You're standing over the sink, and the clasp on your necklace comes undone. Or maybe you accidentally drop it into the sink while removing it. The result is that you've got a necklace down the drain and don't know what to do about it.
Where It's Located
Once the piece of jewelry slides down the drain, two things may occur. First, the necklace may get hung up on the portion of the pop-up stopper that you use to retain water in the sink. The other option is that the necklace bypasses the inner workings of the pop-up hardware and slides down the drain to the p-trap. This is the curved portion of the pipe that looks like a U and is located under the sink.
What Not to Do
Because you don't know exactly what happened to the necklace or its exact location, there are two things you do not want to do. Either process may dislodge the necklace and make the whole situation worse.
Do not push any tool or item, such as a clothes hanger, down the drain hole. If the necklace is caught on the pop-up stopper mechanism, you'll most likely free it. The necklace will immediately drop from its perch into the p-trap portion of the pipe. If this happens, the p-trap portion of the pipe must be removed in order to access the necklace.
Do not turn on the water. In the event that the necklace down the drain slid past the pop-up mechanism and is currently lodged in the p-trap, a surge of water will wash the necklace past the U curve in the drainpipe. It will continue to make its way through the system with no chance for retrieval.
What Your Plumber Will Do
When your plumber arrives, he will visually check the drain. If the necklace is caught on the pop-up mechanism where it can be removed through the drain hole, the plumber will loosen the nut and washer located under the sink and pull it up and out. This allows enough room to use a tool or magnet to remove the necklace. Once removed, the rod and stopper are reinserted, and the nut and washer tightened securely.
If the necklace is already in the p-trap area or it's been pushed through with a tool, the plumber will loosen the fittings securing the p-trap section of the drain pipe. Once removed, the p-trap is emptied of its contents including the necklace down the drain. The p-trap is then put back in place, and the fittings are secured to ensure that there is no water leakage when the sink is used.
A necklace down the drain isn't a reason to panic. With a little patience and a good understanding of what not to do, you can ensure that your jewelry isn't lost forever.
For answers to your questions, contact the Pink Plumber today.
Image source: Flickr
