An amazing trick! Our 1-minute video shows you how to easily retrieve anything that went down the drain…without a pipe wrench or a plumber.
Something Down The Drain?
Retrieve it Without a Wrench.
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I’m a new homeowner and this is a brilliant tip! I’ll be passing this info along. Appreciate the free intellectual capital.
Unless you’re ready for a new household vacuum, don’t use it. Wet/dry vacuums are for water. Household vacuums are for dry stuff. You suck the water into the paper bag of a household vacuum…. well you know what’ll happen in no time. Unless of course you remove the bag immediately after the suction operation at the sink and a quick unplugging of the vacuum. I think this video is irresponsible because of this little factoid.
As far as I could tell this was a hose from a wet vac . I haveneve seen a in house vac with such a heavy industrial looking hose. Forgive me if I am wrong.
The man said “Don’t use a household vacuum, use a wet/dry vac”
Steve is a freaking idiot.
he clearly stated to use a wet/dry vac
I COULD HAVE USED THIS INFO LAST WEEK, WHEN MY ELECTRIC RAZOR HEAD CLIP, THAT HOLDS THE SHAVING HEAD FELL OFF AND DOWN THE DRAIN IT WENT, I WAS LUCKY THOUGH BECAUSE I WAS ABLE TO GET THE VACCUUM HOSE DOWN THE DRAIN AND RETRIVED THE CLIP.
HOPEFULLY IT DOESN’T HAPPEN AGAIN BUT I WILL KEEP THIS SUGGESTION IN MY FILE OF HANDY GAGGETS.
THANKS FOR PASSING THE SUGGESTION ON.
Marvin
I like the tip for the carrot shavings. We have had to take the trap off the kitchen sink more that once having gotten potatoe peels jammed. Next time I will grab the shop vac instead.
Just wanna make sure everyone realizes that this will only work some times. It is not a fix all. Reason being the cheap $59 fake cultured marble made in China lavy sink that he has…looks like it has NO overflow. You know the overflow holes that are cast in the sink in case the faucet is left on. This allows most of the water to travel back down thru those holes and into the pop-up assembly, in theory anyway, and prevent the sink from overflowing. If you try to vacuum with a sink that has the overflow holes, it will almost ALWAYS draw air down thru those holes and not from the trap. You can hold it there all day as no vacuum can occur. Thus leaving the item that was dropped still sitting down at the bottom. Also he called the Pop-up stopper a drain trap. And then called the trap underneath a drain trap. The item under the sink is the trap. Trust me,these are cute idea’s but your best bet is to call a tradesmen depending on the importance of the item dropped.
Hi Daniel,
Thanks for your comment. Our sink does have an overflow hole. It’s just not visible in the clip. Since other commenters recommended plugging it, I’ve done it and it makes a difference. I think it worked well in the video without the overflow being plugged due to the light weight of the bottle cap and the high power of my shop vac.
Best,
Michael
Geez Daniel…did you get up on the wrong side of the bed? He’s just trying to give a helpful tip. Lighten up!! I don’t think by him calling it a ‘drain trap’ that anyone was confused beyond comprehension. You are obviously a plumber.
Why don’t you try blocking the overflow hole with clear packing tape or a rag to create the vacuum? Sounds to me like you’re in the business and hate it when homeowners fix things themselves…
all you would have to do to remedy this is cover the overflow hole…
THANK YOU VERY MUCH THE AVERAGE BEHIND THE DESK ,JOG IN THE MORNING DOESN’T HAVE A CLUE WHAT IS BEYOND THE BLACK HOLE IN THE BOTTOMOMOF HIS SINKS. I AM ALSO A 40 YEAR VETERAN OF THE TRADES.
NEIL
Sounds like Daniel wants us to call him and spend $250 on a plumber visit!
A decent shop vacuum will easily draw more air than can come through the overflow drain, but it’s a piece of cake to plug that with a wet sock or just about anything!
If the item doesn’t come back up, and it’s valuable, sure call Daniel. Plumbing isn’t THAT complicated! Otherwise plumbers would have nerdy reps, not the moon-crack thing!
If your sink has an overflow hole, just cover it with wide packing tape or a thick wet rag and the vacuum cleaner will draw air you need to retrieve the object. Make sure the area around the overflow hole is dry or the tape will come off and be sucked down the drain.
all one has to do is take a wet washcloth and hold it over them little holes as u call them and the wet vac does it’s job. apparently u arent a real tradesman ur self or u would of thought of this yourself. savings 100 dollars
Daniel Cannuli you being too anal! All you have to do is tape up the overflow hole. We all know what he mean’t even if he did not use your proper terms. Your just jealious you didn’t think of this!
