How to Retrieve Lost Items in the Shower Drain by John London
Shower Trap
Of all the locations in the UK, London probably has the most access to a wide variety of goods and services. While there’s no situation in which you would actively want to hire an emergency plumber, London definitely provides plenty of resources to achieve that goal. But, there are some plumbing situations that can, at first, seem dire, but really don’t require any emergency services. Chief among those is losing something down a drain. Obviously, if the item you lost is valuable, you’re going to want to retrieve it fast. But, is it that hard to get it out on your own?
This really depends on the type of drain that you lost the item in, the item itself, and the shape of the piping. Most pipes are going to have a U-shaped trap that will ensure that any lost item doesn’t get too far. Virtually all drains have something like this, but shower drains might be the trickiest drains in terms of retrieving items. This is because the drain of a shower isn’t immediately visible like it would be with a sink drain. Indeed, you just have to open up the cabinets underneath the sink to see the piping and the U-shaped trap where your item probably fell.
For shower drains, there are a few things that you can try that don’t involve calling an emergency plumber in London. In general, the trap is going to be relative close to the entry of the drain, and if the item you lost is large enough and able to be grasped, you can use a metal hanger to try and poke around and find it. If the item you lost is something small (like an earring), you might need to try another method.
With a wet vacuum, you can completely cover the drain hole and turn the vacuum on. Leave it on for about 10 to 15 seconds or until you feel like you’ve retrieved the item. You can place a piece of nylon over the hole of the vacuum to ensure that the item doesn’t get sucked back into the vacuum itself. In any event, it’s much easier to retrieve the item in a vacuum than it is in a drain pipe. If this doesn’t do the trick, then you might have to call up a plumber.
One of the things you should never do if you lose something down the shower drain is turn the water on. This can lead to your item being flushed through the pipes making it difficult or nearly impossible to find. You’ll want the item to stay roughly in the same place to ensure that finding it won’t be that difficult to do. Just know that, when it comes to hiring an emergency plumber, London is one of the best locations if only because of how many options you have. Indeed, if you’ve exhausted every other option and you desperately need to retrieve the item you lost, then you will want an experienced Plumber on your case and fast.
