How to Retrieve Something that Has Fallen Down a Sink Drain

I'm sure at some point we have all experienced losing an item down the sink drain. In this article I will explain in detail how to retrieve something that has fallen down a sink drain.

A few items that you will need to accomplish this task are as follows; a shop vacuum, a bucket, towels or rags, channel lock pliers or a pipe wrench and some rubber gloves.

The first thing you will want to try is to suck the item out of the drain by using a shop vacuum. Take the vacuum hose and place a nylon or pantyhose over the in of it, this will keep the item from being sucked into the vacuum. Now turn on the vacuum and place it firmly on the sink drain. Allow the vacuum to suck for approximately 10 to 15 seconds. Now remove the hose from the sink drain, with the vacuum still running, and see if your item has been sucked against the nylon or pantyhose. If this method has worked then good for you... you're done! If it doesn't work, then it's time to get to work.

If you have drop something down the garbage disposal drain then you'll want to unplug the garbage disposal before proceeding. If your hand is small enough to reach into the disposal then try this first and see if you can retrieve the item. If your hands are to big then you might try using a magnet tied to a string or an adjustable magnet designed for retrieving items in difficult places. If you lost your item down a sink drainm other than the disposal drain, then you will have to disassemble the piping under the sink.

Start by removing all the items from beneath the sink so you have room to work. Locate the hot and cold valves under the sink and turn them off. Unplug your garbage disposal. Now locate the pipe trap which is the U-shaped pipe directly below your sink drain, this is the most likely the location of your lost item. Next lay your towels or rags beneath the area and place your bucket below the U-shaped trap. Using your channel lock pliers or pipe wrench to loosen the two slip nuts that attach the U-shaped trap to the piping. Once the nuts are loose continue to remove them with your fingers. Remove the U-shaped trap and empty the excess water into the bucket.

Make sure you wear rubber gloves and begin searching the bucket for your item. Reinstall the U-shaped trap. If the U-shaped trap had plastic washers before the slip nuts, make sure that these are reinstalled before tightening the slip nuts by hand. Once you have tightened the slip nuts, snug them with your wrench. Plug your disposal back in and turn your water valves back on. Make sure to turn your water on and check for any leaks underneath the sink.

Well that's it! Hopefully this article has helped you to retrieve something that has fallen down a sink drain.