spec sheets, equal weight. The rules and every input are in the method section near the end.
PlumbingPicks spec score out of 10, from the makers’ pages and spec sheets, read Oct 22, 2026. It is not a customer rating or a lab test of our own.
A plumbing test plug closes an open pipe end so you can fill the drain, waste and vent system with water or air and watch for a leak. A mechanical plug seals when you turn a wing nut and squeeze a rubber gasket against the pipe wall. Nothing to inflate, nothing to deflate.
The IPS won on paperwork: its sheet answers every question you’d ask before a test. The Oatey and Sioux Chief tied at 8.8. Each lost points in a different place, so the label on each card tells you which one fits your job.
Each pick, in detail
What each maker publishes, where each plug fits a DWV test, and where each one lost points on our checks.
Best for a known fit range
IPS Twist-Tite 83593
IPS Test-Tite Twist-Tite 83593 ABS mechanical test plug, 3 inch
Product photo: Amazon. The photo shows the 1-1/2 in. size.
3 in.2.80 to 3.10 in. range40 ft head5 psig airABS bodyNo bypass
Buy it if
You test 3-inch DWV with water to code and want a plug whose maker tells you exactly which pipe it seals and how much head it holds.
Skip it if
You need to seal cleanout threads or drain the stack through the plug. The Sioux Chief TestTitan lists both.
The Twist-Tite 83593 is the 3-inch mechanical test plug IPS Corporation sells under its Test-Tite name, and I’ve used it. IPS builds it from high impact ABS, with a neoprene sealing gasket and an over-sized wing nut that has a wrench pad.
It scored 9.2, the top score here, because IPS publishes the most. One spec sheet gives the pipe range each size seals, a water rating and an air rating, from 1-1/2 to 8 inches.
For the 3-inch, IPS lists a pipe use range of 2.80 to 3.10 inches. It’s the only fit range any of our three makers publish, a 10 on fit. Cherne’s safety page says to check a pipe’s inside diameter against a plug’s range, and IPS gives you the numbers to do it.
IPS rates the 1-1/2 through 4-inch plugs for 40 feet of water head and 5 psig of air. The 6 and 8-inch plugs drop to 30 feet of head. Both figures for every size earned a 10 on pressure rating.
Forty feet of water is about 17.3 psi at the plug, at 0.433 psi per foot. The code water test needs 10 feet, so a 3-inch Twist-Tite has room for a taller column. The checker below does that math for your size.
Where it lost points: the screw is plated steel and the nut is zinc. IPS calls the plug rust and corrosion resistant, but metal hardware scored an 8 on rust. The 3-inch is also end-of-pipe only; IPS makes an inside-pipe version in 4, 6 and 8 inches, an 8 on extra jobs.
IPS lists no bypass on any size, so the plug only blocks. You can’t fill or drain through it.
The Amazon photo shows the 1-1/2-inch plug, marked “Plug 1.5”. The listing title and IPS’s product code 83593 are the 3-inch. Check the size on the cap when it arrives.
The cap in the photo carries a stand-clear warning, and it means it. Cherne’s safety page says never to stand in the danger zone in front of a plug under back pressure.
My call: this is the plug I’d keep in the 3-inch slot of a test kit. For 4-inch, order the 83594. IPS gives it the same 40 feet of head and a range of 3.78 to 4.06 inches.
Best for open stack tops
Oatey 33402 Gripper
Oatey 33402 3 inch mechanical End-of-Pipe Gripper plug
3 in.17 psi40 ft headEnd-of-pipeRubber O-ringABS plates
Buy it if
You’re plugging the open top of a stack or a vent, where a plug that slips down the pipe turns a test into a fishing job.
Skip it if
You test odd or worn pipe and want to check the fit against a published range first. IPS publishes one; Oatey and Cherne don’t.
The 33402 is Oatey’s 3-inch End-of-Pipe Gripper, and I’ve used it. Oatey’s product page files its Gripper plugs under the Cherne name, and Cherne’s site says it’s part of the Oatey family of companies.
The design is the reason to buy it. Cherne says the End-of-Pipe Gripper seals only at the end of a pipe and won’t fall in. That’s one of the two extra jobs behind its 10.
My call: that matters most at the top of a stack. A plug that slides down a 3-inch vent is a long reach with a grabber, and you’re refilling the test after.
Cherne rates every End-of-Pipe Gripper, 1-1/2 through 8 inches, for 17 psi (1.2 bar) or 40 feet (12 m) of back pressure. Both figures for every size scored a 10 on pressure rating, and six sizes scored a 10 on sizes.
