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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Nice tip Michael, However I have not seen in most of the homes i’v been in a sink like yours without a pop -up blocker . Some homes i’v seen without pop -up blockers have metal bars across the drain hole. These bars help prevent dropping large items down the drain.
Still a great tip for those that don’t have pop up blockers in their sinks.
P.S. Most pop-ups have stopper strips down the side to prevent dropping items down the drain. But you still can drop something down the drain. Still a great tip…
The Shop Vacuum works on sinks with a stopper too. Whatever went down the drain past the stopper is guaranteed to be small enough to come back up around it.
Well most People don’t own a wet dry shop Vac. When you use a Vacuum on a sewer pipe such as you did there you are breaking the water seal from the trap, Causing the vacuum to fill your house with toxic sewer gas at a very fast rate. the whole reason the slip joint nuts are on the pipe is to easily remove them to retrieve something that might fall down there, further more if you don’t have the gumption to remove a slip joint nut how are you going to reinstall the pop up?????.. As a plumber I get more calls from people that always start by saying I saw this guy on the web… Keep up the job security…
Wow, don’t know where you have been, a lot of people DO own a wet dry vac. I wouldn’t have a home without one! My kids always know where to borrow one.
People who own large birds have them. I could not even imagine the mess in my ancient Kirby that would incur from my Congo African Grey.
Hermit crab owners also have them. Nothing is better to get the damp sand from the bottom of a large aquarium.
I am fortunate to have both.
For people who have a bad back, this little helpful tip is great. Especially if you are on disability and have quite the fixed income.
At the very end, he talks about running water to refill the trap. Did you not watch all the way through?
I thought it was quite entertaining.
I can’t think of even one time I have lost something down the drain, but I do know people who have and I have had to go rescue them.
I don”t have one, my next door neighbor don’t have one, only one out of my nine friends own one.
so most people don’t have one like Daniel said.
I have two, a small 1 gallon size one for the cars & mini jobs and a 14 gallon size one for the house and all of my neighbors have at least one….
so most people probably do have one like Laura said. What is up with the girls having the wet/dry vacs and not the guys?
Daniel, He specifically said to run the water so that you get that seal back and DON’T fill your house with sewer gas. If you’re going to be a smarty, at least listen!
JLM, you are the one not paying attention. Daniel said the shop vac will quickly fill your house with sewer gas which is true since it is pulling air from the sewer system and pumping it into the house. This has nothing to do with resealing the trap when you are finished. If you are going to be a smarty at least be smart enough to comprehend what you read.
So 2-3 seconds of vacuuming will “fill your house with toxic sewer gas”? It wouldn’t even fill the bathroom. Once the vacuuming is done, the vent pipe will draw off most of the sewer gas (courtesy of the Venturi effect) until the water is replaced in the trap.
Besides, bathrooms are generally required by code to have either an exhaust fan or a window. Simple solution: close the bathroom door, and use either the fan or the window to vent any sewer gas that does get into the bathroom.
I take my “pop up” out and clean the line with a long fondue fork to get the gunk from clogging it and then just slip the “pop up” back in. Just see where the U shaped hole on the “pop up” is and put that into the thingamajig that hooks on to the “pop up”.
Omie
As a wife of a plumber I must thank idiots and lazy people across America for keeping my husband employed. You don’t need a wrench or tools to take off the “hand-tight” p-shaped trap under the sink. Most are made of pvc and you can loosen them with a twist of the wrist.
Annie, you mat have PVC in your part of the country but a large part use metal piping which is not hand tight. Some parts of the country have glued ABS piping as well and the p-trap can not be unscrewed. A poor design but they are still there. It is in these cases where the demo will work well.
As for idiots and lazy people…..there are people who are not inclined to do that type of work, not lazy or idiots, just prefer to have someone else deal with the mess properly. I am sure that if they new your husband referred to them in such a manner he would not have much work.
OOOPS… the last post should have read “Annie, you may have “. Never said I was perfect…..lol
Annie, your comment about your husband’s customers was very rude! Idiots & Lazy people?? Does that mean your husband preys off people who do not know how, or maybe are disabled & can’t fix thier own plumbing? I can tell you, if I used a plumber, i’d be sure & ask his wife’s name & IF IT WAS ANNIE, I definitely would not use him!
