Being a homeowner, plumbing emergencies can occur at any time. And when they do occur, they happen fast, leaving you to face the consequences. All it takes for a drain emergency to happen is for someone to forget draining the pipes before winter or for someone to flush the wrong thing down. These accidents are unsurprisingly common if you have toddlers at home! But here’s the twist: if you have these 9 tools at home, you can deal with every drain emergency that there is. Let’s read on and discover these tools. We’ll put these together as a trio of must-have tools so you’re caught up on all the tools and how they help when a drain emergency hits.

Pipe Spanner

In most plumbing systems, pipes are often placed in a manner that makes it difficult for anyone to have access and fix them easily. While a pipe spanner can help you turn shaped pipes and fittings, it’s best to call in drain cleaning companies to prevent any further damage to your plumbing system.

Vice Grip

Though if you’re an avid DIY-er and don’t mind getting your hands dirty, having a pipe spanner handy will help you tighten or loosen slippery fixtures. The next must-have in your plumbing toolkit should be a vice grip. These grips are often a godsend when dealing with nuts and bolts of varying sizes.

Sink Spanner

Next, you need a sink spanner. This tool is a must-have for maintaining your sink and is your best friend for operating in tight spaces under sinks. In many cases, a sink spanner is the only thing that will work on faucet nuts for plumbing systems with deeply recessed sinks.

Plunger

Now that we’ve dealt with the pipes and nuts, the next must-have in your toolkit is plungers. Needing no introduction, a plunger gives you the easiest way possible to clear out clogs. Although there are two types of plungers, we’ll talk about the more common one: Cup Plungers. These are the usual go-to tools for clearing clogs in tubs, sinks, and showers.

Plumber’s Snake

But what if the clog runs deep and won’t go away with a plunger? That’s when to use a snake’s plumber! A snake’s plumber can access the pipes deeply, which enables it to break up and remove blockages that a plunger can’t reach. Using a plumber’s snake is a smart approach considering it helps avoid the use of OTC chemicals. These chemicals might clean the clogs, but they often cause excessive damage in the process.

Teflon Tape

Next up? Plumber’s tape, also known as “seal tape” or “Teflon tape.”. Although very minimal, this tape is a best friend for any plumber’s kit. It maintains a tight seal between the pipe threads, which gives your drainage system leak-free connections. Teflon tapes, apart from plumbing chores, also come in handy for other chores around the home, like tightening loose screws or bolt threads.

Plumbing Tape Measure

Oftentimes, problems in a plumbing system can occur from mismeasured pipes, too. Rule 101 of ensuring a smooth plumbing fix is to have accurate measurements of the pipes you want to replace. And for that, you need a plumbing tape. It helps measure pipes, fittings, and spaces accurately.

Pipe Cutter

Next up, you have a pipe cutter. It’s an essential tool for cutting through difficult surfaces like copper, PEX, or PVC. The precise cuts from a pipe cutter guarantee accurate cuts and make the replacement process seamless.

Hacksaw

If your plumbing system has something tougher than PVC, copper, or PEX, you need a hacksaw to cut through. A hacksaw helps you cut through rigid surfaces like lead and steel pipes. They are also the go-to tool for removing rusted nuts and bolts that won’t budge.

Conclusion

As minute as a problem a clogged drain sounds, it can lead to significant issues with your plumbing system. In the worst cases, it can even lead to health issues for you and your family! Considering the problems it carries, you must act quickly. And for this quick response, you need a toolkit that comes prepared to help you tackle any plumbing issues. With that in mind, we’ve put together these nine tools every homeowner should have for drain emergencies. Happy plumbing!