If you've lived in your house for a while, you know by now that sometimes plumbing emergencies come up, and not always at a time when you can call up your friendly local Olathe plumber. Maybe the sink is stopped up, maybe the toilet is overflowing, maybe you're even dealing with busted pipes due to cold weather. Whatever your plumbing emergency, there's a few tools that you'll want to have on hand to tide you over until your Olathe plumber can get to the scene.

• Wrench: Maybe you're not much of a handyman yourself, but you'll still want to have at least one good pipe wrench on the premises, in case you need to make some hurried adjustments to keep a room from flooding with water. In fact, it's best if you have two—one for gripping and one for turning—and the most practical sizes for around the house are a 10" and a 14" model.
• Plungers: Chances are you've already got one or two of these in your house, and when used correctly, they can often prevent the kinds of plumbing disasters that we're talking about here. It's best to have one plunger in every bathroom, and make sure that the rubber surface isn't old and cracked.
• Plumber's tape: Also known as "thread seal tape" or "PTFE tape," this is a special tape designed to seal the threads that connect pipe fittings together. You'll want to keep a roll of this on hand if you're going to be doing any DIY plumbing repairs.
• Gloves: Maybe it goes without saying, but sometimes plumbing problems can be messy. Gloves do more than keep your hands clean, though, they also help keep you safe from hot or cold pipes, or cuts and scrapes from tools or jagged pipe threads or fittings. Waterproof gloves are best, for obvious reasons.
• Buckets and rags: An important part of plumbing work is keeping everything clean. Buckets can help catch overflowing or leaking water, and rags will help you clean up the mess. Keeping your plumbing project clean is about more than just hygiene, too. Pipe threads that are dirty won't seal together properly, which can lead to more problems down the road.
• Old towels: If there's a big leak, a few rags aren't going to cut it, so it's good to have some old towels—preferably ones you no longer use and don't mind getting ruined—on hand to mop up overflow. And speaking of mopping up, keeping a good mop handy isn't a bad idea, either.

You can find lists online of more intensive DIY home plumbing tool kits, including hacksaws, tubing cutters, augers, and even a propane torch for copper pipes and fittings. You can also find a variety of pre-packaged emergency pipe repair kits on the market that come with things like epoxy putty and fiberglass wrap. Sometimes, though, no matter how prepared you are, you've got a plumbing emergency that needs the touch of a professional. That's when it's time to call your Olathe plumber at Davenport Services, and let us get you squared away.

Founded in 1980, Davenport Service Company has provided "Customer First" service in Johnson County, Kansas for over three decades. We provide 24/7 emergency service, preventive maintenance service, and seasonal tune-ups for commercial and residential heating and air conditioning systems. If you're looking for a furnace tune-up in Olathe, call 913-441-2222 for hassle-free scheduling today!