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There comes a time in every plumber’s life when a visit to a home or business turns into a story that will last the rest of their career. Sometimes, it’s not so much because of the nature of the work that’s being done, but the absolutely strange things that caused the call to begin with.
You may be familiar with the urban legend that goes like this: so and so’s grandfather owned a motel and was snaking a line, only to snag a shower curtain in a different unit and pull it all the way through the plumbing back through the toilet. Maybe it happened, it’s a lot more likely that it didn’t… but that doesn’t mean that some weird things haven’t come out of drains.
Drain Cleaning 303: Beyond Roots and Shoots
Hey, anybody can clean out a drain that’s clogged with a few nasty roots, but it takes a real pro to dig out the truly unusual without cracking up or asking some really awkward questions just to find out the answers. Anything that can fit into a drain might show up there one day, but there are a few things that surprise even the pros from time to time.
1. Dentures. It’s not that dentures never get flushed on accident (or maybe on purpose if they’re not fitting well!), it’s just that you don’t see them all that often. When you go fishing for what you think is a paper clog and find out it’s actually plastic and it has teeth, well, that’s a tale to tell back at the shop.
2. Toothbrushes. The toilet is a terrible place to drop anything, but it happens, and far more often for things that regularly live in the bathroom, like toothbrushes and small hairbrushes. That goes doubly when kids are around the house. Maybe it’s the thrill of seeing something disappear down that swirling hole, maybe it’s discovering the unknown one bristle at a time, but when you drag one back out, try not to ask the homeowner if they intend to use it again. Try.
3. Toys. Oh, to be young and also have small, flushable things in easy reach! Toys are alarmingly common things to find in the drain and that goes for pretty much any drain in the house. Small hard plastic GI Joes are usually pretty easy to deal with (and the plumbing profession thanks you for your service, soldiers), but softer toys like foam animals that expand when they get wet break hearts every day. Next time, kids, just toss the little capsule in there and don’t flush. You’ll get a lot more magic for your buck.
4. Jewelry. To be fair, it’s easy to drop jewelry in a drain. After all, some of it is pretty small. But sometimes it’s not little and sometimes it’s not just one item. If the traps in a client house or business are literally gold mines, it might pay to offer them a discount so you can come back and mine more later. Kidding, kidding. Still, it’s a good opportunity to suggest some kind of screens for sink drains to avoid future problems.
5. Leftovers from construction. New houses aren’t usually places that have much in the way of a history, but once in awhile a rag that’s been stuffed into a drain during construction gets forgotten and plumbing fixtures are placed on top of them. The funny thing is how long it can take for anybody to notice. It may be months or even more than a year since the house was occupied before anybody calls! What in the world are they doing in the meantime?
2. Toothbrushes. The toilet is a terrible place to drop anything, but it happens, and far more often for things that regularly live in the bathroom, like toothbrushes and small hairbrushes. That goes doubly when kids are around the house. Maybe it’s the thrill of seeing something disappear down that swirling hole, maybe it’s discovering the unknown one bristle at a time, but when you drag one back out, try not to ask the homeowner if they intend to use it again. Try.
3. Toys. Oh, to be young and also have small, flushable things in easy reach! Toys are alarmingly common things to find in the drain and that goes for pretty much any drain in the house. Small hard plastic GI Joes are usually pretty easy to deal with (and the plumbing profession thanks you for your service, soldiers), but softer toys like foam animals that expand when they get wet break hearts every day. Next time, kids, just toss the little capsule in there and don’t flush. You’ll get a lot more magic for your buck.
4. Jewelry. To be fair, it’s easy to drop jewelry in a drain. After all, some of it is pretty small. But sometimes it’s not little and sometimes it’s not just one item. If the traps in a client house or business are literally gold mines, it might pay to offer them a discount so you can come back and mine more later. Kidding, kidding. Still, it’s a good opportunity to suggest some kind of screens for sink drains to avoid future problems.
5. Leftovers from construction. New houses aren’t usually places that have much in the way of a history, but once in awhile a rag that’s been stuffed into a drain during construction gets forgotten and plumbing fixtures are placed on top of them. The funny thing is how long it can take for anybody to notice. It may be months or even more than a year since the house was occupied before anybody calls! What in the world are they doing in the meantime?
What was the weirdest thing you found in a drain? Did you get to keep it? Tell us in the comments!
