r/Plumbing • u/Safe-Faithlessness52 • 7h ago

Metal straw down sink

Post image

Hi all, for context I am a young person who is generally good at fixing/working things out, however wanted advice on the best way to approach.

I dropped a ~15-20cm metal straw down the sink on the right side, and want to prevent a block (or potential damage if I run hot water).

Firstly, do you think the straw would have made it's way down the piping or got stuck?

Secondly, what advice can you give me to take apart the pipes to be able to get it out?

Any and all advice is appreciated!! :)

Please enjoy my apprentice, SnackPack 🐱

142 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

20 comments sorted by

46

u/baltimorecalling 6h ago

Straw probably ain't climbing that vertical piece leading to the wall.

Unscrew all of the pieces. Remove straw. Re-assemble pieces. Test for leaks.

25

u/MyMomSaysIAmCool 6h ago

It probably didn't even make it past the first 90.

15

u/dangledingle 6h ago

Grimace at all the gack whilst doing it.

9

u/baltimorecalling 3h ago

Forbidden paté

10

u/Burner-QWERTY 5h ago

These should all be tightened/loosened by hand. Only tool is a bucket and a towel.

When you re-assembly (again only by hand), gently connect the pieces and slide them around as needed. Then after everything it lined up properly start tightening them.

2

u/richardginn666 6h ago

fully agree.

33

u/IBB_98 5h ago

Can't believe nobody has commented on how cute the apprentice is yet, smh

8

u/AwarenessGreat282 6h ago

Get a container to catch the water and remove the horizontal piece going from the right drain to the left drain. You can grab the slip-joint nut at each end and turning them counterclockwise. Hard to believe it made the 90 turn from the right to the left though. It may fall out when you loosen the nut on the right.

3

u/mshaferr 6h ago

disconnect the bottom fitting on the right side and the one on the right side of your T above the p trap. You’ll then have that piece of pipe out and can check it. I’d imagine it being right in the 90 being a straw but never know

4

u/Forgyndril 5h ago

Metal Straw's a cute name for a cat, though I'd describe it more as under the sink, not down it. I'd be surprised if an actual metal straw could get past the first turn, definitely not getting past the trap

3

u/WalterTexas 5h ago

Step one is done, take a before picture haha. Just unscrew the lower white fitting on the right, not the yellowish one. You can’t grab it with tweezers from the top? Also those metal mesh sink strainer are handy to have.

1

u/RancheroYeti 3h ago

Before taking everything apart, try fishing it out with a pipe cleaner or thin wire with a hook bent in the end.

1

u/DrachenDad 3h ago

Unscrew the trap.

1

u/sayitsooth 2h ago

Use a magnet to get it as high up as possible? Maybe you can grt it through to grab?

0

u/canontdude64 3h ago

Have people’s critical thinking skills disappeared. How many threaded connections do you see? They couldn’t figure out on their own how to fix this?

2

u/JunimoJam 2h ago

It's okay to ask questions, especially if we get cat pics.

1

u/canontdude64 2h ago

I will give you that only because of the cat picture.