Parts go down the drain!

[ron350]

I keep loosing small parts down the bathroom sink drain and need to find an idiot-proof solution.

I ran across this p-trap strainer and was wondering if any one had any experience with traps like this?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/175057929308?hash=item28c244045c:g:GEEAAOSwH6lhsmJU

[TexasT]

If what ever you are loosing down there is heavy enough not to get washed through the trap I can't see why it isn't in the trap. But I guess that thing would only need one connection taken off instead of two for the whole trap. And I guess it is clear so you can see just what get stuck in it.

[ron350]

Small plastic and metal parts just go straight through the 1-1/4 inch bathroom p-trap. The plastic part that was lost was about ¼ inch square from the face plate of a 2010 Sonata radio. Now I will have to go to the salvage yard and pay for a radio to get the lost part.

[oldnslo]

Not sure what size parts are "small" to you, but if they are being cleaned in the house I would presume pretty small and not terribly messy. As of late, I have been tinkering with watches, and as you might imagine, those parts are small. I wont go into the whole "proper watch parts washer" thing, but here is what I use for cleaning small, but not incredibly tiny parts.

The parts are cleaned in very small tubs (think small like margarine, cream cheese, etc), generally with toothbrushes, soap and water, etc.

That tub is contained in a larger tub/vessel, just in case parts jump, or float on the water.

The above 2 are contained in a clean oil drain pan.

The drain pan goes in the sink and used for overflow. The two smaller tubs are clear, so I can see parts.

All this precaution was the result of a recent watch cleaning episode where when I got to re-assembling the band, I was missing the 2 end links that go against the watch face from the band. I looked all over my workbench and didnt find them. I then thought to check the sink, and THANKFULLY they were in the sink strainer, where they would have for sure gone down the drain.

Even then, I didnt know if I had lost them from the trip from the workbench to the kitchen sink.

Hope that helps.

[ron350]

I would never attempt to work on small parts like your watch. Next time I will use your pan in a pan system.
I would not have been working on this Sonata radio but I owed the mechanic a favor.

The plastic part that diapered was actually ½ x ½ x ¼ inch. There were two plastic parts in the faceplate that I did not know were removable so one must have gone down the drain during a rinse.

[ron350]

The 2010 Sonata radio that had the scratched and fogged up display plastic lens.

[fatfillup]

I like the idea of the see thru trap, never tried one.

[DeadNutz]

I never knew they made a clear strainer trap and that could be useful. I don't usually clean things in a sink and use a variety of small to medium plastic tubs. Larger items can go in the large mud box. It would be better if I was on a sewer system but I try to keep contaminants out of our septic system.