Oatey’s FAQ says Gripper plugs use natural rubber O-rings, good from 0 °F to 125 °F, and to ask its engineers about anything outside that range.
The brand-written listing gives the build: ABS glass-reinforced plates, a zinc-plated steel handle and a galvanized carriage bolt. The plastic body won’t rust, the listing says, but the steel hardware put it at 8 on rust.
Where it lost the most: none of the Oatey or Cherne pages I read gives the pipe range each size seals. Nominal size only scored a 6 on fit. On old or out-of-round pipe, check the plug before you fill the stack.
The line also has an Inside-of-Pipe Gripper, which Oatey says you can set as deep in the pipe as you need. That’s the second extra job, for a 10.
The listing says the 33402 can be used long-term. Cherne’s blog says the same of mechanical plugs in general: they don’t deflate over time the way inflatable plugs can.
For 2-inch pipe, the second button is Cherne’s 270229 in a pack of 4. Its listing says it “seals inside pipe as far as needed”, which reads like the Inside-of-Pipe model. Cherne’s own page lists 270229 as the 2-inch End-of-Pipe Gripper, so go by Cherne’s page.
3 in.20 psiABS and PolyProPVC gasketHose-thread stem3.5 in. across
Buy it if
You test through cleanouts as often as open pipe, or you want to drain the stack through a hose instead of pulling a plug under water.
Skip it if
You test 6 or 8-inch pipe, or a tall 4-inch stack. The TestTitan line stops at 4 inches, and the 4-inch pipe size is rated 10 psi.
The 882-3 is the 3-inch TestTitan from Sioux Chief, and I’ve used it. It’s the only pick with no metal parts: an ABS stem, base and disc, a PolyPro nut and a PVC gasket, per Sioux Chief’s spec sheet.
Sioux Chief calls it 100% non-corrosive, the only 10 on our rust check. My call: with no steel in it, there’s nothing to rust in place on a stub that sits plugged for weeks.
It does two jobs the others don’t list. The same plug seals a pipe end or cleanout threads of its size, and its hollow stem has male hose threads, so you can fill or drain through the plug. That’s a 10 on extra jobs.
My call: the stem is the handy part on a water test. Thread a hose on and drain the stack through it, instead of loosening a plug under a column of water.
Sioux Chief publishes blow-out pressure as safe working loads. In pipe: 40 psi at 1-1/2 inches, 30 at 2, 20 at 3 and 10 at 4. In cleanout threads, the 3-1/2-inch 882-35 holds 25 and the 4-inch 882-41 holds 15.
One figure per size, in psi only, scored an 8 on pressure rating. The 4-inch number matters. Ten psi is about 23 feet of water, so a taller 4-inch test column would go past it.
Sioux Chief gives each size’s overall diameter and depth instead of a pipe range: 3.5 by 3.7 inches for the 3-inch. That’s an 8 on fit. The line stops at 4 inches, an 8 on sizes.
To set it, Sioux Chief says to push it in to the shoulder of the gasket, turn the nut clockwise until the gasket compresses, and finish with pliers if needed. The non-slip shoulder keeps it from spinning.
Another Amazon listing for the 882-3 describes a nylon top plate and a nylon stem. Sioux Chief’s sheet says ABS, and I scored the sheet. Sioux Chief also says the TestTitan isn’t meant for permanent use.
My call: buy it for cleanout work and any test you want to drain through the plug. Sioux Chief also makes P versions with a built-in air filler valve in 1-1/2 to 4 inches.
The three side by side
Ratings, fit, hardware and extra jobs for the 3-inch size, from each maker’s own sheet.
From IPS’s Twist-Tite spec sheet, Oatey’s Gripper page, Cherne’s End-of-Pipe Gripper page and Sioux Chief’s 882 Series spec sheet and TestTitan page, read Oct 22, 2026.
Will the plug hold your test?
Pick a pipe size and a test. The checker turns feet of water into psi and holds it against each maker’s published rating.
Ratings from IPS’s, Cherne’s and Sioux Chief’s sheets, read Oct 22, 2026. Psi ratings turned into feet at 0.433 psi per foot of water and rounded. The 10-foot test is the IPC minimum.
The math is one line. Each foot of water above the plug pushes 0.433 psi against it, the constant in BCcampus’s Math for Trades textbook. Ten feet is 4.3 psi, 20 feet is 8.7 and 40 feet is 17.3.
So the code’s 10-foot test is easy for all three 3-inch plugs. The tight spot is the 4-inch TestTitan, rated 10 psi in pipe: about 23 feet. Fill a 4-inch stack higher than that and you’re past Sioux Chief’s published load.
