About Plumbers, With Honor

Whether it's the result of troublesome toddlers or just a genuine accident, it's nearly inevitable that something is likely to end up flushed down the toilet that shouldn't have been. If it's something that you need to recover, you may be left wondering where to start. Here's a look at some of the things you should know about retrieving things that were flushed by accident.

How Big Is The Item?

If the item is fairly large, you might get lucky and find that it didn't actually move all the way through the pipe. In those cases, sometimes plunging the toilet is enough to bring the object back to the surface, where you can retrieve it. Try plunging the toilet a few times and see if that breaks it free and brings it back up to you. If not, don't plunge excessively because you could inadvertently move the object further down the pipes.

Can You Draw The Item Out?

The next thing to think about is whether or not you can draw the item out. Sometimes, a metal clothes hanger can be straightened out and used to retrieve something lost in the pipes, including in your toilet. Create a hook at one end and run the wire into the toilet bowl and through the drain pipe as far as you can. Be careful and don't force it because you could scratch the toilet bowl or even force the object further into the pipes. If you can get the clothes hanger to hook onto the item and pull it out, that can solve the problem.

Do You Need A Plumber?

If you've tried to plunge it out and draw it out without success, it's time to call an emergency plumber. Don't send any more water down the drains than absolutely necessary while you wait because that could push it further along the drain lines. Your plumber can assess the situation, use a camera to check the toilet's drain pipes as well as the rest of your home's pipe network, and potentially figure out where the object is located. Then, the plumber can carefully and cautiously disconnect the pipes close to where the object is located and retrieve it from inside the pipe.

Working with an emergency plumber is likely the fastest and most effective means of resolution when something gets flushed that shouldn't. The sooner you call, the better your chances are of salvaging the item in question. 

For more information, contact a local company, like Merrell Plumbing.