I accidentally flushed my watch down the toilet. Do I need to take the toilet apart to get it out? The toilet seems to be working fine. Will it cause problems later if I don't get it out?

I'm no plumbing expert but it probably went straight through the toilet since you say it's working fine now, I'm guessing it's gone...

Hi all..

Lowtax may be right TDG...

But if that watch got through the toilet you can probably be sure that it will cause an issue for you.. someday... ;)

Take some toilet paper and flush it down the toilet. Use a few large wads and see if it will actually flush through. If it won't flush through, then you can plan on having to LIFT the toilet off the floor and see if you can find the watch tangled up in the toilet paper at inside base of toilet.

Otherwise, the watch is inside the MAIN DRAIN pipe and you should see if you can locate a MANI DRAIN CLEANOUT, remove the cleanout cap, and then see if you can force the watch down to the cleanout using water. To do this you would have a friend at the cleanout and you could say, fill a tub to rim with water and then drain the tub and flush the toilets while your friend stays by cleanout with a large slotted kitchen spoon stuck into the drain pipe to see if they can catch the watch as it goes by.

If you are in a 1 story building with a relatively flat roof may even be a better idea to stick a hose into the vent pipe going out the roof and then turn hose on full blast while friend works at the cleanout.

Or finally, worst case, just wait to see if drain line clogs up... then can clean the drain line to cleanout or to the street (or septic system?).

Let me know what you think...

MARK

Too bad about your watch. I think it went out on the tide. Rode it right threigh your system and out into the street main. A long time ago back in Wisconsin I strained a four inch sewer out at the street catch basin for a flushed diamond ring. I never found the ring but the sewer bag set up I had flushed a old rusted 25 caliber automatic that was small enough to get in the sewer out of the sewer pipe. Is a gun will go through the system my bet's that your watch will also. Say By-By and purchase a "knockoff Rollex" Good luck, Tom

Watch most likely passed through the china bowl and it is inside the horizontal section of your sewer pipe. Horizontal drains have modest slope ( 1/4" or 1/8" per foot) and liquids move only on the bottom of the pipe. Sometimes, when you flush something heavy, like feminine products, it will be too heavy to be carried through the system. But anyway, you should not use your plumbing system because every time you flush, watch will move forward inside your drain. I would suggest to remove the bowl first. If it is not inside, than take sewer video camera and run it through the sewer. I bet you you will see it there. If it had metal band than there is better chance you'll find it. That's assuming it is family house. If it is an office building and the toilet is several stories up - then you probably long gone.

Too bad about your watch. I think it went out on the tide. rode it right threigh your system and out into the street main. A long time ago back in Wisconsin I strained a four inch sewer out at the street catch basin for a flushed diamond ring. I never found the ring but the sewer bag set up I had flushed a old rusted 25 caliber automatic that was small enough to get in the sewer out of the sewer pipe. Is a gun will go through the system my bet's that your watch will also. Say By-By and purchase a "knockoff Rollex" Good luck, Tom I forgot to add. If this watch wasn't waterproof then forget it!!

Thanks everyone for your answers, I'm not worried about the watch it was a cheapie one no big deal there. I'm just worried about the plumbing. My husband is really upset about it, he's not too handy when it comes to stuff like this and really doesn't want to take the toilet out to look for it and doesn't want to get a plumber either because they are so expensive. Right now we are just not using that bathroom, we have another one. I just feel really bad about doing this stupid thing. I hope maybe it just went right on through and we will be able to use it again. Thanks again for your answers.

If you don't need the watch then I would not worry about clogged drain. Fill up tub couple times and drain it. Flush toilet several times in succession. Water flow will move your watch to the City sewer.