Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Saving $

           misc1 014

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.     

              misc1 007

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…..misc1 013 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

 

                 misc1 008

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. 

              misc1 010                  

            

                   misc1 009

 

                                          misc1 012

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!

5 comments:

  1. Mercy sakes, that is a life saver for sure! I know the how much they cost not to mention some pain both in my mouth and my wallet.

    Glad you found it.

    If you want to save some time. Replace your elbow pipe with the ones that have a screwcap in the bottom. This way all you have to do is unscrew the bolt and all the stuff falls out. We did that to all the 4 sinks in the house. Sure saves time.

    Hope the rest of your week is uneventful.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanx for the lesson. So glad you found your cap.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I hope they are able to re-use it...my dentist won't because he says your gum line is different from when it was made originally...they are all in cahoots I think!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Most interesting bit of advice I've had in a long time! I lost a diamond earring once, but not to the tune of a crown! Loved my visit here today...
    joycee

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm behind on my blog reading.... sure glad I didn't miss this one. You're so amazing! Is there anything you 'can't' do??
    Yes, you saved yourself some big bucks...

    Aries babies are the best....
    Thanks so much for the birthday wishes and your sweet comments.
    Hugs,

    ReplyDelete

"Life is a big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can." Danny Kaye

So throw some paint at me!! Thanks and come back soon! :)