Suck lost items right out of the drain
Sometimes the best ideas are the simplest. That's the case with a gem I encountered from Family Hack, a blog created by the Davis family of Charlottesville, Va. At least that's the family's home base, although they spends much of their time traveling — the subject of the blog.
Dad Michael Davis figured out a way to use a wet/dry shop vacuum to remove objects dropped down a sink drain. A video of his technique is making the e-mail rounds.
Davis slips a leg from a pair of pantyhose over the nozzle of the vacuum cleaner's hose and sticks the nozzle over the drain opening after removing the stopper. The nylon keeps the item from being sucked into the machine. If the item is heavy, plug the drain hole first to increase the suction, he recommends. Don't use a regular vacuum cleaner, because it's not made for use in a wet environment and could present a shock hazard. When you're finished, run water into the drain to refill the trap and keep sewer gases from backing up into the room.
Davis said the idea hit him after he was roused one morning by his 6-year-old daughter, who had dropped a bottle cap into the drain. He didn't want to walk all the way to the basement to get his tools, and he was inspired when he spotted his shop vac, which was sitting out during a painting project.
"I was literally in a pre-coffee fog," he said. The video has been posted on the site since 2007, but Davis said it went viral in early May when someone distributed it by e-mail. You can see it at www.familyhack.com. Look in the videos section.
Comments
- Shuttle Atlantis headed home 8:30 a.m.
- Obama going to climate summit 8:23 a.m.
- Toyota to replace 4M gas pedals 8:05 a.m.
- Stocks mixed amid economic data 8:04 a.m.
- Gay marriage push stalls in N.Y., N.J. 7:48 a.m.
- Lou Dobbs weighs N.J. Senate run 7:31 a.m.
- Twitterati to BCS: 'We hate you.' 7:23 a.m.
- Grizz goalie receives weekly award 7:15 a.m.
- Weekly unemployment below 500K 7:10 a.m.
- Federer reclaims year-end No. 1 rank 7:09 a.m.
- Utah, BYU are top choices for bowls
- BYU would like friendlier rivalry
- KSL: Prostitution in Utah County
- Protests against Phoenix LDS temple
- Witness describes '99 killing
- Best prep football games of 2009
- Man trapped in own body for 23 yrs
- Boys basketball rankings
- Kirilenko climbing blocks list
- Mitchell lawyers lose motion to leave
- BYU would like friendlier rivalry
235 - Glenn Beck to enter politics?
225 - RSL wins MLS Cup on penalty kicks
202 - Protests against Phoenix LDS temple
195 - Bronco, Kyle rubber match
137 - BYU records with win
133 - Letters: Rushing to judge Palin
123 - Hall, Johnson matchup key
102 - 4A: Timpview wins 4th in 4 years
94 - Cougars turn focus to dreaded rivals
90
How unfortunate. What a pretty young woman. What a huge loss to her family...
I think it is wonderful that the hospitalized people in the Wellington Ward...
Joan of Arc of traditional values? Ha! I call that a traditional...
How are ya today? Your logic is flawed as usual. For your info abortions...
At least the Knicks lost. The problem is the Thunder are not a bad team, and...
i agree stay close to home and enjoy family and friends
Yes Bingham has a very talented team but over the off season those boys at...
what a bunch of weak fans we have, the Jazz lose it's Jerry's fault, they win...
odd that last night I found myself hoping for a loss or not really caring if...
Fine,all you people that think you are so smart against statistics just keep...



You can be the first to comment on this story.