Help retreving iPad

[tward]

My daughter dropped her iPad down a cold air return. It’s on the second story and looks like it stopped about 5 ft down. I tried to reach it from below but there is wooden blocking at the 1st floor. Any ideas on how to fish it out of the wall, duct?[smilie=b:Tim

[redhawk0]

Can you see it? If so...make a V out of a coat hanger...put hooks on the ends of the V...then lower it with a string and try to put the two hooks under one edge....then pull it up.

If you can't see it....is there access to the to it from the first floor or basement...try to knock it down to an area where you can pull open a section of duct work and retrieve it from there.

redhawk

[fatelk]

Maybe a broom handle with a sticky ball of duct tape on the end?

[MyFlatline]

If only 5 feet, one of the grabbers and a long arm should reach. Good excuse to buy a bore scope so you can tell for sure.

[Texas by God]

My daughter would have the wall torn down in minutes[emoji16]

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[Elkins45]

Stick with some of that really sticky double sided tape they use to mount picture frames to the wall?

[ericandelaine1975]

Hold your daughter by the ankles and lower her down and let her grab it.

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[sigep1764]

Id wait for the battery to go dead. Then Id get either a rare earth magnet and attach it to a string and pull it up or one of those extendable arms with a magnetic tip that mechanics use.

[MyFlatline]

Hold your daughter by the ankles and lower her down and let her grab it.

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I almost asked how big she was :) I was trying to be nice..

[ericandelaine1975]

I've done it. Lol

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[Elkins45]

Id wait for the battery to go dead. Then Id get either a rare earth magnet and attach it to a string and pull it up or one of those extendable arms with a magnetic tip that mechanics use.

I doubt there is any ferrous metal in an iPad for the magnet to attract.

[ShooterAZ]

Fashion a "noose" on a stick, think what the animal control people use to catch dogs. Reach it down around it, tighten the noose and pull it out.

[NyFirefighter357]

By any chance does it have a silicone protector on it? You might be able to literally fish it out with a treble hook with one hook cut off.
The grabber with the suction cup ends if you can get to both front & back.
2 heavy wires snaked down with tight "V" bend.
Can you get a picture?

[am44mag]

One of those extended grippers would probably be best.

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61Ix9E5QJgL._SL1423_.jpg

If not, you could always try chewed bubble gum on a stick. :p

How the heck did it end up in the cold air return?

[lefty o]

i recommend a sawzall.

[JimB..]

Put a 90 degree elbow on the end of the vacuum tube.

[Markopolo]

Hold your daughter by the ankles and lower her down and let her grab it.

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I am with Eric on this one, unless she is very very young, then you gotta just grin and bear it..

[RP]

So far I am liking the vacuum plan snake the hose down then turn it on.

[ROCKET]

Hold your daughter by the ankles and lower her down and let her grab it.

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What he said...

[Mr_Sheesh]

It'd help to see if it's stable where it is (if so a suction cup or a sticky tape ball might work very well) or if it's at risk of falling down further (in which case rig something below it to catch it if you oops and knock it free) - Lots of good ideas here. In an emergency you might be able to use a bit of superglue or epoxy, if you could be sure to stick to the case, not the display that'd be best. (If epoxy let it "B-Stage" i.e. start to get very thick before shoving it against the case, so it doesn't seep into the case / drip so badly?) My guess is that some duct tape should do it, put it over the end of a stick so it's held up by a string and then release the string so it attaches itself to the iPad and haul it up once it's pressed on well? I hope you have success in retrieving it :)

[Gewehr-Guy]

When looking for hidden dropped things I have taped a small flashlight to a long stick to see where the object is, that way you don't make shadows like when shining the light from above. Works when you drop a small wrench behind a combine engine[smilie=b:

[lightman]

Some type of garden tool like a garden hoe or grubbing hoe should be able to capture it. If you have to buy something that gripper thingy pictured above should work.

[popper]

The vent in the wall? Most I've seen are really just space between studs, so just a cross board/fire break - knock it all the way down? Bare Ipad grabber will probably break the screen. Tie some netting on a string & push past with a pole. Or cheaper route - screen time is OVER!!!

[jonp]

2 3ft long screw or bolt pickers you can get from Harbor Freight or elsewhere might work if you put them together. I bought the ones with a light built into them.

If you dangle her by the ankles she might learn a lesson, :p

[Down South]

Long handle Dip Net?

[DCP]

A professional duct cleaner with get in a short order. Then just get your ducts cleaned. Don't ask how I know.

[Eddie17]

There is some metal that a magnet will attract. That’s how one of there cases close an turn off the unit. Not sure if enough to pickup an lift though!

[redhawk0]

Likely the case made of aluminum. The circuit board will be gold, silver, copper...all non magnetic...however, mounting screws inside will be steel. If you can get a strong enough magnet... you might take advantage of a mounting screw....but that will be about the only thing magnetic in it.

redhawk

[MUSTANG]

A good, strong suctions, vacuum cleaner with hose. Run the hose down the vent turn on the vacuum and try to get the circular opening of the hose to contact a flat surface on the computer. It will "Suck down Tight" on the flat surface, the vacuum will shift sound to a high pitch. Pull the computer up using the hose "Vacuum Locked" onto the computer.

[samari46]

Fish it out with a heavy fishing sinker with the bottom end cut flat and use contact spray on the flat end and use fishing line. That's my suggestion. Frank.

[Handloader109]

Coat hanger double Hooks in V would probably work. or extra long gripper if you can see it. Sticky tape probably won't stick well enough. They DO have some metal, but not nearly enough for magnet to pick them up by. Not even enough to move it.
Dangle would be interesting. She might learn something......

[HATCH]

this is the problem.
Once you grab it, you have to hold onto it because if you drop it, it may fall farther down.


Get a coat hanger and some small diameter rope.
bend the coat hanger to a V with two hooks on the end of the V.
Tie the rope to the center of the V
Drop it down.
You want it to be a V so it will pull it straight up without taking a chance of it falling off the hook
Should be pretty easy to do

[MUSTANG]

Measure how far down the Computer is. Cut a hole in the dry wall. Pull out computer, patch and paint dry wall.

[Dieselhorses]

If it is still there, go to hardware store or harbor freight and purchase one of those "trash picker upper" thingy's, the kind you can reach out and squeeze handle and jaws will close. Wrap some double stick tape are jaws for assurance.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

I'm thinking a good shop vac with a longer hose

[country gent]

I would be leary of the magnet since it may affect the screen and or drive adversely.

[DCP]

Two days now- All these suggestion. No update. The original op has been online about an hour or so ago

This seems to happen a lot.

[Dieselhorses]

Two days now- All these suggestion. No update. The original op has been online about an hour or so ago

This seems to happen a lot.I'm curious too

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[sureYnot]

We'll need some kind of resolution here...

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[Smoke4320]

Fishing rod, deep sea rig and 2/0 trible hooks.

[Finster101]

Two days now- All these suggestion. No update. The original op has been online about an hour or so ago

This seems to happen a lot.


I agree. After asking for help it would seem polite to offer up the resolution and a thank you.

[DCP]

Well I guess we have our answer
Last Activity Yesterday 08:12 PM