Show Posts
1
Elan School / My wedding ring went down the bathtub.
« on: July 10, 2012, 10:38:15 PM »
My wedding ring went down the bathtub. Is there a way to get it back?
My ring slipped off my finger while taking a bath and went down the drain before I realized what had happened. Do bathtubs have a p pipe? Is there any way to retrieve the ring again?
Non-plumbing method that often works: Turn off the water to the tub and go find the biggest wet-dry vac you can find; set it up for a wet job. Seal the tub overflow valve (which is usually just under the bathtub drain handle thingie) with vaseline and saran wrap. If the drain will allow the end of the vac hose into it, do so, and then make the best seal around the vac hose and drain using wet cloths or play doh or modeling clay. Turn on the vacuum and hope. If you can't get the end of the hose into the drain , make the best seal you can between the hose end and the floor of the tub around the drain.
Be careful with this... depending on your plumbing system's venting, you can wind up sucking sewer gas into the bathroom, which is potentially explosive. But you'll smell the gas...
slip ring
revolving joint
through bore slip rings
My ring slipped off my finger while taking a bath and went down the drain before I realized what had happened. Do bathtubs have a p pipe? Is there any way to retrieve the ring again?
Non-plumbing method that often works: Turn off the water to the tub and go find the biggest wet-dry vac you can find; set it up for a wet job. Seal the tub overflow valve (which is usually just under the bathtub drain handle thingie) with vaseline and saran wrap. If the drain will allow the end of the vac hose into it, do so, and then make the best seal around the vac hose and drain using wet cloths or play doh or modeling clay. Turn on the vacuum and hope. If you can't get the end of the hose into the drain , make the best seal you can between the hose end and the floor of the tub around the drain.
Be careful with this... depending on your plumbing system's venting, you can wind up sucking sewer gas into the bathroom, which is potentially explosive. But you'll smell the gas...
slip ring
revolving joint
through bore slip rings