What do you take with you when responding to an emergency call? You never know where a call will lead you, and you might have to provide only a quick fix before getting a full set of tools from the local supply house to finish the job.
Here’s a list of 10 key products to always keep on hand in your service vehicle for those emergency calls.
1. Water solidifier
A water solidifier like Liquilock is essential for plumbers when pulling toilets or urinals. It solidifies water and other liquids quickly, making it easier to remove a toilet without creating a mess. It can absorb up to 400 times its weight in water, turning it into a gel-like substance. It can even be used in a water heater tank to prevent damage to a customer's home from stained water leaking when removing a faulty tank.
Liquilock is non-toxic and safe for the environment, making it an excellent alternative to traditional methods. By keeping Liquilock on hand, you can save time and avoid messy cleanups, allowing you to complete your jobs quickly and efficiently.
2. Fast-curing cement
Having a can of fast-curing cement on hand is convenient for emergency repairs. Hot cement sets quickly, making it ideal for repairing leaks and cracks in pipes and fittings. Oatey Hot Medium Blue Lava PVC Cement can be set in as little as 10 to 15 minutes, which means that repairs can be made quickly, reducing the risk of further damage and getting plumbing systems back up and running in a timely manner.
Oatey Hot cement is also resistant to high temperatures and pressure, making it suitable for use in high-pressure applications, such as steam lines and hot-water systems. If you can't fully stop the water, this type of cement will still stick and cure. And since its solvent levels are high, it typically doesn't require a primer (local code permitting).
3. Epoxy putty
Epoxy putty can provide a temporary fix when you have a late-night service call and need to repair leaks and cracks in pipes, fittings and other plumbing components quickly. Once cured, it can be sanded, drilled, and painted, making it a versatile repair solution until you are able to properly fix the issue with the right supplies. Additionally, it is resistant to chemicals, heat and pressure, making it suitable for a wide range of applications.
Oatey's Fix-It Stick epoxy putty is a multi-purpose sealing, patching, and mending compound. It can be used to repair leaks, holes, or cracks in materials such as plastic, metal, fiberglass, concrete and ceramic. This powerful putty can be mixed in your hand and is easy to apply, making it perfect for fixing broken tile and molding.
4. Professional drain cleaner
When dealing with clogged drains, it can be helpful to have a professional drain cleaner on hand. Professional drain cleaners are more powerful than typical DIY remedies, such as Drano or baking soda mixtures. They contain chemical compounds that are specifically designed to dissolve and remove blockages such as hair, grease and food particles from drains and pipes. As a result, they are effective in quickly clearing clogged drains, preventing backups and overflows, and restoring proper drainage.
For severe drain blockages, Oatey recommends using Hercules Clobber. This formula is designed to remove all organic matter. Additionally, Hercules Sizzle is a powerful scale remover that effectively eliminates scale, salts, mineral deposits, slime, and corrosion.
However, before using these acidic drain cleaners on metallic drainlines, confirm that the integrity of the lines is in good condition. This precaution can help prevent any pipe or joint damage during the cleaning process.
5. Extra toilet flanges and accessories
It's always a good idea to have extra toilet flanges and wax gaskets. Toilet flanges are essential components that connect the toilet to the drainpipe and hold it securely in place. When a flange is damaged or broken, it can lead to leaks and other issues that can cause significant damage to the bathroom and surrounding areas. And when you replace a flange, you need to replace the wax gasket.
Having spare flanges and wax gaskets readily available ensures that you can quickly replace a damaged flange and prevent any further damage. In cases where the flange is not severely damaged, the Oatey Fix-it Repair Ring is a great alternative to replacing the entire flange.
This universal design securely repairs broken, cracked or worn-out toilet-mounting flanges and works with a variety of flooring types, including concrete. Installation is easy with four screws and silicone sealant, and no special tools or solvent cementing are required, making it an ideal solution for emergencies.
By having these spare parts on hand, you can avoid wasting time running to the supply house to purchase replacements, allowing you to complete the repair quickly and efficiently.
6. Mechanical plugs
Having mechanical plugs can be extremely useful for quickly and easily stopping water or sewer gas flow during repairs, preventing any further damage or contamination. Mechanical plugs are designed to create a temporary seal in pipes. They come in a variety of sizes and materials, making them suitable for use in a wide range of plumbing applications.
Stopping the flow of water or gas can be especially important in emergency situations, when time is of the essence and you need to make repairs quickly. Additionally, mechanical plugs are reusable, making them a cost-effective solution for temporary pipe sealing.
In addition to mechanical plugs, test caps are also convenient to have on hand when pressure testing plumbing systems.
7. PPE
Plumbing emergencies can be unpredictable and can pose a significant risk to the safety of workers. It’s always a good idea to have PPE on hand. You never know when you will have to deal with a hazardous situation in a home, and I’m not talking about unclogging the toilet. PPE — rubber gloves, snaking gloves, safety glasses, and a particle mask — can provide protection against potential hazards, such as chemical exposure, cuts, and burns.
8. Press tools
Having press tools on hand can be a game-changer when it comes to emergency repairs. Press tools are designed to quickly and easily join pipes and fittings without the need for soldering or welding. They are incredibly versatile and can be used on a variety of materials, including copper, stainless steel and PEX.
They can be especially beneficial in emergency situations where time is of the essence and you need to make repairs quickly to prevent further damage.
9. Bubble gas leak detector
To check piping systems for gas leaks quickly and easily, use a bubble leak detector. The Hercules Megabubble® leak detector uses a high-viscosity formula that produces large, long-lasting blue bubbles to quickly detect leaks on various types of pipe (black iron, black steel, copper, PVC), fittings, tanks, coils, cylinders, pressure vessels and valves. While some installers may choose to use a dish soap and water mixture to check for pipe leaks, Megabubble offers a more effective formula that is nontoxic and noncorrosive.
It also won’t freeze in cold weather conditions, which is an issue with soap and water. Dish soap is also formulated to repel grease, so it is used to test a gas pipe joint, it will most likely flow right off before the bubbles can actually form.
Megabubble is especially useful when testing a gas pipe. During the threading process, threading oil is used, which can leave a little residue on the joints.
10. Bonus items
Here are a few additional items that could come in handy:
- A small camera can be useful for getting visuals of leaks in a kitchen sink or of smaller holes.
- A small extendable mirror is convenient for checking work.
- A plunger and a toilet auger, as you likely know, are essential tools.
- And don't forget to have lots of buckets of various sizes.
About the Author
Sean Comerford is a technical applications manager at Oatey Co. He is a third-generation tradesman with nearly 20 years of plumbing experience. He can be reached at technical@oatey.com.