Even the cheapest $39 metal sink bowl from Lowes has an overflow hole. It’s obvious that you really didn’t pay much attention to the video, based on your comments. Also, WTF is this about: “Reason being the cheap $59 fake cultured marble made in China lavy sink that he has”. Did someone mention you were a bit anal? Your an A%S as well as anal. He calls the stopper a stopper and the trap a trap. Vacuum out some of those Q-tips out of your drain and clean out your ears!!!!! Nuf said!
PS – Please Daniel, do reply so I can rip you some more!
Michael, you are very kind and polite to respond to some of these idiots so gently. They don’t deserve it if they can’t read a bit of the posts before they post such hateful criticisms…AND before they try it.
They don’t have to ruin a good pair of pantyhose if they have one that has a run in it, an odd sock, or any lightweight fabric. They could just think before they speak!
I use this this method to pick up small craft items like beads that I inevitably always spill.
The shop vac is good for many uses. If air conditioner drain plugs up use shop vac to unplug it. Trick of air cinditioner repair men. Much cheaper if you do it yourself.
Geno
Not the geno who used to mess up western managkent ac’s is it?
Fredy@55
Sometimes I drop something down the drain and don’t turn the water off quickly enough. Would this work on a septic tank?
Is that really a serious question?
Looks like a neat trick, except that when you drain the water from the trap, the elbow below the sink, you remove the cap on sewer gases, which are not only unpleasant but toxic. You need to run the water for a minute to fill the elbow back up. That’s why they’re there.
And if you try this with “any vacuum,” you will trash it if it’s not a wet vac and could electrocute yourself.
Happy vacuuming.
Since I am a skeptic even when I see some things, I think it would have been more convincing if you would have tied a very small yellow ribon around your wedding ring and tossed it down the drain. Heavy things sink to the bottom and don’t come to the surface very easily.
Try this little trick when you little son repeatly flushes his toy car down the toilet. Believe me you have to take the toilet off the floor and turn it upside down and shake it. I have been there many times. He’s grown up now, thank you.
This guy is a genius! I’m truly blown away by his ingenuity. Oh, and I’ll never open another attachment from my Mom again!
Great tip! I worked in maintenance in a hotel for 7 years. It’s unbelievable how many calls we received to extract especially jewelry from sink drains. This tip would have saved us a lot of time.
Wish I had known this years ago.
That’s a great trick!
I have been in the vacuum cleaner business for over 24 years, and I specialize in the RAINBOW Cleaning System. It uses water to capture the dirt and dust, instead of a bag. Of course, if you use a bag-type vacuum to pull up anything from your drain, you just might ruin the vacuum cleaner motor. However, since the RAINBOW can be used to pick up liquid spills, it is easy to get anything back out of your sink as well. I have done this many times. The water basin (which captures everything that is picked up) can easily be sifted through to find those valuables someone has lost!
Willis Manning
That’s another tip that will save me a hundred bucks!:)
I love tips like this, sure worth trying. I dropped a lens off of a borescope into an aircraft cylinder, and retrieved it with a compressor (using similar principles), saving a $100s to pull the cylinder. (Saved the lens, too).
Very good tip for the drain & other things, I could listen to you talk all night, Michael!!
Very nice video!!!! Simple, yet very helpful. We may use the great tip one day. Thank you!
If it is something heavy (like a ring), you might have to plug the vent hole(s) in the side of the sink in order to suck it up. You’ll also get all the water and other material that is in the trap, but it would work.
Great tip ! And yes you are a remarkable hunk of man meat so no need to be humble about it.
And yer pretty cute says this fat , no “fluffy” , greatgranma .
Well, well. A little “fluffy” GreatGrandma lovin’. Thanks for making my day. Psst…don’t tell Hannah about our “thing”.
Big Smoochies,
Michael
Great idea, I will keep it in mind for the next time I drop something down the drain!!!
Great tip BUT; now I have every one in the house ( all six kids and the wife) throwing things down the drain and trying your tip to get them out! It works, BUT my ball point pens are now ruined and my small change has all disappeared into other peoples pockets. Just great. Now I am broke and with a wet leaking ballpoint pen in my shirt pocket.
Hi Spike,
At least it’s not your “Spike” that’s leaking.
Thanks for the chuckle,
Michael
This is a great idea. To add something to this, one time someone accidently dumped tiny beads on the carpet. My brother who was in grade school thought up this same idea to vacuum them up. It worked great.
Thanks for sharing. Very ingenious. It’s also interesting to read what others post. Appreciate all the good advice. The world needs more people like you.
