I spent my younger years as a plumber but decided to look into the business of solving plumbing problems, which helped bring the MutiFlap 1 and the MultiFlap 2 into reality.

Back in 2003, I was working for a plumbing company fitting out a luxury block of holiday apartments. This was a very exclusive build with no expense spared , unfortunately the architects did not allow enough void space to fit the toilets correctly , which was a big problem, the bathroom and the on suite were next to each other and the toilets became an issue, when either toilet was flushed it would flush straight into the other toilet.

I searched every possible avenue for a valve that could be fitted to stop the problem but found nobody in the world had ever made such a valve. I found this amazing as the toilet is a highway for disease, pests etc. and there was nothing on the market to stop the problems I had encountered; after all if you had a rat or snake at your front door would you leave the door open for it to come in? I don’t think so!

Yet the highway from a sewer is not protected and free for all kinds of nasty things to emerge from the toilet.

I was sitting at home one evening and went into my garage where there was an old disused plastic water tank. I found a toilet pan connector and proceeded to cut a hole in the plastic tank. Using a tiny hinge, I then screwed the plastic cutting to the pan connector. I made 2 of these and the next day I fitted the 2 pan connectors to 2 of the toilets. I poured black coffee down the one toilet and flushed it and went to the on suite to check the other toilet. It was clear there was no sign of the black coffee - I had solved the problem! I decided to look into obtaining some kind of patent on my idea, unaware of the potential of the item I had created.

I spoke with a patent attorney who explained the procedure and then decided to obtain protection for what I thought was a valve to stop cross flow contamination, - however it soon became apparent that the product I had invented would not only stop cross flow contamination but could also be used as a valve to stop light penetration - the cause of inviting creatures such as rats, snakes, frogs and cockroaches from making their way out of the sewer into peoples homes and places of business. It would also stop all solid matter from being back flushed through the toilet in flood areas; in fact it could be fitted to anywhere that had a toilet.

After securing intellectual property rights and patents on my product it was now time to show the UK and the world what I had invented.

It appeared that a government test was needed so I approached the BBA the British Board of agreement, who welcomed the challenge as they had never seen anything like it in the world before but were well aware of the problems. The BBA through exhaustive testing tried very hard to fault my product which, in their words, they failed to do – and so I was awarded the first pass in history by the BBA for a product of its kind.

The product had significant investment by now and I needed to start selling the product, and with the power of the internet started to market the device, this went very well but I was also getting enquirers from all over the world. Introducing me to not only the P trap toilet but also the S trap toilet.

In 2009 I decided to look at the product again. With assistance from my patent attorney I created another model: the first model would be called the MultiFlap 1 and I had created a further model which could now fit the second type of toilet (S Trap) in the world.

The MultiFlap 1 would be used to fit toilets using a toilet pan connector, the second did not need a pan connector, there are 2 types of toilet in the world the P trap toilet and the S trap toilet. It is now 2013 and my partners and I are very excited about the launch of the MultiFlap 2, as this product will work with above ground drainage and below ground drainage, complying with all building regulations.

The new valve will stop many different things and help many different people, from home owners who have snakes, rats, frogs and cockroaches coming through the toilet to people in high risk flood areas. The MultiFlap can be fitted underground all through the drainage networks distributing pressure from flooded drains stopping solid matter from back flushing. We’re presently working on other innovative products; these are in the pipeline and will be launched in the very near future … watch this space!