It’s a moment that leaves you sick to your stomach. It’s that split second that you didn’t pay attention and now your wedding ring, heirloom necklace, or another piece of valuable jewelry is lost down the drain. What now? At Top Notch Tucson Plumbers, we receive calls from people all the time who have lost items down the drain and want to know if they’re recoverable. Sometimes they are, most times they’re not. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. Here are some tips from your drain cleaning plumber.

Turn Off the Water Immediately

The second you realize you’ve lost the jewelry in the drain turn the water off. The longer the water stays on, the more likely it is that it will push the item farther into the plumbing system making it unrecoverable.

Take Apart the Piping Under the Sink

If you’ve turned the water off quickly, you may be able to find the item in the piping under the sink. It’s fairly easy to take the piping apart. With any luck the lost item will be there waiting to be recovered. When you put the piping back together, back sure it is tight to prevent leakage.

Use a Coat Hanger

Remember the game, Operation? If you have steady hands and little bit of patience, you can practice your “operating” skills by using a coat hanger to retrieve the item. This is really a game of luck, though. More likely than not you won’t be able to see what you’re doing and will have to rely on luck. You may also end up pushing the item farther into the pipe. Therefore, we recommend the following method.

Attach a Magnet to a String

If it’s metal jewelry, this can be way to retrieve it. Attach a strong magnet to a string and insert it down the drain. This method works well in toilets and floor drains that are wider. Take special care to make sure the magnet is attached securely to prevent it from coming loose and falling into the drain

Call a Drain Cleaning Plumber in Tucson

Although it may be hard for a drain cleaning plumber in Tucson to retrieve your jewelry, you can still give us a call. We can go over your options and provide you with solutions for preventing this from happening in the future.