Very nice! I’ll be sharing this tip with my readers!
Thank you for the tip, Michael. Kind of you to share this. It may not work with heavier items like jewellery, but there’s no harm in trying before calling some cut-throat tradesmen, right? From the comments posted one can easily tell who are the appreciative people who are basically happy, and those who never appreciate anything good from others, and are basically unhappy.
Mr. Cannuli, you did not get out of bed on the wrong side. You are simply one crabby individual who is unhappy with his lot. If you don’t appreciate the tip, Cannuli, just ignore it. There is no need for you to call Mr. Davies’ sink “cheap”. In fact, I think you’re cheap….and common! A sink is a sink, you cretin. Michael is just trying to be kind and helpful by giving out this tip. Your attitude reminds me of the muslims who are wounded by bombs from their own kind, and even after their lives have been saved in an Israeli hospital, they continue to hate the Jews. No wonder the world is in the mess it is, with people like you around!!!
No matter how kind one is, there will always be those who will NEVER be grateful!!!
Muslims and Jews? Really? Wow…I didn’t see that one coming. I appreciate the kind words but me and my trusty shop-vac don’t have time for religious wars. We’re very busy with the whole sucking on the Internet thing.
I feel stupid that I never thought of that…what great common sense this man has! Thanks for the tip!!!
That is a neat trick! I personnaly have used a li’l “gizmo” that most home stores sell.It is about 22″ long flexible,w/3 holes at the top kinda like a cherry pitter.Push down on the middle hole w/your thumb and 3 little hooked fingers come out the bottom.I have used this “thing many times to remove “wads “of long hair from bathroom sink drains.’course sometimes I’ve had to remove the stopper,no big deal.Personally I would never use a contact lens after it was in a sink drain.Know what I mean?It wouldn’t be of any value anyway after the 3 fingers got it.Okay ,just my 2 cents.
HOW I WISH EVERY HUSBAND FOR EVERY WOMAN IN AMERICA COULD BE AS FUN IN SOLVING EVERY DAY SIMPLE SILLY PROBLEMS…..YOU SEE THE MAJORITY OF US WOMEN ( WE ARE THE LUCKY ONES BECAUSE WE LIVE IN THE USA) GET TO HAVE FUN WITH WONDERFUL MEN LIKE YOU.. BUT MOST, TAKE IRAG DO NOT….. BECAUSE .. EGO…PRIDE AND MADNESS HAVE OVERTAKEN THE JOY OF THIS LIFE AND TAKEN AWAY THE POSSIBILITIES AND THE MEANING OF IT ALL …DID YOU KNOW THAT 40 PERCENT OF THE WORLD LIVES ON LESS THAN 2.00 A DAY…..ANOTHER BILLION LIVES ON LESS THAN 1.00 DAY…..PLEASE, LET US AS A PEOPLE…UNDERSTAND WHAT IS IMPORTANT NOW…TIME IS VERY SHORT…WE MUST AS A COLLETTIVE STRIVE FOR A NEW WORLD…NOT THE ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT THAT IS SOON TO BE…BUT ONE FILLED WITH THE CREATORS LIGHT… MUCH NEGATIVE IS SOON TO COME ON US ALL BUT LOVE IS TRULY THE ONLY WEAPON THAT WILL OVERCOME….JUST LIKE CHRIST TAUGHT……GOD WINS……KNOW THAT!
Wow…a cap down the drain…a simple handy solution…all leading up to world peace! You must be something special Michael!! LOL Great tip…I loved it!
I can’t make the video work.
Try this link: http://blip.tv/file/2209313
There is also low res version on YouTube as a last resort. Here’s the link: http://bit.ly/qFyGA
Brilliant! Will share this one with hubby. Good thing he has a shop vac! Yes, I can see why you don’t want to use a reg vac, water.
Thanks so much!
Michael,
Thank you for making my job easier. I see my responsibility as a service provider is to not only solve problems I am called for, but to aid customers in preventing future situations like the one your helpful clip demonstrates. Always remember; give a man a fish and he eats today, teach a man to fish and he may eat for his lifetime.
The world needs teachers like us to empower people to dignity and self-respect.
Blessings, Steve
BRILLIANT! I’ve dropped a contact down our bathroom drain not once, but TWICE. Luckily, my husband is the BEST handyman ever — he can fix virtually ANYTHING, and although he complained a lot, he took apart the drain and retrieved my lenses.
I just found this clip and he was listening over my shoulder. We both agreed — I don’t even have to ask him the next time I stupidly (because I should be closing the drain before removing it!) drop a lens — this is a fix I can actually do myself!
cool! Thanks!
