An emergency first aid kit for home repair

[Steven L.]

I went to take a shower and the cold water faucet handle broke loose. The grooves got stripped. Fortunately the local Lowe's hadn't closed for the evening yet, and I replaced it.

But this got me to thinking: Which parts should a homeowner keep on hand just in case something goes wrong late Sunday night when the hardware stores are closed?

Faucet valves and handles to fix any of the faucets. I've learned that one the hard way.

What else? What other common emergencies require having replacement parts on hand in advance?

-- Steven L.

[Frank]

I just had to replace a shut off valve for a toilet. It would not shut off as there was a pin hole leak in the valve body itself. This happened the night of the hurricane and only Lowes was open but sold me the wrong valve. Plumbers putty and tape kept it down to a drip and I got the right part the next day. Wife said, why don't you get an extra one, but I'm thinking it took over 35 years in this house for this to happen for the first time and all the shut off valves have been replaced when faucets and toilets were replaced.

[Vic Smith]

I can only think of one non-disposable "spare part" worth having around. Furnace ignitor. Mine is about 8 bucks. I needed the spare one time, and had it. Not because I was smart enough to have a spare handy, but I had bought it unnecessarily when I was doing some trouble shooting. That's why I had it. Now I keep a spare. There might be something else, but I can't think of it. I always found that most spare parts wind up in the garbage.

--Vic

[Dean Hoffman]

Thermocoupler. Limit switches for the furnace fan.

[Jules Richardson]

I'd suggest thinking in terms of what you need (parts and tools) to isolate faults and work around them until the following day, rather than trying to plan for every possible failure. So, a few pipe fittings, pipe cutter, make sure there's gas in the torch, keep some wire and wire nuts handy etc.

My big single points of failure are probably the well pump and the cooling system in the fridge. I can't think of anything else that would be a major inconvenience until I could get to a store, only lots of minor ones :-)

cheers

Jules

[cycjec]

wire *and* wire cutters.

[gfretwell]

A wax ring for the toilet. Toilet float valve If you have a well, a spare pump switch Fittings for whatever kind of pipe you have in the house. (compression or shark bite if it is copper) As mentioned an angle stop or two.

[W2ELE Jim]

If it doesnt move and its supposed to - WD40.

If it moves and its not supposed to - Duct Tape.

[Jules Richardson]

You forgot the BFH :-)

[aemeijers]

I haven't been following this thread closely, but did anyone mention vise-grips? (The real ones, if you can still find them.) All sorts of uses, including crimping off pipes, temporary valve handles, skinning doorknobs to break in without totally trashing door, removing stripped nuts on bike axles, holding a broken roof rack together till you get home, and of course clamping things together. Plus about a zillion other uses. I'm sure the regulars on here could come up with a long list of the off-label uses where vise-grips have saved their proverbial ass. I keep at least one pair in every tool box, for when regular wrenches/pliers just won't cut it.