Tips for Retrieving a Ring from the Toilet

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While dropping a ring accidentally down the toilet is quite uncommon, it can actually happen. Rings are more frequently lost in the sink drain than the toilet. We have a few requests from people who have dropped their ring and call a plumber to want to recover it.

If you lose a ring down the toilet, retrieving it can be quite challenging. The sink can be protected by covering the drain opening with a stopper and in most cases, the sink sieve may be too tiny to allow a ring through.

However, if the toilet is not covered with a lid, the ring will fall right into the bowl. You may retrieve it right away, but after flushing the toilet, the chances of recovering it are very minimal.

How can you retrieve your ring from the toilet?

Heavy items such as rings may settle at the bottom part of the trap. In the case of a bathroom or kitchen sink, you’ll simply disassemble the trap and recover your ring. However, this is not the case when it comes to the toilet trap.

Toilets generate suction upon flushing such that the bowl contents are flushed out in seconds. Thus, in case you accidentally drop a ring in your toilet and flush it, then you’ll be extremely lucky to recover it.

You’ll only get lucky if the ring remains stuck in the toilet bowl drain opening or in the toilet P-trap.

Don’t Flush Your Toilet

Never flush your toilet whenever you accidentally drop a valuable item in the bowl. The tiny item will most probably settle at the bottom area of the trap.

You can easily use a hooked wire to fish out the ring or you may just pick it up with your hands after wearing gloves. While this might be an unpleasant experience, you might get your ring back and clean it up. In case the lost ring is silver or gold plated, you can use a magnetic retriever to retrieve it.

Once the toilet gets flushed, your ring will most likely get pushed down the toilet drain. However, it’ll depend on the amount of force that the flush will generate.

A normal toilet flush generates suction that is enough to flush the ring down the drain. However, if your toilet is aged and flushes quite slowly, then you might be lucky to find your ring trapped within the trap after a complete flush.

While chances of recovering it after flushing the toilet are slim, it’s worth giving it a try.

Detach the Toilet

If the ring is not visible after flushing, you might get lucky if it’s still lodged somewhere in the drain opening. Wear a pair of gloves in readiness to detach the toilet bowl. First, turn off the toilet water supply.

Next, take a plastic container and use it to drain water from the toilet tank and toilet trap. A sponge can assist in drying up any remaining water.

Take an adjustable wrench and use it to unscrew the bolts that hold the toilet onto the floor. Upon detaching the toilet, lay it sideways on the floor and look through the drain opening for the ring.

Also, inspect the toilet drain wax ring that seals the area between the waste pipe and the toilet base. Also, check through the waste pipe opening in case it’s stuck onto it.

Call for Assistance From Local Plumbers in Sydney

In case you’re unable to find it, simply call your local plumber for further assistance. Most plumbers often get calls from homeowners about flushed valuables.

A plumber will use a special scope or camera to inspect through the drain pipe. While finding tiny items, such as rings, in the drainpipe is next to impossible, you can still try your luck.

If the ring you just flushed is extremely valuable, contact your local municipal department to inspect the street drain line. Reach out to us for more information.