Have you ever watched as a favorite earring falls into the sink and rolls around the drain several times in what appears to be slow motion before it disappears down the pipe? You grab to try and save it, but you are never fast enough. Or think about that sick feeling when you realize that the ring you took off to do the dishes is no longer resting next to the sink. These are moments when you wish that you could turn back the clock and save your favorite jewelry from vanishing before your eyes. But what you might not know is that you can do the next best thing, thanks to the wonderful P-trap in your sink drain.
What Is A P-Trap
You might be thinking that a safety trap in a drain in an ingenious idea. But in this case, the P-trap is not designed to catch tiny valuables that get washed down the drain. Instead, this trap is meant to hold water so that the foul odors from your drain and sewer pipes don’t invade your home. But a bonus is that it also traps most heavier objects that are accidentally washed down a sink drain.
Going The DIY Route
If you are somewhat handy with tools and not afraid to open up a drainpipe, then this is a process that you can complete on your own. Hopefully, as soon as you realized that your treasure had headed down the drain, you turned off the water. This helps to prevent the item from washing past the P-trap. Once that happens, the item is gone forever. But fortunately, most jewelry is heavy enough to sink into the trap quickly.
Place a bucket under the drain pipes that are under the sink. This bucket will catch any water that spills from the pipes. You will be removing the piece that looks like a “J.” There are large fittings at each end of that section of pipe that look like large threaded nuts. If the pipe is plastic, you might be able to unscrew the nuts with your hands. But if they are too tight or are made of metal, then a pipe wrench or channel locks will be a better choice. But be careful not to grab too tightly and damage the fittings or the pipe.
With the nuts loosened, carefully remove the section of pipe that is the trap. Your piece of jewelry should be deep in the lowest part of the trap. It can be helpful to have a second bucket to dump the contents of the trap. This makes it easy to locate your missing treasure. This is also a great time to clean any hair, debris, or other gunk that is stuck inside the drain trap. The last step is to place the trap back in line with the other pipes and retighten the nuts. Again, be careful not to twist too vigorously. Not only can you damage the nut, but you could also crack other pieces of the drain piping.
Not A DIY Bone In Your Body
If you have no interest in learning to take a drain pipe apart, but you desperately want to recover your jewelry, never fear there is a simple solution. Call (214) 388-4525 to schedule an appointment with a Metroplex Leak & Line pro. Our licensed plumber will arrive promptly to recover what you have lost. This might also be a great time to request a water heater inspection and service, or an inspection for plumbing leaks in your home. But be sure that you do not turn on the water in the sink where you lost your jewelry until after our plumber recovers your item.
Losing a ring or earring down the drain does not necessarily mean that it is gone forever. Knowing that you have a good chance of finding your item in the P-trap will undoubtedly give you hope. The process is not difficult for someone who is handy with tools. And if you are not into searching the contents of your P-trap yourself, then a quick call to (214) 388-4525 is all you need to do, and we will rescue it for you.
