Saving $

          

Advice:  Always close the sink drain when you are doing anything over the sink……why you ask?  Ever imagine what could be lurking in your sink drain?  Let me give you an example (don’t panic….it won’t be as gross, as you think).  But first, I want to show you how to check it out.     

             

That bend in the pipes is called a trap or elbow….and trap it does.  This may look a bit different then your sink (this one is a pedestal) but we are simply going to take off the elbow and clean it out.  (Why do you need to know this?….just hang on a minute and I will show you….it could save you hundreds, maybe even thousands of dollars).

Simply loosen the rings, at the tops of the elbow.  (You don’t need to turn off the water.)  Most of the time these are just hand tightened but you might need one of these to

get it started….. this one is the very old version of a pipe wrench (this was my Dad’s…lots of nice patina).  Any modern version will work too.  I just like old to

 

                

As you can see the ring just slips off.  Then just pull down slightly on the elbow and it will slip right out…don’t forget to put a towel down, as the trap always has water in it (to keep the odors at bay).  Check inside the pea trap for your lost item…..if it’s not there but some hair and other junk….clean it out.  If you have a stopper in the sink, loosen the clip that holds the upper plunger on the bar and remove it, leaving the clip in place.  Wiggle the plunger and or the stopper in the sink.  Any item that was not in the pea trap, will now appear, as it may have been caught in the upper drain, as in my case. 

                                

            

                  

 

                                         

Yes, and there it is…. my crown!  Taking the sink drain apart probably saved me $1000 bucks…could have been more…….if it was a diamond ring!  Thank you, Lord!