Dropped rubber gasket down drain.

[PlumbMark]

First time in 20+ years in my house and I have managed to drop the rubber gasket
that should be in the thread that attaches under the sink to the main drain pipe, down the drain!

I was able to see it initially (blue) but now I'm not sure I can still see it.
I tried fishing it up with a coat hanger unsuccessfully.

I know this isn't rocket science, but I could still use some guidance on:
1. How to get it out if possible?
2. Will it do harm if it just sits there were it is?

Another related question.
I was always able to get the drain stop to stop the water from going down the drain.
Now for some reason, it is not holding down, to block the water from going down the drain.
I tried putting the lever in different holes, on the clip, but it hasn't made a difference.
Any suggestions for this?

Thanks!

 

[Jeff Handy]

Post some pictures of what you are talking about.

 

[arctic bill]

I used to have something like this

 

[arctic bill]

further any good plumber always puts a rag in any drain if there is a possibility of dropping parts in it .

 

[Jeff Handy]

Yes, I lay a damp rag or several thicknesses of damp paper towels across all drains!

 

[PlumbMark]

Post some pictures of what you are talking about.

It's a standard bathroom sink drain.
Rather than disassemble the parts again just to take a photo down the drain I am
showing the general situation.
The part I guess should be called a 'washer'?
It was inside the part attached to the lever in the right photo.

And yes, from now on (if I remember) I will block the drain with something
to prevent a similar accident from happening in the future.
The reason the part is not screwed tighter now is because I just found
a key-chain ring hanging around that was the same diameter as the washer
and used it. It is probably twice the thickness of the washer.

Thinking about it now, the extra thickness could be the reason the stop
is not working correctly now?

 

[PlumbMark]

I used to have something like this
View attachment 29074

Thanks Bill, that looks like a device I could make use of.
I could see the part initially, but I'm not sure if it is still visible after
wiggling around a coat hanger in there a few times.

 

[Jeff Handy]

If the missing part is just down in the trap, take off the trap to retrieve it.

If you have run water since then, it might be long gone.

I still don’t understand exactly what parts or washer you are trying to describe, and where it used to be.

 

[Riickk]

If it's a washer from the ball assembly that controls the pop-up, it's small enough that I wouldn't worry about it. It's much smaller than the diameter of the drain lines. You could open up the trap, and see if it's there.

As far as the pop-up not sealing, most have an o-ring that actually makes the seal. They sometimes stiffen up, and become ineffective, and I've seen where they've apparently just disappeared (down the drain?).
See what the story is with your pop-up.

 

[PlumbMark]

If it's a washer from the ball assembly that controls the pop-up, it's small enough that I wouldn't worry about it. It's much smaller than the diameter of the drain lines. You could open up the trap, and see if it's there.

As far as the pop-up not sealing, most have an o-ring that actually makes the seal. They sometimes stiffen up, and become ineffective, and I've seen where they've apparently just disappeared (down the drain?).
See what the story is with your pop-up.

Well I just solved one of the problems (pop-up not sealing).
I simply moved the adjustable metal strip further up the lever (closer to the drain) and that
did the trick.

As for retrieving the washer inside the drain, I guess that will just have to remained
unsolved.
I was able to easily unscrew the top ring of the trap but the bottom ring wouldn't budge.
I don't have the tools required to grab a hold of the bottom ring to unscrew it.

 

[Jeff Handy]

If you are talking about the little washer that seals against the ball, which the lifting rod passes through, that washer is important.
If it is missing, or if you replace with the wrong type, that connection can leak.
When running water down the drain.
And especially when letting a full sink of water drain out.
You might have to buy a drain pop-up repair kit, just to get the washer.
And there are at least three or four different styles of washers.

 

[rickwhoo]

I would have used my tool like this one... X-Long 36" Flex-Cable Pick-Up Tool 4-Finger Claw End Retriever Snake: Cable Insertion And Extraction Tools: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

 

[PlumbMark]

If you are talking about the little washer that seals against the ball, which the lifting rod passes through, that washer is important.
If it is missing, or if you replace with the wrong type, that connection can leak.
When running water down the drain.
And especially when letting a full sink of water drain out.
You might have to buy a drain pop-up repair kit, just to get the washer.
And there are at least three or four different styles of washers.

Well now it seems I've got myself into a pickle.
I bought a channel lock to try to open the p-trap.
I still couldn't budge the bottom fastener.

But after trying a bit the whole assembly moved. I pushed it back.
Something in the assembly seems to have loosened.
There is a leak now somewhere.

I haven't pin-pointed it.
It could be from the somewhere in the p-trap assembly
or from the washer that Jeff mentioned above.

Any advice?
Should I throw in the towel and call a professional?

 

[Jeff Handy]

Post a picture showing the whole trap, and ALL the piping under the sink.

If something won’t budge, it is probably rusted metal, or else you are turning the slip nut the wrong way, or some chucklehead applied caulk or sealant which was not needed.

 

[PlumbMark]

Post a picture showing the whole trap, and ALL the piping under the sink.

If something won’t budge, it is probably rusted metal, or else you are turning the slip nut the wrong way, or some chucklehead applied caulk or sealant which was not needed.

I think we may have fixed the problem just now.

It was probably the third possibility you mentioned (for the slip nut not budging).
I can see some kind of glue that was applied on the front slip nut.

We watched the plumbing carefully and saw the leak was occurring at the top nut, where
the pipe attaches to the sink bowl.

As I mentioned, when I was trying to unscrew the front p-trap slip nut (and it wouldn't budge) the whole assembly shifted a little to the left.
I tried to correct it by hitting it towards the right.
In doing so I loosened the joint at the top (top nut).

When we loosened the top nut just now we noticed there wasn't any washer there. Just metal on metal.
Anyway, I straightened the pipes again (they were still leaning to the left) and then tightened the top nut.
The leak seems to have stopped.
Will keep monitoring it closely.