Marty in Connecticut 6-5-09
Barbara Martindale: I once retreived an opal earring with a baby bottle brush.
I have used this trick for retrieving small items from the heat vents (floor) for years. I have a Rainbow vacuum, with a water reservoir so it works great for the drain.
Very Classy:
1- Wearing a hat inside…
2- Transvestite….
3- ” I am sure any vaccuum would work…electric and water ….
4- Did not seem to know what he was talking about….
Hi Kenneth,
Ya got me there buddy. My only defense is lack of sleep and stupidity. The video was shot 20 minutes after I was dragged out of bed. Totally off the cuff. Which led to:
1. The Hat: The hat covers my hair. Which first thing in the morning has been know to scare small children. Consider it my gift to you.
2. Transvestites: Transvestites are funny…and a little sexy…if the lighting is right and you’ve had more than your body weight in Tequila.
3. The “any vacuum will do” comment was me talking off the cuff and without my morning coffee. A dangerous combination which will eventually lead to a divorce or some jail time. I added an update in text below the post after the fact.
4. You’re right. I don’t know what I’m talking about. Hell, I should blow of my day gig and run for public office.
Thanks for the chuckle.
Kisses,
Michael
Kenneth,
What are you, 10 years old?
Crawl back in your hole. Don’t come out until you get something going between your ears.
ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!! Good one Sam!!
Brilliant idea!
Great idea Michael… thanks!
Very interesting comments followed your video. So what’s the problem w/ Daniel C and Kenneth? World peace was so long and all IN CAPS (that’s “yelling”) so I skipped that one.
-another “Fluffy” lady in SoCal
WORKS GREAT WITH YOUR HOOVER UPRIGHT, TOO!
One minor tip, some sinks (not all) have a vent hole for overflow.
You can put your finger over that hole, but it seemed to work better if you don’t block it off entirely – just partly cover it.
Now, I don’t have any pantyhose, but I found a thin dishrag that worked just as well!
This is certainly worth a try.
As for getting your vacuum cleaner bad wet, well they don’t cost much and the mess is very minor. Guess what, those Shop vacs all have a paper filter inside of them, too. It gets wet and drys out pretty fast from the high air flow. So, worry not.
For some reason the video ,”Something Down The Drain?
Retrieve it Without a Wrench,” did not appear on this website (http://www.familyhack.com/2007/08/29/drain-tip/). Could you check it to see if there is something wrong? I would love to see this video. Thank you.
Bravo Michael – you did a speedy re-do of the video since I viewed the video today and wrote my comment:
Sexy black pantyhose, rather than nude.
Large white bottle cap, not the small red one.
Wet/dry vac clarification.
Is DANIEL happy now?
Yep, it’s a new video. I’ve been meaning to reshoot it to include a few tips that readers added and finally got a chance today. Hope you like it.
Fabulous idea!! Seriously, as a single mom, I can use all the tips, ones that work! Thanks!
WOW! My aunt sent me this, hadn’t heard of you before but I believe I will stay tuned for the info and the comic relief. Your philosophy on hugging and throwing kisses to idiots had me rolling with laughter. Ah, how the grumpy hate to be loved on!
May your blessings be many and your troubles be few.
I’m guessing that some of you did not watch the whole video. He was very quick to tell you not to use the regular household vac for the reasons the non readers stated and he was very clear that for the heavier Items you would have to Tape or plug the vent. For those who were worried about the sewer gas he stated to run the water for that simple reason.
I recorded a new version of the video to include the oversights and tips like covering the overflow hole. Prior to that, the commenters were all correct and quite helpful in helping me make a good tip even better. Sorry for the confusion.
Will you mary me? ? ?
lol….
Mike,
I have also used a shop vac to unclog drain pipes way past the trap. You have to put duct tape over the air pipe on the roof. This works sometimes. It is worth a try before you have to call Daniel (LOL) Oh yes, you have to put tape over the over flow holes. Even if they are cheap Chinese made.
Bob
We just tried this, and you are a genius. It worked like a charm. Thank you!!
Yes, I would have to agree with many of you. It sounds like a few of these comments are made by jealous people that wish they were only half as smart as Michael to come up with great idea’s like this.
Always some kind of idiot that tries to debunk something good. In there face because I don’t see any videos of their ‘not very smart’ tips!!
Yes, I have done this before to vacuum under my stove, dressers, beds, just so that I don’t suck up anything I don’t want to.
Great idea, thanks Michael, we need more wonderful people like you!!
Chantel
An easier answer is to put a screen over the opening. It will prevent any object from entering, including hair and other objects. They are less expensive than wet/dry vacs & plumbers.
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