How to Retrieve Your Ring From a Drain in Greenbelt & Prince Georges County, MD

You wouldn’t think so, but clearing toilets or any other type of drain can be highly entertaining for a professional plumber.  Messy and odorous, to be sure, but entertaining nonetheless.

That’s because we always finding long, lost objects and putting an end to searches that home owners have long given up on.  Partly because they never dreamed that the lost item could have disappeared with the flush of a toilet or the turn of a kitchen sink faucet.

There are also those “uh-oh” moments where you know exactly where the item in question went, because you saw it happen.  And yet, try as you might, you couldn’t figure out how to retrieve it.  Such as an engagement or wedding ring, a favorite ear ring, or what have you.

Has this kind of thing just happened to you?  If so, here’s how to at least attempt retrieving the item yourself and, in the process, saving some money by not having to call a plumber.

So, let’s assume your wedding ring has just gone down the kitchen sink drain:  literally.  To get started, you’re first going to need an adjustable wrench and a small pan or bowl.  You might want to don a pair of rubber gloves while you’re at it.

Here’s what NOT to do as your next step:  don’t run any more water to prevent the ring from travelling even further than it already has.

Next, get everything out of your under-sink cabinet and shut off the hot and cold water valves.

Then place the pan or bowl you’re already secured under the P-trap, which is the u-shaped portion of water pipe directly beneath your sink.  Using your adjustable wrench or pliers, carefully loosen the trap’s slip nuts.

If you haven’t already done so, now’s the time to put on those rubber gloves.  Because your next step is to dump the contents of the P-trap into your bowl, etc., and hope like heck your ring clangs gently to the bottom.  But don’t despair if it doesn’t, as it could be stuck in  accumulated gunk inside the trap, which you can then remove out with hot, soapy water in another sink or your tub.

Then replace the P-trap and rejoice and your success or, replace the P-trap and contact Your 1 Plumber for some professional assistance.

Among our many other resources, we can use one of our video drain cameras to help us pinpoint exactly where your ring has landed inside a drain or even your toilet.  Let’s put it this way, if your ring CAN be found and retrieved, we’re exactly the right plumber to call.