Air is the other way around. IPS rates every Twist-Tite for only 5 psig of air, which is exactly the code air test. Cherne gives one back-pressure rating, 17 psi, and its safety page defines back pressure as air or liquid. My call: never pump air past the test pressure, and use a gauge that reads in tenths.
Ratings and part numbers by size
Order the size your pipe is, then check the rating against your test.
Size
IPS Twist-Tite
Cherne Gripper
Sioux Chief TestTitan
1-1/2 in.
83591: fits 1.48 to 1.65 in.
17 psi or 40 ft
882-1: 40 psi
2 in.
83592: fits 1.90 to 2.17 in.
270229: 17 psi or 40 ft
882-2: 30 psi
3 in.
83593: fits 2.80 to 3.10 in.
Oatey 33402: 17 psi or 40 ft
882-3: 20 psi
3-1/2 in. cleanout
None
None
882-35: 25 psi
4 in.
83594: fits 3.78 to 4.06 in.
17 psi or 40 ft
882-4: 10 psi
4 in. cleanout
None
None
882-41: 15 psi
6 in.
83596: fits 5.77 to 6.08 in.
17 psi or 40 ft
None
8 in.
83598: fits 7.76 to 8.03 in.
17 psi or 40 ft
None
From the IPS Twist-Tite spec sheet (end-of-pipe codes; inside-pipe 83595, 83597 and 83599 carry the same ranges), Cherne End-of-Pipe Gripper page and Sioux Chief 882 Series spec sheet, read Oct 22, 2026. Cherne’s 2-inch part number is from its page; the 3-inch Oatey number is from the plug and its listing.
IPS rates 1-1/2 to 4 in. for 40 ft of water and 6 and 8 in. for 30 ft, all at 5 psig of air. Sioux Chief’s 1-1/2 to 3 in. plugs carry the same load in pipe or cleanout threads.
Nominal size is the pipe’s trade size, not a measurement. That’s why IPS’s ranges help: a 3-inch Twist-Tite seals 2.80 to 3.10 inches, so a 3-inch pipe whose bore falls inside that span is a match. Sioux Chief gives plug sizes instead, 3.5 inches across for the 3-inch, and Cherne gives nominal sizes only.
Cleanouts are their own size. Sioux Chief’s 882-35 and 882-41 are cut for 3-1/2 and 4-inch cleanout threads, and its 3-inch plug fits either 3-inch pipe or 3-inch cleanout threads. For where those openings sit in a house, see our drain cleanout guide.
What the code test asks for
The International Plumbing Code gives two DWV tests. Your plugs have to hold one of them for 15 minutes.
Test
How it’s done
Time
Plastic pipe
Water test
Close every opening but the highest, then fill to the top. For groundwork, a stack at least 10 feet above the part tested
15 minutes
Allowed
Air test
At least 5 psi, read on a gauge in 0.10 psi steps or finer
15 minutes
Not allowed
ICC, 2018 International Plumbing Code Essentials, Chapter 5, citing IPC 312.1 to 312.4, read Oct 22, 2026. Some states change these numbers, so check the code your inspector enforces.
Never air test PVC or ABS drain pipe. The ICC says the IPC prohibits air tests on plastic pipe because the pipe can burst and shatter, and plastic pipe makers prohibit it too. Stand clear of any plug holding back pressure, and release the pressure before you loosen it.
The water test is the one most plumbers run on plastic. You plug the low ends, fill from the top, and watch the level for 15 minutes. A drop means a leak somewhere below.
The air test is for metal systems such as cast iron or copper DWV. The ICC notes that pumps and compressors can over-pressure a system. My call: bring it up to 5 psi slowly and stop there. Our hydrostatic test pump guide covers pressure testing supply lines, which is a different test at much higher pressure.
How to set and pull a mechanical plug
Six steps, from Sioux Chief’s install line and Cherne’s safety page.
1
Match the size
Use the plug sized for the pipe or cleanout. Cherne says to verify the pipe’s inside diameter falls within the plug’s sealing range.
2
Wipe the pipe end
Cherne’s ratings are for clean, dry pipe of nominal size, and it says other conditions can lower them. Clear glue drips and burrs from the bore.
3
Push it to the shoulder
Sioux Chief says to insert the plug to the shoulder of the gasket. Cherne’s End-of-Pipe Gripper stops at the pipe’s end on its own.
4
Turn the nut clockwise
Tighten until the gasket compresses against the pipe. Sioux Chief says to finish with pliers if needed. The IPS wing nut has a wrench pad for the same job.
5
Stand clear while you fill
Cherne says never to enter the danger zone in front of a plug under pressure. Both the Oatey and IPS caps carry a stand-clear warning.
