There are many small items that can easily be dropped down a sink bathroom. Among those items can be a wedding ring, other valuable pieces of jewelry, children’s toys, toothpaste caps, coins and more. It can happen to anyone. But don’t panic – items that accidentally fall down a sink can be recovered with a little work.
Small metallic items, such as jewelry, usually can be retrieved from the plumbing drain trap under the sink.
Here’s How:
- Turn off the water to minimize any chance of the item being flushed into the main sewer line. Hopefully, the item has stopped in what is called the P-trap (or the curved section of pipe right underneath the sink) of the sink. This can be taken apart without tools. If water is not turned off, you run a greater risk of the item falling farther down the drain, where it will be harder to retrieve.
- Place a bucket, towels or newspapers under the P-trap, because there will probably be leakage.
- Find the access plug on your P-trap. If you have older pipes, there may not be an access plug. In this case, it may be best to call in a professional at this point.
- Pull out the access plug and allow water to pour into the bucket. Once the water has drained, reach in and search for your lost item.
- Once the item is recovered, replace the plug. Run water through the pipe to make sure there are no leaks.
- If you are unable to recover the lost item(s), call in a professional. Do not use the sink until after the plumber has had a chance to work on it.
Plumbers are very familiar with this situation and are used in helping others retrieve lost items. They also have special tools that can reach into your plumbing to retrieve a lost ring or other items. Lost jewelry is a common occurrence.
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