We have all done it. You take a ring off your finger and sit it next to the sink while you wash your hands. But then the phone rings or something distracts you before you can reach down, pick up the ring, and put it back on your finger. And by the time you realize that you are not wearing your ring, the mishap has occurred. But now your worry is how to recover that lost ring.
Fortunately, draining or removing the p-trap from your sinks drain pipe is an easy task for most homeowners. And if you are not comfortable or able to do the job, a single call in a local licsensed plumber to help.
What You Need To Do First
It doesn’t matter who is going to retrieve your lost ring. You must understand that you cannot turn the water on in that sink until the ring is recovered. If you do, there is a good possibility that you will wash the ring past the p-trap and further away down the drain pipe. And while that is not a deal-breaker for recovering the ring, it does mean increase the chances that you will need to call in a professional to retrieve the ring for you.
What You Need To Do The Job
There are a few items that you will need to gather before you begin the retrieval process. These items include:
- A bucket or large bowl to catch the water draining from the p-trap
- Rags or towels to soak up any drips or splashes of water
- Pliers or channel locks if the p-trap needs to be removed or to remove the p-trap drain plug
With all of these items rounded up, take one last moment to gather your thoughts and relax. This process is straightforward and will likely end in success as you locate your ring and place it back on your finger.
4 Easy Steps
- Place the bucket or large bowl under the U-shaped p-trap under your sink. Lay the towels around the bucket to catch any spills or errant drips.
- Locate the drain plug in the p-trap and gently remove it, allowing the water to drain out into the bucket. If you don’t have a drain plug on your p-trap, please refer to the section below for simple steps to remove your p-trap.
- After the water stops draining, reach into the bucket and search for your lost ring. There will be only a small amount of water, so it will be easy to locate.
- Once you have recovered your ring, replace the drain plug, and turn on the water to test for any leaks.
Simple Steps To Remove A P-Trap
Older drain pipes don’t always have a p-trap with a built-in drain plug. In these instances, you need to remove the entire U-shaped section of pipe to recover your lost ring. But don’t worry, the process is as simple as installing a lightbulb.
- Use pliers or channel locks to gently loosen each nut on the ends of the p-trap. While supporting the U-shaped piece of pipe, finish removing the nuts by hand and carefully lower the pipe section into the bucket.
- Dump the contents of the pipe and search the water for your ring.
- Once you have removed your ring from the bucket, reinstall the p-trap by lining up the pipes and retightening the nuts.
- Turn on the water to test for any leaks.
If you are unable to locate your ring in the p-trap of your sink drain, call (301) 278-8786 to schedule an appointment with a A Better Plumber plumber. Our specialists can recover rings and other items from your drain before they washed away into the sewer system.
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