Annie,
So what part of the country do you live in where PVC pipe is used in all your indoor pulmbing?
I’ve found, on our place, that what looks like a simple job can turn into a big unexpected mess. I’ve also found that if I’m not sure I’m doing the correct thing that I should cease before I make myself more work. A few trips to the hardware store can be expensive & counter productive. And if you hang out and watch a professional do a repair, you’re better able to handle future problems. I’ve also experienced a plumbing service try to sell me an entire new septic system when it turned out to be a towel stuck in a pipe. Guess we’re all not totally idiots, huh?
I’m from TX and all our interior plumbing is done with PVC pipe. It is not uncommon at all.
There’s a big difference between “common” and “most”. PVC is common, to be sure. But to say that “most” are made of PVC would require over 50% of all US homes to use PVC.
According to the US Census Bureau, the median home construction year is 1973, about the time PVC was starting to be allowed by building codes. Since PVC did not have 100% usage starting in 1974 (a 1986 article in the Chicago Sun-Times indicates PVC was just then beginning to gain widespread acceptance), this precludes (on a national level) “most” homes from having PVC piping.
Now, it is possible that Texas may have a larger share of PVC since Uni-Bell is headquartered there, but “most” is still questionable.
Oh and P.S. You are a dummy if you throw carrot slivers and potato peels down your sink anyways…it’s still not a great idea if you have a garbage disposal either. Those can jam up and you’ll be cleaning one nasty mess out from under the sink.
After several incidents I finally starting listening to my dear hubby.
Annie, in your previous post you spoke of idiots. Your husband is a plumber and explained not to put that type of material down the disposal but it took several incidents before you listened to him????
TUSHAY!
or the french version: touché
Thanks Mike for the great tip.
I might just go and retrive some of the stuff I know my daughter has dropped down the drain over the years and has things running so slow. I’m pretty sure that a SHOPVAC can pick up a ring. (Maybe not a Superbowl ring, but with that ring come a plumber anyway) It’s main uses is to help clean up the shop…example nuts and bolts, yeah maybe some saw dust. I have a baby one that’s about 12″ tall and can pick up bolts. The perfect size for an apartment.
And Daniel don’t hate, There are lots of lazy people who would rather give you their money then to fix it themselves. And if you keep in shape and your grooming up, maybe some “Desperate Housewive” will call who is really bored.
Thanks Pops! for the link and Keep the tips coming Mike!!! Mad respect for you! A man that can fix things and thinks on his feet…”SEXY HOT!!” A man that can’t and is jelous of those who do… “SOOO NOT”!!!
P. S. Remind the MRS. how lucky she is!!!
deeestelle
Love it. I think this will be a super blog I am going to mark as a favorite. Try the info site, it may be an answer to the travel part.
I’ve been using the wet/dry vac for quite some time to remove clogs. Haven’t had to use chemicals or plumbers for 10 years. The stocking trick is a great idea, so you don’t have to fish the item out of a bunch of sludge. Make sure you remember to remove the filter before any wet vacuuming.
Cool tip! I hate dropping things down there! Thanks.
Mike:
The same principle works on a transmission. I broke off a safety sensor on the side of my tractor transmission whle doing some brushing. The ensor was below the level of the oil in the case. My HD mechanic buddie told me to place the nozel of a shop vac in the filler hole and leave it running while replacing the sensor. It worked well, not a drop of oil escaped. He said also to not seal the vaccum hose but leave it sucking a little air. Otherwise you would suck out ttransmission oil. The idea is to create a negative pressure inside the enclosed case. It saved me a lot of inconvinience as I didn’t have to drain the transmission case to get the 2 minute job done.
Jim McNAb
the same thing works on heating oil tanks with broken pet cock. had an oil tank freeze once and broken the threads of the pet cock and couldn’t figure out how to change it with out emptying the tank, a local heating oil company told me to use a shop vac to produce negative pressure, i was also told to block the vent so that all the air was drawn from the hole in the bottom on the tank when the pet cock was removed. worked like a charm. theres always more than one way to skin a cat.