6
Release, then pull
Cherne says to release all back pressure before you remove a plug. Drain the stack first, through the TestTitan’s stem or a lower opening, then back the nut off.
My call: lay the plugs out before you start, one per opening, and count them again before you fill. A missed opening on a lower floor shows up as water on the ceiling, not as a dropping level.
Mechanical plug, test ball or cleanout plug?
Google’s summary for this search splits test plugs by how they seal. Here’s what the makers say about each.
Type
How it seals
Where it fits
What to watch
Mechanical plug (all three picks)
A wing nut squeezes a rubber gasket against the pipe
Open pipe ends; some fit cleanout threads
Doesn’t deflate over time, per Cherne
Inflatable test ball
Air through a tire-style fitting swells a rubber ball
Through a test tee, out-of-round pipe, openings you can’t reach
Cherne says to keep it at rated pressure and never inflate past 1 psig outside a pipe
Mechanical cleanout plug
A two-stage lock with test and drain positions
DWV stack testing, per Cherne
A bigger tool; Cherne rates its own to 150 ft or 65 psi
Cherne, Plumbing-Pipe Plugs: Mechanical vs. Pneumatic, and Cherne Test Plug Safety Precautions, read Oct 22, 2026.
Cherne’s blog says mechanical plugs are smaller and lighter than inflatable ones, need no air, and suit long-term blocking. It says pneumatic plugs need their pressure checked every four hours in long-term use.
Test balls earn their place where a wing nut can’t reach: down a test tee, inside a fitting, or in pipe that’s out of round. My call: a rough-in test kit wants mechanical plugs for every open end plus one test ball for the tee.
Test plugs we checked and left out
These came up in Amazon searches on Oct 22, 2026. Here’s what kept each off the list.
Plug
What we found
Why it’s out
Jones Stephens Plum-Tite T37004
4 in. high-density plastic plug, neoprene gasket; 7.6 on our score
No pressure rating on Jones Stephens’s sheet, and the listing photo shows a plug marked 3 in.
Danco PlugAll 10839
Hand-tightened plug for 1-1/2 and 2 in. pipe, threaded or not
No pressure rating found; the listing says it’s not temperature rated
Cherne Test-Ball
Inflatable rubber test ball
A different kind of plug, covered in the section above
Cherne Kwik ’N Sure
Hex-nut plug for water line stub-outs
Built for high-pressure supply stubs, not DWV ends
Unbranded “gripper” plugs
Look-alike wing-nut plugs
No maker sheet or rating we could match
The Plum-Tite did clear 7.0. I left it off because a test plug without a published rating can’t be checked against your test, my call. Jones Stephens does list six sizes from 1-1/2 to 8 inches and a one-year warranty for professional installs.
How to choose in four questions
Question
If yes
If no
Are you plugging cleanout threads, or want to drain through the plug?
Sioux Chief TestTitan
Keep going
Is the opening the top of a stack or vent?
Oatey Gripper
Keep going
Is it 6 or 8-inch pipe?
IPS Twist-Tite or Cherne Gripper
Keep going
Want to check the fit before you fill?
IPS Twist-Tite
Any of the three
My call for a 3-inch rough-in: two IPS Twist-Tites for the low ends, an Oatey Gripper for the stack top, and a TestTitan for the cleanout. That covers every opening type without a test ball. For the rest of the rough-in kit, see our PVC saw guide, torpedo level guide and purple primer guide.
Questions people ask
What is the best plumbing test plug?
The IPS Test-Tite Twist-Tite 83593 for 3-inch DWV, at 9.2 on our spec score. IPS publishes the pipe range it seals, a 40-foot water rating and a 5 psig air rating.
What is a test plug in plumbing?
A plug that closes an open pipe end so the drain, waste and vent system can be filled with water or air and checked for leaks. A mechanical one seals when you tighten a wing nut.
How much pressure does a DWV test need?
Under the IPC, a water test holds at least 10 feet of head for 15 minutes, and an air test holds at least 5 psi for 15 minutes. Some states change those numbers.
Can you air test PVC drain pipe?
No. The ICC says the IPC prohibits air tests on plastic pipe because it can burst and shatter. Use the water test on PVC and ABS.
How many psi is 10 feet of water?
About 4.3 psi. Each foot of water adds 0.433 psi, so 40 feet is about 17.3 psi.
What size test plug do I need?
The plug for your pipe’s nominal size. IPS also lists the range each size seals; its 3-inch Twist-Tite fits 2.80 to 3.10 inches.
Mechanical or inflatable test plug?
Mechanical for open pipe ends; Cherne says they don’t deflate over time. Inflatable test balls fit through test tees and seal out-of-round pipe.
