Emergency Plumber Site

Any homeowner knows that problems arise from time to time that are unexpected and at times are truly emergencies.  To that end, being proactive and creating an emergency plumber tool kit is a wise move.  The idea behind an emergency tool kit is that it is meant to get your through those plumbing problems until you can either call a plumber or head to the hardware store to buy the final supplies that you need.

What Emergency plumber tools do I need?

When we think of plumbing problems it either involves problems with the supply lines or the drains.  Let’s start with the drains first.  If you have a problem with the drains it usually manifests itself in a clogged drain.  In order to remedy these problems we need to remove the clog.  While most people will use a liquid drain cleaner type of answer such as Liquid Plumbr or similar, I prefer to have a mechanical type of device to unplug their drains.  That means a plumbing snake.  For my plumber tool kit I have a 25’ snake that I have on hand at all times.  In addition to that a plunger does a pretty good job at removing these clogs.  The thing with drain clogs is that they are often caused by either a large object or by hair or similar type of obstruction.  The liquid solutions do not do a good job of taking care of these problems.  They are meant to slowly erode organic material (soap, etc) .  They will not work on hair, period.  A plumbing snake will get down there and punch a hole in most things and also bring back with them items like hair that get wrapped around them.  Hair has been the biggest repeat offender in my home and the plumbing snake does a great job eliminating that problem.  So in short, the two tools to have set aside are:

1. 25’ plumbing snake (can be found for less than $10 in a hardware store)
2. Hand plunger (usually less than $5 in hardware store)

As for supply line plumbing problems, that involves a whole other type of tools.  To help aid these problems I like to be proactive in how I set up my plumbing.  But that is for a different post, this post is dedicated to helping tide us over to the next day.  When it comes to supply lines the emergencies tend to be focused on the ½” pipe and therefore I focus there.  If you have a problem with your ¾” pipe you are likely looking at a pretty major plumbing project.  In the case of some ¾” pipe leaking I would go and turn off the main water shutoff valve and plan to attack when you have a chance to work on it the next day (do it yourself plumbers) or call a professional plumber.  Back to the ½” pipe, I keep a small section of this just laying around.  Usually hardware stores require you to buy 10’ lengths, but if you can get less I would go with that.  You likely will only need a foot or so each time, so a couple of feet is more than enough.  In addition to this you will need something to cut the pipe with.  A pipe cutter tool is a must have in this line of work.  From here you need to decide if you want to be soldering pipe (a fair amount of expertise required as well as working with a torch) or go with the compression fitting route.  I would suggest for most novices to go with the compression fitting.  Soldering pipe is both an acquired trait and poses a lot of problems with heat, not mention the near impossibility to solder a joint if you can’t get all of the water out of pipes (an annoying but common problem in homes).  So what we need here are the most common fittings needed, 2 unions (straight pipe to straight pipe) and a 90 degree.  All of these should be for ½” pipe again.  To secure these connections you will need two adjustable pliers (can use the same ones that you have for your general tool box if you already have them).  In summary here are the supply tools I would recommend you have on hand:

1. Length of ½” pipe
2. Pipe cutter
3. 2 union compression fittings for ½” pipe
4. 1 90 degree compression fitting for ½” pipe

So there you have it, an emergency plumber tool kit.  Any suggestions on anything I missed?

We have all been there.  You are sitting at home minding your own business and suddenly there is an urgent need for an emergency plumber!  And when you have water pouring all over your house it is definitely an emergency.  So the point becomes what should I do immediately to ensure the least amount of damage is done.  Damage control if you will.

To that end, here is a quick guide to think about the best course of action should you have a plumbing emergency.  At first we need to assess what the current situation is.  Try to delve into the root cause of the problem as soon as possible.  There is usually a symptom that we notice that will lead us to suspecting something is wrong (be it a lot of water on the ground, a brown spot in the ceiling, a slow running or stopped drain, a noise of running water coming from a place unseen, and so forth).  In as quick a manner of possible, try to detail where exactly it is coming from.  It is important to understand if the problem is based in the supply lines or the drains.

If it is the supply lines then the first move always should be to turn off the water.  If you don’t have a shut off valve close and handy, run (don’t walk) to your main shut of supply.  If you don’t know where this is, it is most often where the water comes into the house.  Which is also in the utility room normally.  It is imperative that you stop more water from adding to the problem.  While it doesn’t look bad, water has an uncanny way of going really bad if not taken care of.  Now if it is a drain try to ensure that the drain in question (or any upstream drains) are not used and most likely find a way to get something to catch the water (an ice cream pail or 5 gallon bucket work well most of the time).

From here it is either time to hit the hardware store or call a plumber.  It is good to have it written down what the specific problem is if you are going to call a plumber so you can discuss the best course of action on the phone. When it comes to a plumbing emergency, it is always best to stem the tides of damage first and then work to fix the problem second.

Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!