Minor plumbing issues can happen at any time, and having a few essential plumbing tools on hand can help you resolve some of them yourself. Even if you are not a licensed plumber, having an emergency plumbing kit is essential.
5 Tools for Your Emergency Plumbing Kit
You can be ready for your next plumbing emergency if you have these items on hand:
1. Tacklebox, Gloves and Rags
A large tackle box keeps all your plumbing essentials in one place, organized and ready when you need them. Since many plumbing jobs can be messy, you will want thick, long rubber gloves to protect your skin, and rags to mop up any leaks.
2. Flange or Cupped Plungers
Flange plungers seal off the hole in your toilet so you can remove clogs with a quick up-and-down motion. Cup plungers have a flat bottom that is ideal for sinks. Having plungers on hand can help you deal with minor clogs and backed-up toilets.
3. Hand or Electric Snake
Also known as a sink or hand auger, a plumber's snake helps you remove deeply impacted clogs. A snake comes with a steel cable that is usually about 25 feet long. Insert the cable into the clogged drain until you encounter resistance. Then, turn and pull the cable up and down. Hand snakes let you do this manually while electric plumber snakes plug into an outlet for more torque.
4. Adjustable Wrenches and Allen Keys
Adjustable pipe wrenches let you unscrew various nuts, bolts and gears or tighten pipes. Allen keys let you remove faucets and other plumbing components for quick fixes and upgrades.
5. Tape and Putty
Duct and Teflon tape are two essentials for your plumbing kit. Duct tape temporarily seals minor leaks in PVC pipes, while Teflon tape creates metal-on-metal seals. Putty provides a short-term seal where tape does not stick. Temporarily sealing a leak helps you prevent water damage before a licensed plumber arrives.
Contact Us for Emergency Plumbing
Even with essential plumbing tools ready, some plumbing jobs are not DIY projects. You may not know how to solve a leak or other plumbing problem or the project may just be too big for one person. Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Oneida has licensed plumbers that are certified for plumbing leak detection and more.
When your plumbing essential toolbox doesn’t quite solve the problem, contact Mr. Rooter for any professional plumbing services you need.
