You’re cleaning under the sink, reach behind the pipes, and suddenly feel something strange — a handful of tiny metal balls, some shiny, some slightly rusty. You didn’t leave them there. You don’t own tiny metal balls.
So where did they come from?
Don’t panic — this isn’t a sign of sabotage or a hidden science experiment gone wrong. In most cases, those little metal beads have a very logical (and common) explanation: your pull-out kitchen faucet.
Let’s solve the mystery.
🧩 The Real Culprit: Your Faucet’s Retractable Hose Weight
If you have a pull-out or pull-down kitchen faucet, it likely uses a retractable hose for rinsing dishes, filling pots, or cleaning the sink.
To help that hose smoothly snap back into place instead of dangling loosely, manufacturers install a counterweight along the hose or at its base inside the cabinet.
That weight is often filled with small metal ball bearings or steel shot — the exact “mystery balls” you’re finding under your sink.
🔍 How It Happens
