Lost something down the sink? Here’s what to do:
You are washing your hand in the bathroom sink and you realize something is missing. It can be an earring, a hairpin, a wedding band, or even a toothpaste cap. Dropping things down the drain happens to the best of us. So what should you do when you accidentally drop things down the drain?
Act Fast: Turn Off the Water Faucet!
The first aid of dropping things down the sink is to turn off the water faucet! Prevent water flow as soon as you realized you dropped something down the drain. We want to minimize the risk of the object being carried further into the plumbing system or washed away. This can make retrieval easier and prevent potential damage or blockage in the pipes.
The costly consequences of ignoring small objects:
Now you are thinking is this item worthy enough to retrieve? You may think that it’s just a bobby pin, they came in a pack of 50s for $4 and it is a hassle to have to retrieve them back. The item you dropped down the sink may be inexpensive, but the damage it can cause over time is going to be an expensive one. The reason is that even though the item is small, over time it can accumulate hairs and debris that will cause clogging. In the end, it will take your time, comfort, and a good portion of your savings.
Retrieving magnetic items from the drain:
You are in luck if the item that fell through the drain is something magnetic. What you can do is tie a strong magnet to a string tightly. Then you want to slowly lower the string down the drain to where the item you drop is. Slowly pull the string up and be careful not to drop them the second time.
How to open the sink trap:
Unfortunately, a lot of items aren’t magnetics, jewelry made from gold certainly isn’t. To retrieve the item that fell down the drain, you will have to open the sink trap. Follow the steps below:
- Identify the sink Trap. A sink trap is the curvy pipe under your sink and is usually J-shaped, but it can also look like a P or U.
- You want to grab a bucket or some type of large bowl and place it under the trap.
- Use a plier or wrench to remove the slip nuts.
- Take the trap off and drain anything inside into the bucket.
Congratulations on retrieving your items back! But what if it’s not there? Don’t panic, sometimes the items are pushed deeper into the pipe. In this case, Brown Plumbing and Heating can help you solve this easily. We have specialized tools to detect where the item is so you don’t have to disassemble every single pipe. Avoid the hassle as Brown Plumbing and Heating is just a call away, ready to assist you!