Yep, you guessed it! My wife noticed her wedding ring was missing (minutes after using our manual pump head). We searched the boat top to bottom three or four times to no avail. Our only other alternative could be that it was flushed down the head. We have since pumped the holding tank out, but I am hoping the ring was heavy enough to stay put (wherever it is). Any ideas on how to go about finding it?
- Status
We'll see what the expert says...
...but my hunch is, it'll cost more to go looking in that tank than it will to get her a new ring. Which, come to think of it, could have been the motive for the disaster to begin with.
...but my hunch is, it'll cost more to go looking in that tank than it will to get her a new ring. Which, come to think of it, could have been the motive for the disaster to begin with.
Oh noooooooooooooooo! Hoo boy!!!
There IS a good chance that it's still in the tank...pumpouts lose their "oomph" once the level gets below the top of the discharge fitting and lets it start sucking air. If your tank has a 3" inspection port, just put on some rubber gloves...smear some Vicks under your nose...open it up and reach to fumble for it (If your hand is too big to fit, someone with a smaller hand will win the honor of doing it). If it doesn't have an inspection port, it's neither expensive nor a major big deal to install one...and you should have one anyway. Beckson makes retrofit kits that West Marine sells for as little as $10 or even less...and all you need is the correct size hole saw and access to the top of the tank...you shouldn't even have to take the tank out. So if it's in the tank, finding it and getting it back is a bit of a nasty job...but not a difficult one. Trouble is, it may be in the plumbing somewhere...not in the tank at all....Wait a minute...a possible INSPIRATION!!!! Before you look in the tank...have you disconnected the discharge fitting on the toilet to see if just MAYBE it didn't make it past the joker valve? Also check her clothing THOROUGHLY...amazing how things can find there way into a cuff or a pocket without our knowing it.
There IS a good chance that it's still in the tank...pumpouts lose their "oomph" once the level gets below the top of the discharge fitting and lets it start sucking air. If your tank has a 3" inspection port, just put on some rubber gloves...smear some Vicks under your nose...open it up and reach to fumble for it (If your hand is too big to fit, someone with a smaller hand will win the honor of doing it). If it doesn't have an inspection port, it's neither expensive nor a major big deal to install one...and you should have one anyway. Beckson makes retrofit kits that West Marine sells for as little as $10 or even less...and all you need is the correct size hole saw and access to the top of the tank...you shouldn't even have to take the tank out. So if it's in the tank, finding it and getting it back is a bit of a nasty job...but not a difficult one. Trouble is, it may be in the plumbing somewhere...not in the tank at all....Wait a minute...a possible INSPIRATION!!!! Before you look in the tank...have you disconnected the discharge fitting on the toilet to see if just MAYBE it didn't make it past the joker valve? Also check her clothing THOROUGHLY...amazing how things can find there way into a cuff or a pocket without our knowing it.
If you have to dig through the s---
If you have to go digging. Let you wife dig for it. It belongs to her, pride of ownership etc, etc. Actually, something similar happened to my wife several years ago. She went to K-mart for some winter gloves. We *ASSUME* that while trying them on she lost her ring when she removed the gloves and DID NOT NOTICE it missing. When she got home she went ballistic. She went back to the store and started digging through the glove but never found the ring. We assume that someone bought the gloves and got a 1 carat diamond for about $6 and the gloves where free! Hope you find it. I know what you are going through, except for diggin' in the holding tank that is.
If you have to go digging. Let you wife dig for it. It belongs to her, pride of ownership etc, etc. Actually, something similar happened to my wife several years ago. She went to K-mart for some winter gloves. We *ASSUME* that while trying them on she lost her ring when she removed the gloves and DID NOT NOTICE it missing. When she got home she went ballistic. She went back to the store and started digging through the glove but never found the ring. We assume that someone bought the gloves and got a 1 carat diamond for about $6 and the gloves where free! Hope you find it. I know what you are going through, except for diggin' in the holding tank that is.
ring recovery
The best advice that you could act on is the use of a shop vac.....I have two. One my wife spent $100+ on and the other I bought for $5 at a garage sale. My advice....Get a used shop vac,clean it thouroughly, use it on your holding tank, sift through it with gloves and if there are no results,make a claim to your insurance company! good luck! (yuck)..............Gary
The best advice that you could act on is the use of a shop vac.....I have two. One my wife spent $100+ on and the other I bought for $5 at a garage sale. My advice....Get a used shop vac,clean it thouroughly, use it on your holding tank, sift through it with gloves and if there are no results,make a claim to your insurance company! good luck! (yuck)..............Gary
- Status