The clanking and ringing of something falling down your kitchen bathroom sink drain makes your heart sink just as far.
Don’t panic!
Whether it’s your wedding ring or a small earring, it’s likely not gone forever. Even if your reflexes weren’t quick enough, you can take measures into your own hands by recovering any item lost down the drain. If you’ve ever needed to know how to get something out of a sink drain – be it kitchen sink, bathroom sink or even your bathtub or shower – Mike Diamond can help.
Your first step: turn the water off. If you accidentally run water while you’re attempting to find your lost item, it’s going to make finding it a lot more difficult. If you’re too shaken to start there, simply pick up the phone and call us for prompt service in recovering your lost item. We’re always happy to help.
Here are a few ways you can once again be reunited with what you thought was never to be found again.
1. Use a Magnet
If the item you dropped down the drain is metal, a simple magnet might be just the plumbing retrieval tool you’re looking for. Try attaching a small magnet to a string or small flexible rod that will fit down your drain. Lower the magnet and slowly pull it back up in order to ensure you don’t drop the item once again.
Of course, this only works with metals that are magnetic: iron, nickel, many types of steel and manganese. Unfortunately, many pieces of jewelry are made of silver or gold and won’t be attracted by a magnet. If that’s the case, try other methods.
2. Use a Four-Pronged Tool
When you can’t reach down the drain yourself, try finding a tool that can. Inexpensive four-pronged tools can be found at hardware stores and work wonders when you’ve dropped an earring down the sink or need to retrieve any other small item. A long, flexible rod with spring-loaded prongs at the end will easily grab items, but sometimes it’s difficult to know when it finds them. If the drain is big enough, shining a flashlight might help you better see the item.
3. Take Apart the P-Trap
When there’s no hope of recovering your lost item from above with a magnet or four-pronged tool, don’t panic. It’s time to channel your inner plumber and attack from below. The P-trap – that curved pipe under your sink that’s designed to stop sewer gasses from coming out of your drain – may have stopped your ring, necklace or earbud from ending up in the municipal sewer. You simply need to peek inside.
Be careful, because this might get messy.
First, you’ll want to put on gloves, as you’ll likely be searching through other debris that comes out of the P-trap like food or hair. Be sure to lay down towels and a bucket underneath the sink so you’re not cleaning up a bigger mess later. Carefully remove the P-trap by unscrewing the slip nuts.
Don’t be surprised if you find unexpected debris that has collected in the P-trap. If your item isn’t visible right away, try searching through the waste in the P-trap. That dropped ring may have become tangled or lost within debris.
4. Install a Drain Guard
If you’d rather not have the adventure of taking apart your drain or spending hours trying to locate an item, consider installing a drain guard to keep items from falling any further down your drain. The device acts as a filter and only items small enough to fit though the small holes on the surface will make their way down the drain, making it more difficult to lose valuables. Of course, this only works if done before you lose something!
“I Dropped My Earring Down the Sink”
We get these calls all the time. Sometimes it’s not possible to find a lost item yourself, and if you’re unsure about dismantling your plumbing on your own, call Mike Diamond Services. Our Smell Good Plumbers can help when you’ve dropped something down the sink drain and can’t recover it on your own. Give us a call today and we’ll be there with our fully stocked, state-of-the-art trucks to help.
