How to get something out of a floor vent
Standard tools like shop vacuums fail to lift objects lying flat deep inside ductwork because they cannot maintain enough suction to pull the item up. This leaves people unable to clear obstructions stuck several feet down the line without specialized reach or retrieval attachments.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Using a measuring tape with duct tape
- 2Using a fiberglass fish stick with Gorilla tape
- 3Attaching a string and glue trap for mice
- 4Using a flexible fish stick with a barb to spear the object
- 5Creating a snare using a PVC pipe and a loop of wire
- 6Using a leaf blower on the downstream side to propel the object
- 7leaving it there
- 8tipping the machine
- 9Using a shop vac to suck the object out or grab it with needle nose pliers
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“How do I get this beer can out of my vents?”source ↗
“That there is a beer can left in construction 4-5 feet down that vent.”source ↗
“I tried a shop vac- I can get it down to the can but can’t get enough suction since the can is on its side.”source ↗
“Dropped a big wrench on a string down a two story cast iron stack. Now its stuck. Ideas for how to retrieve it?”source ↗
“I purchased a drain plug that doesn’t allow the gas through. It slipped down into the drain this morning. The rubber adapter slipped off. The adapter didn’t go down the drain just the plastic part. How fucked am I?”source ↗
“I dropped the sponge down between the drum and the walls.”source ↗