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Parts and tools for the jobs in our tips

Search Amazon for the plumbing parts and tools mentioned in our guides, from a toilet flapper to a drain snake, and a short list of what a homeowner's plumbing kit should hold.

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Most of the fixes in our tips need only a few inexpensive parts, and the same handful of tools comes up again and again. Search above for a specific item, or use the lists below as a starting point. We have no arrangement with any maker, and the search results are Amazon's own.

A homeowner's plumbing kit

You can handle nearly every job in our guides with these:

  • A flat sink plunger and a flange toilet plunger. They are different tools, and each does its own job badly in the other's place.
  • A plastic drain cleaning strip for hair in bathroom drains. Cheap, and remarkably effective.
  • A hand drain snake, 25 feet, for the clogs the plunger cannot shift.
  • Adjustable pliers and an adjustable wrench, with the jaws taped when working on chrome.
  • A hex key set, for faucet handles and the garbage disposal.
  • Thread seal tape, for threaded fittings such as shower arms and supply lines.
  • A flashlight, and a small mirror for looking under a toilet rim.
  • A bucket, towels and a roll of paper towels. Every plumbing job starts with these.

Parts worth keeping in a drawer

  • A universal toilet flapper and a fill valve
  • A pair of braided stainless faucet supply lines
  • An assortment of faucet washers and O-rings
  • Slip joint washers for the trap under a sink
  • Foam pipe insulation, and a foam cover for each outdoor faucet before winter

Small things that prevent big bills

  • A water leak alarm under each sink and beside the water heater
  • Braided stainless washing machine hoses, replaced every five years
  • A pressure gauge that screws onto an outdoor faucet, to check that the house is not running too high
  • A hair catcher for each shower and tub drain

Before you buy

Match the part to what you have. Take the old flapper, cartridge or washer to compare, or search by the faucet's brand and model. Many faucet makers will send a replacement cartridge free under their warranty if you call them, which is worth a try before buying one.

When a job needs more than parts, find a licensed plumber near your town.