The clanking and ringing of something falling down your 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.
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.
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 what you need to retrieve the item. 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. If you’re still without your favorite piece of jewelry, try a stronger magnet and see if that does the trick.
Of course, many pieces of jewelry are made of silver or gold and won’t be attracted to 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 it comes to locating and retrieving any small, valuable 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 with a magnet or four-pronged tool, don’t panic. It’s time to channel your inner plumber. Removing the P-trap under your sink will allow you to empty the contents inside and hopefully find your item. The P-trap is the bended-looking pipe under your sink that maintains a water seal so sewer gasses aren’t making their way up into your home.
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 under your sink. 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. It 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!
Sometimes it’s not possible to find a lost item yourself, and by trying, you could end up causing more damage to your plumbing fixtures. When you’re unsure of taking measures into your own hands, call Mike Diamond Services. Our Smell Good Plumbers can help with drain cleaning and clog repair or any plumbing issues. Give us a call today and we’ll be there with our fully stocked, state-of-the-art trucks to help you recover any items lost down your drain.
