Be Prepared and Purchase These Plumbing Tools for Your Home


A water meter key to quickly turn off water supply at street

When you are faced with a busted pipe that’s quickly turning into a flooding disaster, you need to quickly turn off the water supply to your house. Most likely, you have a water turn-off valve located where your water meter is. Owning a water meter key will save you time and money when dealing with these issues. They usually cost under $20 at a tool supply store. Once you turn off the water, call Mr. Plumber to provide an emergency repair service.

Three different types of plungers: cup, flange, and accordion

Cup plungers, which are more commonly seen in homeowners’ bathrooms, are better placed on a flat surface. Flange plungers have a portion that extends out of the cup. Accordion plungers look like an accordion and may produce significantly more force when used correctly. Depending on the severity of the backup and type of toilet, you may need to deploy two different types to dislodge the blockage.

Hand auger (plumbing snake)

When a plunger doesn’t work, it’s time to deploy a hand auger. Also referred to as a plumbing snake, it is a tool that can “snake” through the drain of a toilet to remove clogs. There’s a flexible shaft that has a claw-like auger at one end and a crank on the other. You feed the shaft down the drain where the clog is and the rotating motion of the crank handle is effective at dislodging clogs that plungers won’t help.

Adjustable basin wrench

If you consider yourself handy, you might be tempted to clean out your P trap under your sink on occasion, when the drain starts draining slowly. Cleaning the P trap helps keep your drains running effectively, especially the ones that accumulate hair, food, or other waste. An adjustable basin wrench can help you grip the connections on the P trap to tighten or loosen it, and help you get the job done with ease. It’s especially helpful to use if the nuts holding the P trap in place are tight or stuck.

Here’s a good video showing how to clean the P trap.

Related Reading