I’m pretty handy and keep a number of spares in case of failure at the worst time. Not even SHTF- just snowstorm, supply chain delays, etc. we’ve seen it all. Whether for permanent fixes or “get by til we get through” kinda fixes?
things like a
- dryer belt
- anode rod
- spare pump
- misc lumber
- misc nails/screws/fasteners
- auto & appliance fuses
- etc
Nails, vinylic glue, cyanoacrylic glue, screws, fuses, spare coffee maker, spare light bulbs, cables, string, silicone, tape, hose, broom handles.
All this. And tie wraps/cable ties..hose clamps...nails and screws...spare stove and oven elements...
Hit garage sales for all of this stuff. I bought an old box of spray paint for a few bucks ten years ago that I'm still pulling cans from.
zip ties have dozens of non-obvious use cases.
add some stainless zip ties too. I use them for most everything outdoors
Plumbing: Is your plumbing copper or pex? Id have spares to fix whatever my house plumbing is.
Electrical: Spare breakers. An outlet, switch, some romex, wire nuts.
Heating/Air: Furnace spares(flame sensor, tubing & pressure switch, etc) A capacitor for AC & a contactor. Filters.
Everything fixes: Various screws bolts and nuts. Flex seal tape & spray(way more useful than you'd think). Kroil fixes everything (WD-40 is crap). A wide range of batteries.
Edit: I forgot all sizes of zip ties and hose clamps
Yes, keep spare outlet and switches on hand. Have had all my 3-way switches fail in past 10 years. New house too. Crappy switches as new ones are fine….
I'm not a fan of sharkbite or other friction fittings but they have a slip repair coupler that's really handy when you just don't feel like sweating in a new line. i used it in a closet once that is on an exterior wall when a pipe froze and was like well that can now wait until spring, when I can be arsed enough to actually cut and sweat it.
I keep a 1/2” and 3/4” shark bite end cap to seal off any burst line so I can keep the water on in the house if it happens.
OSB or plywood to board up broken windows. Extra roofing shingles
I keep 1” foam board for this. Not a permanent solution but easy and quick. Plus it’s light enough that you can use Gorilla tape to keep it in place.
Every time I buy a part to repair something, I buy 3 of that part.
It's kind of the same way I build a deep pantry by buying a little bit of extra food each week, but at the hardware store or appliance repair part sites.
And besides stuff on your list, I have some plumbing supplies to deal with things like leaky pipes, pipes bursting in the cold, etc.
Exactly. Redundancy... two is one, and one is none. And you have a spare for when you go to install the replacement and the replacement has failed due to a fault in manufacturing.
Exactly if it rhymes its true. In that spirit:
Two is one, One is none. Three keeps you whole, Four makes you roll. Five buys time, Six feels fine. Seven’s sure, Eight secure. Nine sets free, Ten is like a tree. (Ok i faded)
🤪
Eleven, you’ll feel zen. Twelve…oh what the hell…
Twelve you’ll have more than your friend Jen
Shouldn’t it be that every time you buy something, you should buy 3 of everything else.
Mostly joking, but…by the time I’ve replaced a part, now that part is likely good for another 10 years, so it’s the other parts that haven’t been touched in 10+ years that will fail.
We’ve been in our house 10 years now, and the number of things that have broken in the last year has been crazy. 3 major appliances, the circuit board controlling my radiant floor heat, multiple gfci receptacles, etc. And now up for a whole round of smoke detectors. All our light bulbs, a whole light fixture, our crawlspace access door broke, etc.
Great idea that I wish I had space for.
What a strange lie.
What a strange reply
We are to believe this guy has a garage stocked with 2 starter motors for his truck, 2 heating elements for his oven, 2 pumps for his washing, 2 bathroom extractor fans etc. Or when he says repair parts is he talking about some fuses and bulbs?
This sub has a few people that blatantly lie about their preps to the point where they'd have to be extremely wealthy and yet they're on Reddit all day commenting about it?
