Whether you consider yourself a DIY pro or not, there are certain tools that every homeowner should have on hand. Being confident you’ll be able to stem any sudden floods that come your way is a huge boon.
Here are the six plumbing tools that will help you feel that confident. We think all homeowners should have these on hand–just in case.
A plunger
This one should be a given, but we’re not going to make the mistake of forgetting it. Plungers are essential. Imagine it: you’ve accidentally clogged a toilet. The water is rising fast. And there’s no plunger in sight. It could happen to you!
Here’s the most important suggestion in this blog: have two plungers. Keep one cup plunger for sinks and tubs, and one flange plunger for toilet clogs. It’s hard to overstate the importance of the simple plunger. Having one on hand could make all the difference.
A hand auger
A hand auger is a good thing to have for when a clog gets too intense for your plunger. A hand auger is a long, coiled metal wire connected to a hand crank. To use it, place the end of the wire in the drain and uncoil it using the hand crank.
As the wire uncoils, it pushes through the drain, clearing away clogs as it goes. When you have a clog that’s too much for your plunger, a hand auger is your best bet.
A high quality roll of duct tape
Duct tape is useful to have around in general, but it is especially helpful with plumbing because it’s water resistant. If you’ve notice a small leak, you can temporarily keep it from getting worse by wrapping duct tape around the leaking pipe.
Duct tape creates a tight, temporary, water-resistant seal. This seal will hold until you can bring professionals in to take care of fixing it long-term. Think of duct tape as a band-aid for your plumbing. It won’t actually solve the problem, but it’s great first aid!
A caulking gun
Spot-treating the caulking around your home shower or bath can be an easy-to-handle project for home plumbing DIY’ers.
If you’re going to do it, do it right! A home caulking gun will allow you to apply caulk smoothly and evenly.
A wrench set
There are a number of different wrenches that we recommend for anyone who expects to do some home plumbing. First and foremost, an adjustable wrench that can be used to handle hexagonal connections. A basin wrench can be used for handling nuts and getting into hard-to-reach places. A pipe wrench can be used when you need to get something handled quickly and efficiently.
Having all of these wrenches on-hand will ensure that you can reach any nuts and bolts you have to access.
A hacksaw
We hope you’ll never have to use this one, but it’s still handy to have around. A hacksaw is a handheld saw strong enough to cut through plastic or metal piping – or any plumbing fixture that gets in your way during an emergency.
Honestly, you probably won’t use these tools every single day. Trust us when we say that when you do need them, however, and that you’re going to be happy to have them.
Having these tools will help you at least keep any emergency plumbing problems you may encounter from getting any worse. After you’ve performed your plumbing first aid, you can always call on Ben Franklin Plumbing to finish the job.