I dropped a small screw down my garbage disposal. I wasn’t sure it went down the disposal (I had over 20 0f them so I not thinking turned the disposal on. Oh yea, I shut it down real fast but not fast enough to have it lodged in the space between the disc of the disposal and the circumfrance. I can feel the head but have tried a magnet, screw driver and can’t budge it at all. What to do? Thanks for any suggestions
all you need to do is find the correct sized hex wrench and it should fit on the underside of the disposal — that way you can rotate it manually..
This guy is absolutely adorable. Good information instructed with a sense of humor! love it!
Aw shucks…have you been talking to my mother?
Hello dear, you need to check this out. love, me
Great tip. You went over the reasons why you should not to use a regular vac, and why you need to run water when you are done. It also showed just how quickly this task could be accomplished without the EXPENSIVE plumber bill. Maybe your little blog hit a nerve for Mr. Plumber and his “devoted” wife. I’m sure there are PLENTY of people that don’t want to bother with your handy tip, and will continue to provide him with “job security”! (They just make more money than the rest of us! Keep up the good work, I’ll take handy tips everyday over another bill!
A GREAT TIP MIKE, AND THANKS FOR SHARING,YOU CAN ALWAYS EXPECT SOME NEGATIVE FOLKS TO HAVE A COMMENT,BUT PAY THEM NO MIND,I WORK AT A DR. OFFICE, AND DROPPED A TINY HYFRACATER TIP DOWN THE SINK,THE BOSS TRIED TO GET IT, THE FITTINGS WERE SO TIGHT WE COULD’T BUDGE THE GOOSE NECK PIPE, AH YES, WE HAD TO CALL A PLUMBER,HOW I WISH I HAD SEEN THIS GREAT TIP THEN!!
Awesome. Now who is going to let me borrow the good ole sho vac? Or better yet, I just bought a panel van for a mobile “suck your pipe” service. The van and the shop vac only ran me $2500 and that included magnetic signs for the side of the van.
i have used a smallshop vack to remove the water from a toilet at the bottomso when movin g the toilet outside it dosent drip water thu the house. I have an eighteen dollar shop vac from lowes hardware works wonders
dave
For Daniel the plumber……. didn’t you hear the part where he addressed the sewer gas and said to restore the water in the trap by running it afterwards?
As far as the stopper goes, mine can be taken out and put back in with no tools. Let’s not get too full of ourselves, ok?
Thanks so much! Your tip worked great – I dropped my diamond earring down but it’s back in my ear now! …and my drain flows so much better…
Reminds me of the time I was at a huge festival where it had poured rain overnight and the grounds were filled with huge, deep puddles.
Some brilliant person called the port-a-potty suction trucks who came and vacuumed up all the water out of the puddles! They also called a sod company who put down sod squares in the deepest , soggiest holes! And the show went on………
P.S. Thanks for another reason to love my shop vac.
Great tip Mike. Thank you – I was surprised by the negativity that your helpful tip received from a few people (I probably would be upset too if i was a plumber or related to one:)
Thanks again Mike
Safety Tip…
One Caution, the exhaust from the shop vac will be sewer gas from inside the drainage system beyond the sink trap. A follower of this method should open the window and exhaust the vac in that direction. Also, if your shopvac uses the intake air to cool the motor, there is potential to cause a methane explosion within your vacuum if your motor has arcing brushes.
to annie – meet me 4 an MGD. WHEN ? you little troublemaker, messin’ with all the hacks!!
signed, lazy idiot girl
I’ve done the same thing with a Dust-Vac, the hose is way smaller .. also with the mini vac I use on the computer to clean the keyboard .. excellent hint .. Joe The Plumber’s Wife can bite me, by the way .. PEACE OUT!