Will a test plug fall into the pipe?
Not an end-of-pipe design. Cherne says its End-of-Pipe Gripper seals only at the end of a pipe and won’t fall in.
Can I use a test plug in a cleanout?
Yes, with one sized for cleanout threads. Sioux Chief’s TestTitan fits pipe ends and cleanout threads of its size, and the 882-35 and 882-41 are made for cleanouts.
Can a test plug stay in permanently?
Makers differ. Sioux Chief says the TestTitan isn’t meant for permanent use, while Oatey’s Gripper listing says it can be used long-term.
How do you remove a test plug full of water?
Release the pressure first, per Cherne. Drain the stack through a lower opening, or through the TestTitan’s hose-thread stem, then loosen the nut.
What temperature can a Gripper plug take?
Oatey says Gripper plugs use natural rubber O-rings rated from 0 °F to 125 °F.
How we picked these
Why trust me
I’m Isaac Daniels, a licensed journeyman plumber in Georgia (license #JP507711), and I’ve used all three picks. Every spec here comes from IPS’s, Oatey’s, Cherne’s and Sioux Chief’s own pages and sheets, and the test rules come from the ICC, read Oct 22, 2026. Where I add advice of my own, it’s labeled as my call.
How I pick
Only mechanical DWV test plugs from well-documented brands, new and in stock on Amazon, checked through Amazon’s product data the same day.
Facts from each maker’s page or sheet first. Where only the brand-written listing says something, the page says so, and where the two disagree, the page shows both.
Each card’s spec score comes from the five checks below. All three score 7.0 or higher.
The spec score, check by check
Each check scores 0 to 10 and counts one fifth. It’s our score from maker documents, not a customer rating or a lab test of our own.
Check (weight)
How it’s scored
Pressure rating (⅕)
10 when the maker publishes a water-head figure and a psi figure for each size; 8 for one figure per size; 4 for none
Fit range (⅕)
10 when the maker publishes the smallest and largest pipe each size seals; 8 for plug dimensions per size; 6 for nominal size only
Rust (⅕)
10 when the maker lists no metal parts and calls it non-corrosive; 8 for a plastic body with plated or galvanized steel hardware
Sizes (⅕)
10 for 1-1/2 through 8 in.; 8 for 1-1/2 through 4 in.
Extra jobs (⅕)
Cleanout threads, fill or drain through the plug, an inside-of-pipe version, or a won’t-fall-in design: 10 for two or more; 8 for one; 6 for none
Total
Average of the checks, to one decimal
Pick
Pressure
Fit
Rust
Sizes
Extra
Score
IPS Twist-Tite 83593
10 (head and air)
10 (range)
8 (plated screw)
10 (to 8 in.)
8 (inside-pipe)
9.2
Oatey 33402 Gripper
10 (psi and head)
6 (nominal)
8 (plated handle)
10 (to 8 in.)
10 (two)
8.8
Sioux Chief TestTitan 882-3
8 (psi only)
8 (plug size)
10 (no metal)
8 (to 4 in.)
10 (two)
8.8
Jones Stephens T37004 (left out)
4 (none)
8 (plug size)
10 (plastic)
10 (to 8 in.)
6 (none)
7.6
Sources
IPS Corporation, Twist-Tite Mechanical Test Plugs page and spec sheet (pipe use range, water head, air psig): read Oct 22, 2026.
Oatey, Gripper mechanical test plugs page and FAQ: read Oct 22, 2026.
Cherne Industries, End-of-Pipe Gripper and Inside-of-Pipe Gripper pages, Test Plug Safety Precautions page, and the blog post Plumbing-Pipe Plugs: Mechanical vs. Pneumatic: read Oct 22, 2026.
Sioux Chief, TestTitan product page and 882 Series TestTitan spec sheet: read Oct 22, 2026.
Jones Stephens, Plum-Tite mechanical test plug submittal sheet and limited product warranty (02737-10): read Oct 22, 2026.
International Code Council, 2018 International Plumbing Code Essentials, Chapter 5, Sanitary Drainage, Testing: read Oct 22, 2026.
BCcampus, Math for Trades: Volume 3, Using Water as a Guide for Determining Pressure (1 foot of water = 0.433 psi): read Oct 22, 2026.
Brand-written Amazon listing text for B008MG2VBU, B000H5WVQY, B0C9QZ2ZGY, B00QXR1A6C, B000FP8N72 and the left-out plugs: read through Amazon’s product data, Oct 22, 2026.
Google results for “plumbing test plug”: seen Oct 22, 2026. Search volumes from Semrush, Oct 22, 2026.
