10 Foot Aluminum Pole Dropped Down Soil Stack Vent

How about partially dismantling the soil stack?

Quite the problem! Maybe you should submit this as an official Challenge Question.

Of course, there needs to be a definitive answer...

This idea might work, but I can't think of anything better for the moment.

By 30' of 1/8" nylon rope.

At your local fishing store, buy a half dozen small 3-barbed fishing hooks. I am thinking of the ones that look like miniature grappling hooks.

Buy some fishing line and some weighted sinkers.

Attach sinkers to hooks and then tie then to the end of the nylon rope. I would leave about 12" between sinkers and hooks and another 12" between hooks and rope.

Lower the sinkers and hooks past the plastic handle of the aluminum pole and then slowly retrieve.

You really need some "fishing" luck here, but oh, what a story! Just have someone standing by with a camera.

The downside is that you may snag a hook at a pipe joint, but successive lowering and raising should get you past that if you take your time.

Good luck. If this works you owe me a beer.

My suggestion would be to talk to a local well driller. It is not uncommon for them to have to retrieve broken sections of pipe or drilling equipment from much further depths than that. I know many of them have special tools for the job.

Perhaps a piece of PVC or other pipe with a screw sticking out the end. Then you could push it down and screw it into the handle and hope its strong enough for you to lift the thing out.

Oh dear Murray, you are in a bit of a pickle!

Cut the pipe, take out the obstructing 'accidentally dropped 10 foot Aluminum Swimming Pool Pole' and use a joining piece to fix the pipe!

I think I can speak for all of us here, exactly why did you accidentally drop a 10 foot Aluminum Swimming Pool Pole down your soil stack pipe? I could be inclined to give you a Good answer vote if you can come up with a good humorous reply!

Here's what I would try.

Since the pole handle is 1 3/4 try fitting a piece of PVC or ABS over a similar piece if you have one. If you can get a snug fit with say a piece of 2 inch you are in the running. Next, since your pole is 21 feet down and plastic pipe is usually sold in 20 foot lengths, get a piece that is 1 3/4 OD, 2 couplers and another few feet of 1 3/4. Check to see if the coupler will fit snugly on a pole handle.

Now, to help in the retrieval, file the inside lip of the coupler to make a conical docking entry for the pole handle. Next drive a couple of sheet-rock screws through the pipe just above the coupler as stopper/holder for a wad of rope caulk, the stickier the better. Lower this contraption down the vent and hope you can get it to hold on the pole. Raise it slowly and steadily. A sudden jerk will probably dislodge it.

I'm sure this will be easier than taking the wall apart but you may have to do that anyway.

This is a golf ball retriever. It comes with a telescopic handle of various lengths (maximum 24 feet). You could lower it down the pipe and you may be able to grab the aluminum pole in a friction grip. If not directly, perhaps with a little modification of the wire at the end.

It would be a tough job, but you might get lucky.

All the best.

And let us know what worked! (Note the strong optimism here...)

In order of likely success you could:

1) Try to lasso it, with a loop at the end of a pole or loose
line. Or, make a grab at the end, (works when pulled) like those
novelty cranes you see at fairs.

2) Use a sticky substance, e.g. similar to blue tack, at the end
of a rod / pole and apply pressure to stick to the top of the pole.

3. Use a tube (wider than the pole) with a circular grip at the end
- like the ones used to secure wheels on pedal cars. Push the "grip"
over the top of the pole. Almost any lattice "mesh" could grip the pole.

4) Getting desperate now, seal off the end and flood the stack
to float up the pole. (some pool poles float.) You could do this
with just a 4" pipe, if the stack will accept it.

5) Ask a diy'er to come and do it for you!

jt.

I used to be an archaeologist, but quit, when I realised my life was in ruins.

Glue together enough 1 1/2 in pvc to make a 22 ft pole. Glue an end cap on one end. Drill a hole in it. Find a plastic drinking cup, just smaller that the stack pipe ID. Drill a hole in the bottom of it, and screw it on to the end of the pvc end cap. Fill the bottom of the cup with epoxy putty. Lower it in, maybe you can "feel" when the handle bottoms in the cup. Wait for the epoxy to set up and carefully remove. Basically a variation on #6 and #9.

When this fails and everything is stuck in the pipe, call a plumber.

Hi!.

why don´t you try with a 2" inner diameter steel ring tyed to a nylon line the secction of the ring should be 3/16" if you let it go down inside the soil stack vent, due to the dimentions it will tend to locate between both the pole handle and the the vent pipe (some shaking may help). Once you notice the ring has the pole handle inside it, just pull the line upwards it will tend to lock the pole inside it.

I think it can do the trick.

Good luck!.

What about connecting a powerful shop-vac to a long length of swimming pool hose and droppping down the stack? Just want to be sure the vac is vented outside or you won't score any cleverness points with the missus.

I like your style Dave! He could use lengths of bamboo!

I can see it now, his next post will be 'Help me! I accidentally dropped a 21 foot bamboo pole and a 10 foot aluminium pool pole down my soil stack vent! Any ideas how to get them out?'

Come on Murrey, put us out of our misery! Did you retrieve your pool pole?

Quite right - is the pool pole pulled? Inquiring minds want to know...

To all my concerned partners out there about my above mentioned predicament, thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your useful suggestions how to remedy this problem. It's comforting to know that I am not alone out there in this real world without knowledgeable and ingenious people who are truly interested in solving other peoples problems. Your responses have been overwhelming to me and I can't believe all the support that you all continue to provide me. I felt so stupid when I dropped this Aluminum Pole down the Soil Stack Vent but now I feel that I am not alone in making this mistake. I have not proceeded with any suggestion as of this moment because I am going out of town for a few days, and I do not have enough time to review and try any of your suggestions right now, but when I return back home, I will be reviewing all of your suggestions to see what solution (or solutions) make the most sense to me. I have to get this Aluminum Pole out of my Soil Stack as quickly as possible or risk blocking up my Waste Pipe to my Sewer Drain. Please continue to e-mail me your suggestions how to remove the Aluminum Pole from the Soil Stack Vent. Does anyone know what Adhesive best sticks to a Polyethylene (or Polypropylene)Plastic Handle. I read that Epoxy Glue or Epoxy Putty does not stick to this type of Plastic. Can anyone confirm or deny that statement? What adhesive works best?

Murray

I'd use Elmer's glue myself, so there'd be a chance of prying it off in usable condition. But there's a TON of ways w/o glue of any kind to try first!