There is little that is more frustrating than thinking that you lost your wedding ring down a drain and not know for sure. You could call a plumber to take apart every drain in your home, but if anyone runs water, a garbage disposal unit, or a dishwasher before the plumber arrives, you can consider your ring gone for good. Here are some options to help you find out for sure if your ring is in a drain without having to hire and wait for a plumber.
Take the Drains Apart Yourself
Taking a drain apart is not that difficult. Just make sure you have a catch pan or bucket underneath the sink's plumbing or the trap under the shower/tub. Then unscrew the pieces that hold the pipes together and empty the traps into the bucket. Do not be surprised by what else you find, including some very smelly, rotting black stuff that comes from deteriorating organic material. If you did not find your ring in the traps, it is either gone or further down the drain than you expected.
Sewer Camera Rental
Rent a sewer camera from a company like USA Borescopes. Then run the camera end past the traps in the drains to as far as the camera's hose will go. If your ring is in the horizontal pipes past the trap, you can still rescue it. If you see it further down or in a vertical pipe, you would need an expert plumber to get it out. At any rate, you can photograph exactly where the ring is, and/or estimate the distance from the trap in the pipe to where your ring is.
No Signs of the Ring AT ALL
If you have tried both of the above approaches and there is no sign of your ring at all, there is a pretty good chance your ring was never in the drain. If that provides you with enough peace of mind, you can continue to look for it elsewhere. In a house with kids, it really could be anywhere.
There is also a good chance that you waited too long to check the drains to make sure, but that only happens when you avoid checking your pipes a day or more after your ring goes missing. By then, the sinks, toilets, and showers/tubs have all run water at least once and pushed the ring farther down into the sewers. If you still cannot find it anywhere, it may be time to tell your mate that you lost it.
Share24 July 2017
I'm glad you decided to stop by. My name is Duarte Ribeiro. I decided to create this website because I am obsessed about good sound quality and I am tired of events that have unnecessarily bad audio and visual. For some, it may not be noticeable, but to others, the audio can be like nails down a chalkboard. For that reason, I have begun researching sound systems on my own time and have been slowly creating content that may be helpful to anyone who will be holding an event or anyone else who wants to use audio equipment for an event.
