It can be hard to find or readily available. Got the picture in your head? Good! We’ve got some shocking news: That object has probably been flushed down a Red Oak drain.

Ok, so we may be exaggerating a little bit. But you’d be surprised what we’ve found in drains and P-traps over the years. From Legos to cups to rolls of toilet paper, the list of items that homeowners have tried to get away with flushing goes on and on. And on.

So what’s the next step once you’ve accidentally lost an object down your toilet? Here are three ideas for getting your system back in working order after an accidental flush:

1.) Try to Remove the Item

If the object is the right size, you may just be able to lift it out of your system – if you have patience and the right set of tools. If you have one on hand, consider using a plumber’s snake or drain augur to wind your way down the pipe, hook onto the lodged object, and extract it. If you don’t have plumbing tools on hand, you can try jerry-rigging an augur together by bending wire into a hook shape and feeding it down your drain.

Other methods that you may see mentioned on the net? Some message board/chat room plumbers advise using a wet/dry vacuum to suck the item out. Google around a bit, and you may find other home cures of varying quality. We’re not sure about any of them, and wouldn’t advise our clients to take that gamble – after all, you may accidentally cause more harm to your system by trying to “fix” it.

2.) Consider Removing Your Toilet

A more proven – if time-intensive – solution? Remove your toilet, in order to more easily reach the object in the trap by hand or with a plumbing tool. This WikiHow list does a pretty good job of covering the process, but here are the nuts and bolts (get it?):

• Shut off water to the toilet and/or your entire system, then flush the toilet in order to completely drain the bowl
• Using pliers, loosen the nuts securing the toilet unit to the floor, then lift the unit up and away from the ground
• Try to remove the item using an augur, grabber, or wire hanger
• When you’ve safely obtained the lost item, replace the bowl, taking care to safely secure the nuts and reapply any wax or caulk
• Turn your water back on and allow the bowl to refill

3.) Call a Plumber

Of course, we always believe that the safest and surest way to deal with a plumbing annoyance is to reach out to an experienced, certified plumber. They make take many of the same steps that you would as DIY-er, but a plumbing pro is certain to have the right tools for the job as well as the know-how to make sure that the process is done smoothly the first time.

When the time comes, Combat Plumbing is here to help! Drop us a line with any of your plumbing questions or concerns, day or night!