We’ve all done it – dropped something in the toilet or down the drain in the sink. Sometimes it’s our cell phone and relatively easy to retrieve (if not sometimes gross). Other times it is a favorite necklace or a wedding band. In stranger cases, it’s usually a child playing “hide” the keys or favorite toy. However it happened, our sinks, tubs, or toilets can become receptacles for our possessions. And it is not as easy as it may seem on t.v. or some internet blogs lead you to believe. Here’s why your best option is to call a plumber to retrieve your goods rather than using a YouTube DIY video.
The Internet can be wrong and/or misleading.
A few taps on the keyboard and you have hundreds of thousands of possible links claiming to have the answer that you are looking for. Reading through some of them, you may see what is called a “P-trap” mentioned again and again. A P-trap does indeed exist and it can indeed have captured the ring that went down the sink. These traps aren’t actually intended for catching valuables that make their way into the drain. These traps are designed to trap sewer gas and prevent it from seeping into your home through the sink drain. Should you remove the P-trap, you may end up with a foul-smelling home filled with potentially dangerous gas. If you remove it improperly, you could manage to flood the kitchen or break a seal, leading to future leaks and a trip from the plumber. So save yourself a headache and call a pro in the first place if you drop something down the drain.
Drains, too, can be misleading.
How anyone has ever gone to the bathroom prior to having a smartphone, we will never know. Even those of us who have been around since before the first portable cellular telephone became available to the public may wonder how we managed to drive anywhere without a map app. The danger of such a habit is the risk we take in dropping said smartphone in the toilet. And with their thin, sleek design, it can be easy for cell phones to make their way into the drain of the toilet. If you drop your phone down the drain, whatever you do, do not put your hand down the toilet. That drain is not as wide as you think it is. It will be much like trying to steal snacks out of a snack machine. Your hand could become stuck and it is less embarrassing to call a plumber for help retrieving your device than it is to have the fire department cut your hand out of the toilet.
Avoid flooding your kitchen, stinking up your home, or becoming a viral “most embarrassing story” online, and contact us if you have managed to drop something down the drain.
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