Thanks for the tip on getting your jewelry out of the drain! My earring fell out of my ear, made two bounces, with me trying to catch it and went right down my drain. Thanks to you, I was able to retrieve it in a hurry. Mexia, Texas
Hi, Just wanted to say thank you. The speaker’s final words were: “hope that helps.” and I think that is so nice of him
If you can fix it yourself and leave you house safe after the repair, good for you!!!! I work for a plumbing company that dosn’t want to just take you money for personal incompentance, but to do a service for people who either can’t do it themselves ,or do not want to take the time to resolve the problems themselves. 69.50 an hour
for a experianced service tech to repair whatever in a home related to plumbing , heating , air conditioning, boilers, waterheaters, faucets and fixtures, that arrives at a home with a mobile “shop on wheels” full of tools and material to do the repairs seems pretty resonable to me considering all the the fly by night residental “gotta beat the bid” construction practices out there. Most people buy a home assuming it should have beem plumbed “CORRECTLY” to start with, or that the same plumbing practices in place for a 1930’s home should accomodidate a 2009 lifestyle without having to pay a fair price to repair or remodle. Try to find a car mechanic cheeper in the end!
WRONG !!! If you are lucky ….maybe….once the water is sucked out (about 1/2 a cup) you loose vacuum because of the vent connection……soooo a light plastic cap maybe , wedding ring ,not likely!!
Give the tip a try. Tie a string around a ring and drop it down the drain. Fortunately, many grateful emails tell me I’m not the only one it has worked for. The vast majority of them used the tip to get a piece of jewelry back.
Well Michael Davis Thank You for the reply, the video gave the caution of wet vac vs regular vac…bcs water and elect.can be hazardous.Well another hazard may also exsist which I seen no warning of ?? The methane gas always present in a sewer system.If you feel this is not a hazard please detail for everyone why not.????My intent is not to dismiss your clever little idea ….my concern is for the safety of the people who may be hurt attempting your idea……It is a simple process to remove a p-trap and only requires a simple hand tool (channel locks ) and it will in no way harm the one performing the task. I am all for people doing for themselves to save a dollar However a small bathroom can fill quickly with gas when being sucked in by a vac.Can you imagine if some one was hurt in this short cut . Good Luck to your loyal readers.
I don’t usually respond to sites like this. Two things occur to me. 1. The film was clever and 2. Some of the responses seem really mean spirited. If you’re worried about sewer gas then just hook a vent hose to the vac exhaust and run it out the window or up the bathroom vent. From what I saw, the operation took such a short length of time that I doubt that I would worry much about sewer gas in the house. I guess if I was going to worry about sewer gas from a few seconds of vacuum assisted exercise, maybe I should worry about sewer gas when I remove a trap on a remodel and leave it off for days. But I’m not a plumber, I’ve only been in the remodel business for 30 years.
I have only done plumbing for my 30 yrs .Your idea of… Quote>>> “If you’re worried about sewer gas then just hook a vent hose to the vac exhaust and run it out the window or up the bathroom vent”…END QUOTE This simple task is getting way more complicated then it started out…..huh!…
Plumber,
Why the attitude? Some people may need this helpful tip, those some people who don’t have a lot of disposable income. It’s worth the extra work to keep the money in their pocket. Why don’t you just relax “… huh!….”
I replaced all my traps with PVC so they’re easy to disassemble
and clean, besides which they clog less and don’t rust out. For
those without skills the vacuum trick could save them money
and time, so the risk of explosion is like jaywalking; acceptable
risk since so few people are killed that way…
The rancor on this site, however, is so objectionable that I’m
afraid most of the good tips are lost. Too bad people can’t
offer their opinions without attacking strangers. Civility
seems to be an increasingly lost art.
AvaChava…You say Quote …J walking ……worth the risk ….”FEW” people are killed that way???……Hmmm??? ok…. GOOD LUCK WITH THAT, However I see a distracted hummer bumper in your future sir .I can only speak on my comments . I have a problem with a site that gives advice as friendly simple tips and when the tips do not pan out as suggested the homeowner is left with a larger problem.Then they call and the person responding must spend time to unravel the mess to reveal the original problem……time is money.Sites that employ PITCH MEN AND THEIR TIPS ( I did buy the sham wow ) in my opinion do a dis service to the readers .Do it right the first time is the only way. I guess I take this to seriously after all name of this site is ….. FAMILY HACK ?!?!?!? .just sayn ….PEACE
I am not a hired pitch man. This is a personal site we run in our spare time.
