I can't believe this happened but it did.

This afternoon I need to install two compression connection washing machine valves.



I need to hold the valves steady so I got a metal bar that has a 3/8" nut on one end and a 1/2" nut on the other end. So what I did was to use a 1/2"XGHT adapter, plus a female GHT coupler to the valve's hose outlet, that way I can hold the valve straight and steady as I tightened the compression nut, like this.



Well, as I tightened the nut, the female GHT coupler broke into two pieces, leaving ,me with this:



The other half of this coupler was left on the valve's outlet. So I unthreaded that broken half from the valve and in a split second of carelessness, that broken end came off the valve, slipped through my fingers, fell on the inside of the box and rolled down the 2" PVC drain.

Now I have this sitting at the bottom of the P-trap. The pipe is behind the wall so I am trying to avoid having to tear the wall open again.



I have tried a few things to extract the coupler so far.

(1) Tried various solid copper wire from #12 to #8, bent into a hook or a spring, trying to push the wire into the pipe and couldn't catch it.

(2) Tried a wet vac and shoved the vac hose all the way to the bottom of the pipe and nothing except the trap water came up.

(3) Tried a semi-flex hose with double sided tape at the end hoping that the coupler will stick, no luck either.

(4) It is some sort of zinc or whatever metal and a magnet does not do anything to it.

Anything else I should try to fish the coupler back up the pipe?



Edited 2 times.

Try a pick up tool....

[www.amazon.com]

I don't have this exact one....mine is shorter. Works pretty good.

Good luck.

Sum, did you post on a message while back that you had a flexible inspection camera? I wonder how fast that zinc would corrode out with an acid poured down into the pipe? I'm surprised if the shop back hose went all the way down to the Trap that it didn't suck it out.

Curly I have one ordered to be here tomorrow will try it, thanks!

steve, the problem may be this thing is pretty large in diameter, over an inch. The 1.5" vac hose's nozzle is smaller than it and even if it's able to get it it will have to stick to the mouth of the nozzle on the way back which is unlikely. I only had the vac on for about a minute and felt nothing. This is a 5 story mid rise building with 20 units per floor, so I don't want the vac to be sucking in all the sewer gas in the pipe.

I did have a borescope but that no longer worked after I upgraded my phone two years ago. I may have to get a new one.

I can't even confirm the part is still there visually, but I have to assume it is there is no way something with a bit of weight not sitting at the bottom of the trap right?

Depstech makes good borescopes. They have their own screen and are standalone, does not need a laptop.
[www.amazon.com]

Maybe this wil make you feel better, misery loves company.

A friend of mine, a mechanic by trade, was having issues with his gas lawn mower at home. He was working on his rear deck and had the carburetor all apart with all the small pieces in a tray. He knocked the tray over and the parts fell through the gaps between the floor boards. The deck was less than a foot above ground, so he could not crawl underneath. He scrapped the mower.

Curly, that pickup tool worked.

On first try it grabbed the broken fitting. I was so relieved I just opened a beer!

Good Job !

Might have to get the longer one like you have....mine is only about 24" long.

The one I got is 61". I dipped a wire down and it's 34" to the bottom of the trap so I know I need at least 36".