So there you are, doing the dishes when a bit of soap on your fingers causes your wedding ring to slide off and fall down the drain. Afteer your done swearing, relax, because we called in Ace Hardware home expert Lou Manfredini to save the day. He knows everything about DIY around the house and you'd be surprised how easy it is to retrieve your wedding ring without the help of an overpriced plumber.
The ring cost you enough already, there's no need to pay anymore. Just follow these 7 easy steps and you'll have your wedding ring out of the sink in no time.
1. So, your ring falls down the drain? It's not in the ocean, it's actually caught in a P-trap in the sink and can be removed with some simple steps. "The P-trap is one of the world's best inventions" says Lou Manfredini, Ace's home expert.
2. Stop running the water immediately. Don't call the plumber, this is a job that you can do on your own.
3. Place a bucket under the pipe.
4. Disconnect the nuts at both ends of the J-bend ("J" shaped section of the P-trap). If the fittings are stuck, use a wrench or pliers. Wrap the connecting nuts with painter's tape or a rag so you don't gouge the finish. See diagram below.
5. Hold your breath as you shake out the pipe over the bucket to see if your ring is there. Warning, this could smell a bit.
6. With the ring now retrieved (hopefully), reconnect the pipes, being mindful of preventing future leaks by cleaning old gunk with a stuff brush and then winding thread seal clockwise around the threads. (Lou can expand on this area).
7. Run the water in the basin and check for leaks.
Check back soon for more awesomely easy updates from Lou.
