How to bailout your bling
Getting jewelry out of a sink drain often works when you try a magnet, four-pronged retrieval tool, or bent coat hanger before disassembling plumbing.
Expect to pay $180 to $490 to hire a plumber if your retrieval attempts fail or you need help reassembling the P-trap correctly.
You can remove the P-trap yourself by turning off the faucet, placing a bucket underneath, and carefully unfastening the U-shaped pipe to retrieve dropped items.
Hiring a local plumbing professional provides reliable support for thorough drain inspection and proper pipe reassembly, preventing leaks and ensuring your plumbing stays secure.
Uh oh. You’ve been washing dishes and then notice that a very important ring is suddenly missing from your finger and it’s one that you don’t want to tell your spouse you lost. If the last thing you remember hearing is the click of metal down the kitchen drain, read our tips to retrieve your ring—or any piece of jewelry—from the drain so you can proudly wear it before anyone else is the wiser.
If your jewelry is made of metal, a strong magnet can be a lifesaver. Pure gold or silver is not magnetic, but lots of jewelry contains alloys that are often ferromagnetic. Iron, nickel, cobalt, and other alloys are magnetic.
Start by cutting off the power to your garbage disposal if you have one. Then glue or tie a small, strong magnet to a string or shoelace and carefully lower the magnet into the drain. Slowly and carefully, pull the magnet back up the drain; you want to be sure that you don’t knock the jewelry off the magnet and send it back into the drain.
A handy device with an unwieldy name, a four-pronged tool is a long snake with hooks at the end, intended to be used for grabbing things out of small, tight spaces. To use, all you need to do is slide the snake down the drain, catch the piece of jewelry, and then carefully draw the snake back up. If you’re finding it difficult to locate exactly where the jewelry fell, try looking around with a flashlight.
A metal coat hanger can be unwound and reconfigured to the perfect hook shape to reach into a sink and grab a necklace. Make sure to bend the end in a way that gives it a strong hook, then feed the hanger into the drain. As with all of these methods, be sure to slowly and mindfully pull the hanger back up once you’ve caught the jewelry.
If you’re unsuccessful with the above methods, you can try and take apart your P-trap to get better access to the inner workings of your plumbing system—it’s a common method to unclog your drain, so you can do a general cleaning, too. This process can be messy, so be sure to wear an old shirt and work wearing some rubber gloves.
First, make sure the faucet is turned off. Grab a bucket and place it under the sink to catch any water. The P-trap is the u-shaped pipe under the sink; you’ll want to unfasten any holders keeping the pipe in place. Usually you can twist these by hand, but if they’re a bit sticky, use a plumbing wrench.
Remove the pipe—be aware that some water will likely spill out (into your bucket, hopefully). At this point, inspect any debris that has fallen out of the pipe and see if your jewelry is in there. You can also fish around in the pipe in case the jewelry is still stuck inside. If you can’t reach all the way through the pipe, you might need to use a coat hanger or other flexible rod to dig deeper.
If none of the above methods have worked—or you’re scared to dismantle the P-trap yourself—it might be time to call a local plumber. A plumber will be able to thoroughly check the P-trap and might have a tool to use to rescue your jewelry from deeper inside the drain, if necessary. In addition, they will ensure that your piping is replaced correctly so you don’t run into any leaks down the line. The cost to hire a plumber is between $180 and $490, on average.
If you want to pay the most exorbitant prices possible for your job, this is the company for you. “By the job” pricing is a rip-off, at least how these people use it. Every job is plugged into a category and prices are set by category. You might have a job that takes half an hour or one that...
Benjamin Franklin PlumbingCole has been handling plumbing and general contracting for our four properties over the past three years, and he’s always done a great job. Most recently, he installed a sink and countertop in our retail store where none existed before, and it turned out exactly how we needed. He’s...
ANB Renovations LLCMatt is a consummate professional. The work turned out to be far more difficult than expected and rather than turn the job down, Matt rose to the occasion and completed a near impossible task. I can not recommend Greene's Plumbing Service more highly. On a scale of 1-5 I would give Matt a...
Greene's Plumbing ServiceThis was our second experience with The Waterworks and both times have been Exceptional! This time, Michael P. was our technician. He arrived on time, was super professional and respectful of our home and he even wore booties, a face mask, gloves and protected out kitchen floors with drop...
The WaterworksInvolved an extensive bathroom remodel, including removing tub & installing walk in shower, new drywall, custome tile work to ceiling, plumbing, etc. Overall, job was done on time and on budget. Nick & his team were very professional and had high attention to detail. Quality was great. Highly...
Stamos Flooring and Remodeling LLCAwesome company. Had a jacuzzi tub taken out and replaced with huge walk in shower with partial glass enclosure. Onyx to the ceiling with a decorative border, moved plumbing and installed hand held shower, new ceiling, flooring, and paint. Replaced window with glass block. Everything was done...
Columbus Bath DesignThe initial quoted price from a walk-through seemed high, but we discussed that the quote represented worst case scenario (re-wiring to two floors) and we were excited about the opportunity to have the work done in a timely manner with closing for fire safety reasons, etc. When the job was...
Initially, I called the Service People to have a leaking garbage disposal replaced. I had purchased a special deal through Angie's List: $79 for $200-worth of plumbing services. <br /> When I went to schedule the work, the earliest date I could get through Angie's List was after the upcoming...
This company did a very good job on the brick wall and it looks just amazing. The staff was always professional and was practically OCD on how the bricks were stacked and how they were laid. Although it took longer than expected, I am willing to sacrifice time over perfection anyday. The...
My Handy Mate LLC Improvement & Remodeling<p>I am so glad we called Rotor-Rooter. I was hesitant to call them because we usually prefer to give business to local providers. But when we had sewage back up in our basement on a Saturday evening, I had a hard time getting a hold of someone, not to mention the high weekend/evening rate...
Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water CleanupFrom average costs to expert advice, get all the answers you need to get your job done.
Sink installation costs depend on the type of sink, the material, and the labor. This guide can help you budget for your project—from pedestal to farmhouse.
Whether you go with a classic faucet or a modern touchless one, you have plenty of options. Here are fourteen popular types of kitchen faucets to fit any home.
Choosing your kitchen sink depth is just as crucial as choosing the correct width and number of bowls to maximize its usefulness.
The type of sink you have can make all the difference in a kitchen or bathroom. Here’s how undermount and drop-in sinks stack up for cost, aesthetics, and more.
Quartz sinks can be an affordable and simple-to-maintain alternative to stone sinks. Learn about quartz sinks pros and cons in this guide.
A sink has many hidden working parts. Understanding how the parts of a sink work is essential for maintaining your sink for years to come. This guide will help.