I completely agree with you.Two wrongs don’t make a right. I believe that fits into the “Golden Rule” -Do unto others as you would have done unto you. If you have seen the tip and don’t like it, keep your harsh words to yourself and go about your business. Enjoy this gracious time we have each and every day.
Jenny
I’m a high school custodian. We do that to suck the Skole Cans out of the toilets when the kids flush them down.
I use one of these. It’s also good for cleaning out all the hair and goo that collects in the bathroom sink.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=94162
Thanks I would like one but at $8.00 shipping I wonder if you have a place I could purchase this. I usually us a long fondue fork ( I don’t use the fork for fondue).
No vacuum is designed to suck things through the electric motor. The odds are greater that your plumber is a serial killer than your vacuum will give you a shock or a puff of smoke.
Nice comment thier Michael way to take the high road.
Plumber- What crawled up your hole?
Wow, this is a EXCELLENT tip. I served in the military for a few years and somehow ALWAYS managed to end up in trouble and scrubbing the latrine. Soldiers are slobs and dog tags are the perfect size to slip down drain holes.
I’ve done this trick MANY times and I’ve never been particularly careful about the ventilating the area. And I’ve also never caused an explosion.
Plumber, you sound like one of those doctors that would rather prescribe a million medications to a patient rather then tell them to eat more vegetables.
Sometimes the simplest solution really is the best.
KISS. (Keep it simple, stupid)
Thank you so much for this attempt to help others. I could have used this when my son in law dropped his wedding ring down the drain. Wow! People really get intense about this info sharing. That’s okay…I like an even exchange. Blessings with your family dream. Wish I’d had the courage and opportunity to do it.
Brother,what a mess this turned out to be.He was just trying to get something out of the sink?
My sinks are OK but,what the hell,I went in there closed and locked the door ran 100 mph tape (Duck Tape) around the doors,closed all the windows.
Nothing came out with the vac,but,I took it apart under the sink anyway.All I found was two 1967 Qts, one ole dime and two pennys.
Now you got me tearing my house apart,next job ripping out the bath tubs, showers,and the 4″ drain going to the septic tank outside.
If you need some help just give me a call,I’m no plumber but I sure will have some fun.Going to take me about three weeks putting everything back together. Thanks for the Laugh,See Ya ??
David, thanks for a great belly laugh with all the ugliness going down. I’ve read and re-read your comments and died laughing. These people need to lighten up. (You’d make a great stand-up comedian. )
Thanks Michael. Very helpful. Any ideas on items in the tub/shower drain? Lost a diamond earring.
Enjoyed replies almost as much as your video. Boy folks can be sensitive. I am a RN, and wired my garage doors to push button open instead of having an extension cord run the length of the buiding. Will definately keep you site as a favorite.
Cindy
It works on tub/shower drains too. In fact, that’s where is it most useful as it’s often impossible to get at the drain trap in a house with cement foundations.
With morons like Joe the Plumber as pipeworkers new stereotype no wonder people would rather do it themselves. Good video.
See, th@s what i tried to tell my ex girlfriend. Th@ i lost the ring down the
drain! Cool idea with the pantyhose, i would have burnt something up.
Michael, that’s an excellent idea. Wish I had known that years ago, while living in Panama I accidentally dropped my beautiful wedding ring down the sink. I didn’t own a shop vac then, but you can believe that I do today. Thanks Michael! Great tip……….. I will remember it.
Why does this guy have a hat on in the house? is it to keep his brain from exploding?
Great hint!
As a Limey what on earth is a Pop Up? Sounds rude to me especially in the bathroom.
I just tried that neat little trick to get my Dads wedding ring out of the drain. Up here in the Great State of Michigan, we do not use PVC pipe much. For big repairs, I will call a plumber, but at the minimum rate of $75 an hour, if I can do a simple task I will. In Michigan jobs are scarce and money is tight. As far as the sewer gases are concerned, a little common sense goes a long long way! I opened the window, and had a fan in the window just in case. Keep up the good work, these tips help stretch my budget, and keep my home running smoothly!
