Losing a ring, key or other valuable down the drain has the potential to ruin your day or even your entire week. If you find yourself in such a position, don’t panic! Our Margate plumbers are here to help. As detailed below, you can do some things on your own to retrieve your item that finds its way down the drain. However, you might not be able to retrieve your lost item on your own. If you cannot retrieve the item or if you have a plumbing problem, do not hesitate to lean on our local plumbers in Margate for prompt assistance. Let’s take a quick look at the best strategies to retrieve items lost in the drain.
How to Retrieve Items Lost in the Drain: Use a Wet-dry Vacuum
Do not assume it is impossible to retrieve one or several items that fall down the drain. With a little bit of creativity and willpower, you just might be able to retrieve the supposedly lost item. The worst thing you can do is turn on the water as the force of the water combined with gravity might push the lost item even deeper down the drain. It might be possible to retrieve the lost item with a wet-dry vac and a nylon stocking. If the water is running, turn it off right away by turning the shut-off valve below the sink to the off position. Alternatively, you can turn off the primary water supply. Disconnect the sink stopper bracket positioned below the sink. Remove the stopper from the sink drain as well as the plunger rod. Put the plunger rod back in place to generate suction.
Place the nylon atop the vacuum’s nozzle to start the vacuum. Position the nozzle over the drain, allowing it to go down as far as possible. Keep the nozzle in this position for at least a couple of seconds. Take off the nozzle, turn off the vacuum, and look for your lost item in the nozzle. The final step is to turn the water back on, replace the stopper and reconnect the sink stopper‘s bracket.
Try Using a Magnet
A magnet might retrieve your lost item if it is made of metal. Connect a small magnet to a string or a rod that is flexible yet sturdy enough to move down the drain without being compromised. Move the magnet down the drain then slowly pull it upwards so the item is not dropped once again. If the magnet method does not work, don’t give up! Try an even stronger magnet before moving on to another method for retrieval.
Pliers Might Work
In some cases, the lost item does not move far down the drain pipe. It might be possible to retrieve the lost item with pliers. Remove the drain plug, reach down into the drain with pliers or a similar grasping tool, and attempt to retrieve the lost item. You might pull up some clumped hair or even some slime and grime yet the item you are looking for might also be mixed in with this gunk. If this method works, simply reposition the drain plug to ensure it is working as designed. As long as the plug fits tightly within the drain’s hole when it is closed and rises upon its opening, it will function as it should. Just be sure to re-connect the plunger clip to return the sink to full functionality.
Ask for Professional Assistance from a Margate Plumber
When in doubt, ask for help. After all, the easiest way to solve a problem is to request assistance from that in the know. Reach out to our Margate plumber for assistance and we will retrieve the item lost in your drain as long as it is still accessible. Though there is no guarantee we will be able to find your lost item, there is a good chance our local plumbers in Boca Raton will be able to find it.
Install a Drain Guard to Prevent Future Losses
The installation of a drain guard will help prevent similar situations from arising in the future. Once a drain guard is in place, it will be nearly impossible for items that end up in the sink to move on down the drain. The drain guard serves as a filter of sorts that only permits diminutive items to move on down the sink.
Erica's Plumbing, Air Conditioning & Restoration is at Your Service
Our Margate plumbers are here to help retrieve items in your drain. Give us a call at (561) 782-2779 so we can get to work on your plumbing problem. Our Margate plumbing team is here for you 24/7/365.
