Hiring a plumber, even for a relatively easy job like unclogging a toilet, can be expensive. Rates range on average from $45 to $65 per hour, plus the price of parts. That's why it can be valuable to store essential supplies around your house to help you fix easy leaks, clear clogged pipes and keep more money in your pocket.
Here is a list of the most important plumbing supplies every homeowner should have on hand for do-it-yourself fixes:
Plunger
Every home should have a couple of plungers to fit the different drains in a house. Use standard cup plungers for your sink and shower and one with a flanged end that will better fit your toilet. A plunger is your first line of defense against any materials that might clog your drains. Invest in at least two - one for your drains and another for your toilets - to handle any blockage in your pipes. This simple plumbing tool can keep your drains clear, allowing your kitchen and bathroom fixtures to run smoothly while preventing your sink or toilet bowls from overfilling.
Closet or Toilet Auger
You'll need a closet or toilet auger, also known as a plumbing snake, for the tougher drain clogs that a plunger can't handle. Smaller than an auger used for shower drains, a toilet auger is a metal rod with springs wrapped around it that includes an angled head. The angled end features a metal auger that can reach clogs in the toilet's upper drain trap, according to This Old House. Cranking the contraption will rotate the bore-like tip and catch or chop up anything causing the clog in your latrine's pipes.
Cable Auger
To clear your sink or bathtub drains of a particularly tough blockage, you'll need a cable auger. Longer than a toilet auger, this style of plumbing snake is usually 25 feet long and works in the same hand-crank method as its smaller version, according to Popular Mechanics. The length allows the user to feed approximately 30 inches of the auger into the tub's long drains to reach any obstruction that might be lodged in the pipes.
Strainers
If you want to be proactive against bathtub or shower clogs, install a trap or strainer on your drains to prevent hair from building up with soap scum and causing any drain blockage. A hair catch is a helpful item that will keep water flowing freely through your shower's pipes.
Tongue-and-Groove Pliers
Need to install a new sink or fix a leaky pipe or faucet? This style of pliers is just one you should have in your toolbox to tighten or loosen nuts, bolts or faucet handles.
Locking Wrench or Adjustable Pliers
Get whichever style your prefer - the locking wrench or adjustable pliers. Both can fasten and unfasten the hex-shaped nuts on your sink's water pipes.
Needle-Nose Pliers
While this style of tool is mainly used for wires and electronics due to its small and thin jaws, you can use these to get into tight places and fix or bend smaller items.
No plumbing tool kit is complete without a basin or sink wrench.
Pipe Wrench
Whether you need to fasten or loosen pipes or fittings, a heavy-duty pipe wrench should be the first tool you try. It's special teeth can latch on to hex nuts and make changing and repairing pipes easy.
Basin Wrench
No plumbing tool kit is complete without a basin or sink wrench. The elongated neck will help you reach and fix nuts on pipes in the narrow spaces under your sinks where a regular pipe wrench would be too big.
Caulk and Caulk Gun
If you're installing a ceramic sink or just fixing one, your job will most likely call for caulk to bond sinks and bathtubs to the wall or toilets to the floor. Always keep it in your plumbing tool kit in case you need to shore up any cracks or seams.
Plumber's Tape
While not an adhesive tape, plumber's or Teflon tape can help you easily put two or more threaded pipes together and ensure a tight seal between them.
Plumber's Putty
If your pipes spring a leak, plumber's putty can help. Most putty is made from clay and can be used to fix and seal pipes that deliver non-pressurized water around your house. The waterproof substance can help you fix leaks or install new pipes with a watertight seal to keep your sinks running smoothly.
Having a torch in your toolbox will give you the ability to solder pipes, joints and fittings.
Propane Torch
Besides your basic plumbing tools like wrenches and adhesive to join pipes, you'll need a propane torch to work on copper piping whether you're repairing it or starting a new project. A self-igniting torch can save you from the trouble of having to use matches to light the flame, according to Popular Mechanics.
Having a torch in your toolbox will give you the ability to solder copper pipes, joints and fittings. For safety's sake, also keep a fire extinguisher and fire-resistant cloth on hand when you're working with an open flame. When using a torch to solder pipe, always wear safety goggles and make sure the flame emanating from the tool is blue. According to DIY Network, if the fire is orange, you should turn the gas down until the flame is blue.
Tubing Cutter
You'll need a few more tools to complement your propane torch if you plan to solder and form copper pipe or tubing. Invest in a pipe or tubing cutter to help you get the job done. Shaped like a C-clamp, a tubing cutter will assist you in making clean, burr-free cuts to copper piping, Popular Mechanics states. Make sure to purchase a smaller-sized cutter as well if the pipes are thinner and located in tight or narrow spaces.
Hacksaw
While a tube cutter is good for smaller, specialty pipes made of softer metals like copper, a hacksaw is a versatile all-purpose tool that you might already have at home. Depending on the sharpness of the blade, the saw will cut through metal and plastic piping as well as screws and other types of hardware. There are advantages and disadvantages to using a hacksaw, though. It can cut through most piping, but without a a steady hand, you won't get a totally clean cut. Also, keep a spare pair of blades for your saw in case one breaks or becomes too dull.
Metal File and Fitting Brushes
If your hacksaw or tube cutter leaves burred edges on your pipes, you'll need a sturdy metal file and fitting brush to wear down any protruding ends before fitting the pipes together. Popular Mechanics recommends having at least two styles of files on hand - a round and tapered one and a large half-round one - so you can smooth out both flat and rounded surfaces.
Other Items
Besides plumbing tools, there are some essential items you should also have either in your tool kit or lying around your house before you get started with any project involving your pipes.
Have plenty of towels and cloths to lay down on your flooring, as well as a mop and bucket to clean up any messes. You can also drape towels over any bathroom accessories, such as light sconces, to protect them from splashing or dirty water.
Some plumbing work might also call for the use of a utility knife and tape measure. Make sure your toolbox also includes a set of screwdrivers, a hammer, some tough work gloves and safety goggles. You'll need to protect your eyes and the rest of your face when working with piping and moving water.
All these items can help homeowners tackle basic plumbing problems in their homes without having to call a professional. Besides your local hardware store, you should be able to find the tools you need at a plumbing supply shop. Employees at hardware and plumbing supply stores may also be able to provide you with valuable information relating to a job.
However, if you're in doubt about a particular job, or it feels it may be too complicated or even dangerous, don't hesitate to call your trusted plumber.