5 Plumbing Tools Every Homeowner Should Have on Hand

Like famed Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes once said, “To be prepared is half the victory”. While we’re fairly certain he wasn’t talking about home plumbing tools, we still think his advice stands. Being prepared is the difference between calmly and safely handling a problem… and standing knee-deep in flooding sewage water. It’s the difference between (at worst) a few hours of stress and lasting, expensive damage.

There are a number of ways to be prepared when it comes to your household plumbing. Reading best practices, knowing the phone number of your trusted local plumber, and more. Preparation is about instruments as well as knowledge, however. That’s why we’ve listed the five plumbing tools we recommend all homeowners have on hand below.

A plunger (or two)

Plungers are more safety net than actual tool, but you’re going to want some in your home nevertheless. There are two main varieties of plunger every homeowner should possess: a cup plunger and a flange plunger. The cup plunger works best for cleaning out drain clogs in sinks, tubs, or anywhere else where the drain rests on a flat surface.

The flange plunger is best for toilets, because it has additional soft rubber coming from the cup. This extra component – the flange – helps make a seal on curved surfaces like the ones in a toilet bowl. You’re going to want to have both cup and flange plungers around your home at all times. The one time you don’t have one or the another is the one time you’ll need it.

A roll of handy dandy duct tape

Duct tape should always be on hand for home emergency quick fixes. It’s capable of creating a seal in and around a leak that will block off water trying to make its way out. Its water resistant and hearty nature combine to make the perfect stop-gap solution between finding a leak and a permanent fix.

A pipe wrench

The intended use of a pipe wrench is to tighten or loosen things that are difficult to grip with other tools. They have a metal handle and two serrated, jaw-like protrudences that can be adjusted to fit a connection.

Pipe wrenches are perfectly built for the tightening, loosening, removal, or replacement of pipes. That makes them an ideal home plumbing tool to have on hand, just in case.

An adjustable wrench

This is the wrench you imagine when someone tells you to picture a wrench. They’re multi-use, multi-functional, and capable of tightening and loosening nuts and bolts of all varieties. An adjustable wrench should be the first thing to have on your list of potential problem subverters.

An auger and a snake

These two are being listed together because they tend to work in tandem. An auger and snake are for drain clogs that your average plunger can’t quite handle. An auger is typically used for the toilet. They’re designed to easily move through a toilet drain to hook onto potential clogs and pull them out. The snake is a bit more versatile. It’s meant to be used on other appliances like tubs, showers, and sinks.

Unfortunately, even with all these tools, you won’t always be able to solve your plumbing on your own. When you need professional help, don’t hesitate to call on the experts at Len The Plumber.