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Help! My Son Flushed My Wedding Ring

Help! My Son Flushed My Wedding Ring

There are few moments worse than watching your toddler flush something valuable, like your wedding ring, down the toilet. For most small children, a toilet is a magical and mesmerizing object. They have no idea how, but it magically makes things disappear. However, for adults, the image is terrifying when you imagine that your wedding ring is gone forever. But that might not be the case. So before you call your jewelry insurance company to process a claim continue reading for alternative options.

There is a chance that your treasured ring is lodged in some small section of the toilet’s inner workings or the curvy pipe that connects to your homes sewer line. But you need to act quickly to have any hope of ever seeing your wedding ring again.

The First Critical Step

The most important thing for you to remember is not to flush the toilet again. Most toilets have sufficient suction to pull a ring entirely out of the bowl. But to be sure, don a rubber glove and carefully feel around the bottom of the toilet bowl to determine if your ring did not flush away. It could be concealed just out of sight. If you are fortunate and locate your ring, consider it a catastrophe narrowly escaped. Be thankful for this good luck, and consider purchasing a childproof toilet lock to avoid further stress and worry.

Removing The Toilet

If you did not locate your ring inside the toilet bowl, all hope is not lost, but you must remove the toilet to continue your search. The first step in this process is to turn off the water supply to the toilet. Next, remove the lid from the toilet tank and set it aside. You will need to remove the remaining water from the tank by hand. A small bucket or bowl will work to remove the majority of the water. A baster can be used to remove the last inch or so of water in the tank. Or you can soak it up with old towels.

Next, remove the water supply line from the tank, then loosen the screws that connect the toilet to the floor. You might need a putty knife to remove the covers and access the screws. With the screws removed, the toilet can be carefully lifted from the floor and placed on its side. There will be some residual water that could leak out, so it is good to have an old towel or blanket spread on the floor to hold the toilet. This job is also much easier with the assistance of a second person.

Continue Your Search

With the toilet lying on its side, you will be able to examine inside the waste opening and around the wax ring that seals the toilet to the floor. It is also possible that your wedding ring became stuck in the portion of the wax ring that is mounted on the floor or in the mounting flange. Using a flashlight is an excellent way to ensure that you do not overlook your ring in any of these tiny spaces. Hopefully, you will see the familiar shimmer of your ring reflecting back at you.

Reinstalling The Toilet

With your wedding ring back where it belongs on your finger, it is time to get your toilet back where it belongs. It is always a good idea to replace the wax ring to avoid some very nasty leaks. Then replace the toilet and reattach with the screws. Next, reconnect the water supply line. Once you turn the water back on and replace the tank lid, your toilet will be ready for use again.

Call In The Professionals

Hopefully, after all of this work, you have recovered your wedding ring, and your heart is now mended. But if that is not the case, there is one more possibility. But you will need some professional help to extract your wedding ring from your home’s drain pipes. Call (706) 303-0987 to schedule an emergency appointment with a licensed plumber from Drain Surgeon.

Our team has a tiny camera that can be inserted into your drain pipes to search for your wedding ring. As long as it is still in your home’s drainpipe system, we will locate and retrieve your treasured wedding ring for you.