Being prepared is the difference between standing knee-deep in a pool of water and handling a plumbing problem safely. When it comes to household plumbing, you need to have some tools handy. Moreover, you need to learn some basic plumbing tips to save money.
Here are some tools that every homeowner should have:
Duct Tape
When it comes to dealing with emergency plumbing fixes, you need to have some duct tape. You can use this important item to create a seal around a leaking hole thus blocking water that is trying to get out. Duct tape is water resistant, which means that it offers an ideal solution between finding a leak and fixing it permanently.
Adjustable Wrench
When you need to handle a plumbing problem quickly, an adjustable wrench will come in handy. An adjustable wrench is multi use, multifunctional, and you can use it to tighten and loosen nuts.
If you have a problem with your plumbing system, an adjustable wrench is the first thing that you should think about using. According to experts such as King and Sons Plumbing, an adjustable wrench is one of the most important tools that every homeowner should have.
Plunger
You need to have a plunger in your home to deal with unexpected clogs. As a homeowner, you need to own a flange plunger and a cup plunger. The latter works best for removing clogs from flat-surface drains such as sinks and tubs. However, the flange plunger is ideal for toilet clogs because it has a soft rubber flange under the cup.
When working on curved surfaces such as the toilet bowl, a flange plunger creates a seal, making it easier to remove clogs. To deal with blockages, you should have both of these plungers in your home. Owning plunger will make your life much easier because you will not have to call a plumber to fix the smallest problems.
A Snake and an Auger
These two tools usually work together, which means that you should not have one without the other. If you have a clog that a plunger cannot handle, you should use a snake and an auger to remove it. An auger is mostly used in the toilet.
An auger is made to move through a toilet drain, hook any clogs, and remove them. You should not use a hand auger on flushing toilets; instead, you should invest in a closet or toilet auger. Snakes are a bit more versatile and you can use them on sinks, tubs, and showers.
A Pipe Wrench
You can use a pipe wrench to loosen up or tighten things that you cannot grip with other tools. A pipe wrench has two serrated protruding things and a metal handle. You can adjust a pipe wrench to fit any connection. You can use this tool to replace, tighten, and loosen pipes. This makes the tool very useful in handling daily plumbing problems.
Metal File
You can use a file to smooth out the edges of a metal pipe that you have cut. You should know that metal files come in different sizes. However, you will only need a rat-tail file and a half-round file in your toolbox. A rat-tail file is tapered and round while a half-round file has a flat and rounded surfaces.
Conclusion
Small plumbing problems occur all the time but you do not have to call the plumber for each one. You can use the above tools to solve the easy plumbing problems yourself. However, if you come across a plumbing issue that you cannot handle, you should call an expert to avoid causing more damage.