What should every homeowner have in their home to protect them against minor plumbing mishaps? I talked with some Milwaukee PPC plumbers and here’s what they recommend.

• Plumbers snake or toilet auger for drain clogs

• Anything that tightens or loosens, including channel lock pliers, an adjustable wrench, and screwdrivers

• Plungers for each bathroom

• A heat gun or hair dryer for frozen pipes

• String fingers to help retrieve items that drop down the drain

• A hex wrench that fits in the bottom of the garbage disposal to loosen clogs

• A spare sump pump in the event the old one breaks or there is too much water for the one pump to handle

One thing that I learned the hard way is to know where your main water shut-off valve is. When a pipe or toilet leaks you’ll want to get the water turned off immediately before you have to start bailing. The PPC offers free valve tags you can put on the pipe so you or anyone else in the family can find the valve quickly in the event of a plumbing emergency. You can follow this link to get one for your home.