What You Should Do When You Drop Something Down Your Drain

What You Should Do When You Drop Something Down Your Drain

The heartbreaking feeling that comes with unintentionally dropping something important down the kitchen sink is common to most of us. It could be an engagement ring, earring or something else.  No matter what it is, you don’t have to feel helpless.

Hiring a plumbing service might seem like the only certain way to retrieve your precious item, but there’s something you can do to avoid the expenses.

You can follow these steps to attempt retrieving your item before considering the need for an expert’s help unclogging your drain.

1. Turn the water off

Firstly, it’s best to turn off the running water and shut off the valve under the sink. This will help you minimize the water power and reduce the risk of flooding your apartment as you proceed to the next step.

2. Remove the drain plug

Your item may not have traveled far down the drainage. It could be lodged at the end of the drain, just underneath the sink. It would be best for you to remove the drain plug by following these simple steps:

1. To close the kitchen sink plug, pull on the plunger behind the faucet.
2. Look below the horizontal pivot arm; it looks like a metal rod attached to the plug.
3. In a counter-clockwise movement, loosen the nut on the shorter end of the arm.
4. Disconnect the retaining rod from the sink plunger.
5. By pushing the rod straight back, release the drain plug. To catch any dropping water, be sure to hold a bucket nearby.
6. In the sink, take the plug out of the drain hole.
7. Once you have removed the drain plug, with gripping equipment such as pliers or magnetic tools, you will be able to recover your item from the sink. 

3. Disassemble the P-trap

If you were unable to retrieve your missing object in the drain, your P-trap is probably made of PVC piping or steel.

Instead, locate the P-trap. If the trap isn’t obvious, look for PVC piping or steel as the case may be.

The P-trap consists of two 90-degree joints:

1. one attaches directly to the underside of the sink basin, and
2. the other connects to the sewer line.

The P-trap includes a U-shaped overflow pipe as well. Loosen the two slip nuts on the bend of the tubing. Pushing it away from the tailpiece, remove the P-trap.

4. Empty the P-Trap

After removing the P-trap, empty it into a bowl by dumping the contents of the trap. Your missing item should come out of the P-trap with any remaining water.

Follow the process in a reversed order to reassemble the sink in bits.

• Put the P-trap back in place,
• Tighten the slip nuts again,
• Replace the drain plug, and
• Turn the water on.
• Just tighten the nuts further with a pair of pliers if you find leaks.

The process may seem easy enough, albeit DIY isn’t one of your strong skills. You can consider contacting a professional plumber to help you retrieve the item quickly.

Our service at Anytime Plumbing is well articulated and is designed to serve our customers at their most pained points. With a focus on quality service delivery, we tackle plumbing problems in exemplary ways.