All these people so worried about sewer gases…..
Am I missing something? Wouldn’t removing the P trap ALSO open up a line to the sewer gases?
Seems to me like you’re going to get a little sewer gas no matter which method you use, and by using the suction method, you can immediately turn on the tap and refill the pipe, whereas if you take off the p trap to get the whatever out, you then have to take the time to reinstall the p trap before you’ve got the sewer gases blocked off.
And, while you’re under the sink cursing at the overtight nuts, seems like your FACE would be right there next to that direct line to the sewer gases when you finally got the pipe off.
Or am I missing something here?
The sewer gas will be pulled thru the vacuum canister with the vacuum running, causing it to be expelled in the room where the canister is located. I f the vacuum is not used the sewer gas will have to seep out of the line since nothing will be drawing it out. All plumbing systems have vents to the atmosphere. The amount of sewer gas pulled from the piping will be minimal since the air being vacuumed will come from the path of least resistance, which will be the vent thru the roof. Not the septic tank.
My grandkids have a knack of letting toys, balls etc go in the storm drain in the gutter on both sides of our street. I use the shop vac with extensions made from PVC to retreive them. Small adapters for smaller items.
I tried listening with my 3MB download speed, but was unable to make sense of the video, as the talking was choppy and the video stalled. That is, the video started all right, but stopped on one of the earlier frames and stayed there for most of the video. Then switched to the guy holding something black with something stuck on the end, which I later found was a shop vac hose with something wrapped around it (by reading some comments). When it appeared the video had run its course (the little dot thingy was at the end of the line), the video started going again with the guy talking away, only no sound came forth. I’m sure it’s a great clip, but I’ll have to take your word for it.
I did that trick years ago for my sister to retrieve her diamond ear rings except I used a clear hose attached to a smaller Shop-Vac attachment added to the 1 1/2″vacuum hose that fit inside the drain along with the panty hose strainer between the attachment and the clear hose. The clear hose can be purchased at most hardware stores. The clear allows you visually see the results and stop the process if you spotted what you are retrieving. It really doesn’t matter how you do it as long as the results are the same.
will this work on the kitchen sink?
most homes have a whole house trap, meaning that outside your home is an additional trap preventing sewer gas from enteringyour home. if you suck the water out of the trap in the bathroom it’ll draw clean air from the vent pipe, not sewer gas from the main line.
refilling it isn’t even a priority.
allso use the wet VACUUM to suck out your a/c drain line outside. DONT!!! use the water hose to Flush it backwards (STUPID) And DONT Use the hose to flush it outside. Do this every? 3 months or so and SAVE labor and part cost of a SERVICE CALL. Besides, If you own a home? YOU NEED A WET VACUUM……………. SUCK THINGS OUT! ! !
DONT push them IN!
Wow, wish I would of seen this about 6 months ago when I dropped a small but nice ring down the bathroom drain. (By the way, I have a wet vac — wouldn’t live without one as it is indespensible in the garage and to vac out the vehicles to say the least)
Yes, the slip joint nuts are easy to get on and off but for some reason I had the darndest time first of all trying to fit a good portion of myself through a very small vanity door (have double doors below the sinks) so I could reach and see what I was doing, and it took over an hour to accomplish the deed. Will gladly retrieve the wet vac from the garage any time in the future to avoid the wet, stinky, contorting mess!
Thank you for the great tip.
I thought it was an AWESOME IDEA!!! You have to be smarter than the drain pipe though. The sewer gas thing is why he said to run water back into the drain to reseal it. Maybe you really should call a plumber. If you don’t have a shop vac you can buy a small one ($30-$50)that would probably do the job for a lot less than a plumber.
My problem is I lost a small jewel pendant (the jump ring snagged on my washcloth and the piece pulled loose) from a necklace down my bathtub drain which does not have a removable pop up thingy. A wet dry vac might have helped put I don’t own one and was in the middle of a shower at the time. all the shower/tub pipes are behind the wall with no access. its a good tip to try though.
Thanks
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