Plumbers are often surprised by the items removed from clogged drains
When giving advice about preventing pipe and drain blockages, plumbers tend to focus on items that you might reasonably consider flushing, like paper towels, Q-tips, diapers, and feminine hygiene products. However, far weirder things than these common causes of clogs have been recovered in the course of a drain cleaning. It boggles the mind how some of these top 5 weird items got into the drains in the first place, but it’s good to know that your friendly neighborhood drain cleaning service will clear out your pipes and get rid of weird items without judging you.
A Working Electric Razor: At first no one knew why this toilet was clogged. When the plumber fed his snake down the drain, the entire toilet began to vibrate. Turns out the homeowner’s cat had knocked an electric razor into the toilet and the plumber’s snake hit the power switch, creating a truly buzz-worthy clog.
A Live Civil War Cannon Shell: Many city sewer systems rely on really old mains where antique oddities may be found. During an excavation in Vicksburg, Mississippi, plumbers uncovered a live Civil War cannon shell, most likely left behind after the city was bombarded in 1863. They had to call specialists from the Army to remove the shell.
A Toy Army: When a creative three-year-old in Bloomington, Illinois decided to have his GI Joes practice deep water rescue techniques in the family’s toilet, a real rescue & recovery mission was soon in order. As Joe after Joe failed to return, the boy sent more and more soldiers down into the abyss, plus some Matchbox cars for good measure. In total the plumber removed 15 toys from the drain line.
Miniature Liquor Bottles: One California business found itself with a real disaster on its hands: a backed up sewer main resulting in overflowing sinks and toilets in every bathroom. The plumbers were called to the scene to clean out the drain. What they discovered enabled the company to solve its plumbing issue, but created a different sort of headache. Apparently an employee had been bringing in miniature bottles of liquor, drinking at work, and then flushing the empties in an attempt to hide the evidence.
False Teeth: False teeth are actually a pretty common cause of pipe blockages. They can get knocked off of the counter and into the toilet pretty easily. What’s weird about it is how many people want their false teeth back after they’ve been marinating in wastewater. In the UK, one utility provider has actually set up a lost and found website to help reconnect people with their wayward teeth.