At many times in life, there are going to be challenges that demand a professional’s attention. And let’s face it, plumbing is one of those areas where you don’t want to be messing around if you don’t know what you’re doing. The last thing you want to do is find yourself taking apart a pipe only to have water flooding all over your home, or neglecting a really bad clog for so long that it eventually backs sewage up into your basement.
But here’s the flipside to that. There are plenty of plumbing issues that you can tackle yourself without having to call a plumber. Did you try flushing too much toilet paper all at once? A plunger can usually take care of that without any problem. Do you have a lot of hair down your shower drain? A hand auger can almost always take care of that for you.
“But what kind of plunger do I need?” you’re asking. “And how exactly does a hand auger work?” Good questions! Taking care of these non-emergency plumbing problems is easy to do as long as you have the right tools and you know how to use them. And if these methods don’t work, then you know it’s time to call for professional assistance from a plumber.
Here are five plumbing tools that every homeowner should have on hand:
Plungers
Actually, make that two plungers. You should have one for your sinks and tubs and the other one for your toilet. This isn’t just about hygiene. (Though it’s about that, too — who wants to actually use their toilet plunger in the sink?) Sink plungers and toilet plungers actually have different designs.
The sink plunger, the standard basic plunger with a domed rubber cup at the end of it, is created to work against flat surfaces, such as a sink, bathtub, or shower. The plunger creates a vacuum effect to dislodge any obstructions or clogs just below the surface of your drain.
But for a toilet, make sure you’re using a plunger that’s specifically designed for toilets. These have a smaller rubber cap inside the dome at the end of the handle, making them the right shape to fit over a toilet drain and create the suction you need to undo a clog.
A Hand Auger
Maybe you have a clog that needs a little more work than a plunger can provide. Or maybe your sink or shower drain isn’t necessarily clogged but is draining a little more slowly than it should. This is probably because of a buildup of hair, lotion or other oily toiletry residue, soap scum, and general debris, all of which needs to be broken up.
A hand auger — a long piece of coiled metal wire controlled by a hand crank — might be just the tool you need. You’ll insert the coiled wire down the drain and turn the crank to unwind it. Once you’ve felt the wire work its way through the clog, start turning the crank the other way to reel the wire back. When it emerges from the drain, its coils will draw up much of the built-up debris you’re trying to remove (and you might be shocked by how much is down there). Repeat as necessary until you’ve removed as much of the debris as you can.
Duct Tape
What happens when you have a leak on Saturday and a plumber can’t get there until Monday? It would be irresponsible and foolish to let the leak continue running, potentially destroying your fixture, walls, or whatever other material the dripping water comes into contact with.
Instead of resolving to just let the leak run until a professional can take care of it, you can use duct tape as a temporary solution. Duct tape is water resistant, so it can provide a short-term patch that will seal the leak closed and prevent water from dripping out until you can get a professional to come provide a more permanent solution.
Caulking Gun
When caulk gets old, you know that it’s time to have it completely redone, ideally by a professional who can do a high-quality job. But what happens where there are only a few spots where the caulk is loose, brittle, or yellowed? It’s not enough to warrant a full job, but you’re sick of looking at it — and you know that it’s causing some water leakage in places that you need to be water sealed. With a simple caulking gun, you can spot-treat these problems as you discover them, which prevents them from getting any bigger and can extend the life of your tub or shower.
A Set of Wrenches
This is technically more than one plumbing tool, but wrenches are hardly a one-size-fits-all kind of tool. Different problems will call for different types of wrenches, and you always want to make sure you have the right kind you need. A pipe wrench is big and heavy enough that it will let you grip and turn pipes, whereas a basin wrench has the long handle you need if you’re going to be tightening or removing faucets.