How to Recover Jewelry from a Drain

Few things are more stressful than losing jewelry down a sink drain, but if you act quickly and follow these instructions, you'll most likely be able to recover an item from the drain before it slips away forever. When jewelry goes down a drain, it's usually a bathroom sink drain. A woman might drop a ring or an earring while doing hair or applying makeup, while a man might drop a tie tack in the same way. If an item falls into an open sink drain, don't run water into the drain. Water could push the item beyond your reach. Without water flowing into the drain, the item will remain in the P trap, which is the J-shaped pipe beneath your sink. You'll need to disassemble the P trap in order to recover the item. But first, there's a shortcut if you have a Wet/Dry Shop-Vac. Don't use a regular vacuum, you could be electrocuted. Remove the pop-up stopper assembly if it isn't out already. Carefully stretch a nylon stocking over the end of the Shop-Vac hose. Hold it tightly in place. Then, place the stocking-covered hose end over the drain hole, and turn on the Shop-Vac. Wait a few seconds, then lift the hose away from the drain. With luck, your jewelry will be sticking to the stocking. The Shop-Vac technique works best on small and lightweight items, such as earrings. But if the Shop-Vac isn't strong enough to suck up heavier jewelry, you'll need to remove the P trap beneath the sink. First, grab a bucket and put on some rubber gloves. Next, check to see if you have the type of P trap that can be disassembled by hand or if you're going to need tools. A good set of Channellock pliers works best, but any wrench that can get around the release will work too. Loosen the nut and carefully pull the pipe assembly apart. Pour out the water into your bucket. The jewelry should fall right into your bucket. Reassemble the pipe, and tighten it securely. If your lost item is not inside the P trap, that means it has traveled into the branch line, or maybe even into the main sewer. If so, don't run water or flush toilets anywhere in the house. Call Roto-Rooter right away. We have special video cameras that can be snaked through your pipes. They help us find, then recover your jewelry. Remember, a Roto-Rooter professional is only a click, or call, away. [Roto-Rooter jingle]