Wow broski, I was making a funny, and you seem to have gotten your panties in a bunch. Unclench your jaw, your teeth will thank you
2mm plastic sheeting. Can use it for everything from a drop cloth to covering a broken window to wrapping up a dead body. When I lived rural my thinking was "what might I need that I dont want to stop everything and run to town for?" When living urban its "what might I need to repair things when I cant hire someone else to repair them?" In both cases you want basic emergency repair supplies, ie a few feet of your type of water line and some couplers & end caps (shark bites or soldering kit), basic lumber (2x4s, plywood etc) and basic electrical supplies. Spare parts for your most commonly broke down equipment. Most importantly is the knowledge and skill sets to use what you have. After a while that leads to beingg able to adapt and figure out fixes by using your imagination and what you have lying around. Also duct and electrical tape. Lots and lots of duct and electrical tape.
Capacitor for your HVAC outdoor handler.
It's one of the most common parts to fail, is easy to replace, it usually costs $40 or less, and can save you a $300 HVAC repair visit (often in the heat of summer or winter when they are backlogged). The usual warnings apply about discharging capacitors before touching them.
Also, a few push-fit stop valves and hoses for under the sink/toilet, in case one suddenly goes bad. (push-fit so that you can put it on in a hurry, and you don't have to fuss with installing it in a crisis).
This is actually a great tip. I’ve had this happen to me on a hot labour day weekend.
This AC guy will second that and add. Invest in a decent volt meter and learn about it for safety and to check caps if you find one with the capacitance setting. I picked one up at a big box hardware store for like $30, as a spare. It's not a bad idea to have a contactor for your condenser, igniters and flame sensors for gas heat. Many gas furnaces will flash a code if one of these gives up. Some of these are a simple five-minute fix. If it does it again, call your guy. Don't get creative and start experimenting.
The process:
5 gallon containers of stable, ethanol free gas. 20 lb. containers of propane.
Spare light bulbs are a good idea assuming you aren't on LEDs yet.
Even led bulbs fail fairly often, usually the power supply not the diode, but still need spares, or use commercial grade led lights which are much more durable.
Yes I was referring to those fixtures with integrated LEDs. When those go out you may as well replace the whole fixture. With LEDs it's usually many years before that happens.
I have yet to have a single LED bulb fail. I was replacing the bathroom fan yesterday and noticed the bulb was from 2017. I have a box of extras. Also 9 years old.
Im jealous. I buy them at Costco, usually, so not terribly cheap, and I replace 6 or so a year in my house.
I bought the Walmart Great Value and Dollar Tree brands. They used to be subsidized through our electric company at Walmart and you could get them for $.88 a bulb. I would clear the shelf when I was replacing my CFLs with LEDs. Dollar Tree, they used to be $1 a bulb and so I bought a case (of 40) of their 100W bulbs. Looks like you can do 2-packs at Dollar Tree for $.75 per bulb.
I put 4 new leds in my kitchen. 3 of the 4 died within 2 weeks of the others after 4 years.
Not essential in a real sense, but once a sink faucet at my parents place sprung an irreparable leak in the middle of the night. Nothing was open to get a replacement faucet at that hour. The option was either to shut off the water for the room or let it leak, and then my dad pulled out an entire spare faucet unit from the basement that we installed. I was shocked.
Moral of the story is just to have spares of anything you think might break, as long as you’re handy enough to utilize them when you need to.
Most anything I have to go out and buy I get 2- toilet parts, Teflon tape, light bulbs, if I need one I’ll need another. We have 2 wells and a spare pump, all 3 are the same model so full rebuild kit plus pressure switches and check valves. Breakers, fuses, solar parts. Pex pipe and fittings. Gasket material and adhesive for the wood stove. If it can break/wear out have parts on hand.
Tarps, plywood,straps, duct tape.
Yep, in hurricane country, I have enough tarps to do the whole roof.
Caulk, epoxy adhesives, toilet innards, 15a and 20a breakers, spare sump pump just to name a few
Random stuff off the top of my head:
I was saved by having a spare wax seal for a toilet when my 2 year old decided to toss in toys and flush them down.
Look up what kinds of gaskets and valves you need for your dishwasher and washing machine. Water damage is a bitch and a half
And a box of metric and box of SAE o-rings of all sorts of sizes, and washers for hoses and faucets.
Electric cord replacement ends have saved my bacon multiple times. It’s just 3 wires and everything is color coded, you can do it.
I have most of a spare Jeep Cherokee XJ. I bought a wrecked one for parts, put all the extra sensors and ECM in faraday bags (silly Solar flares), have spare trans and engine, spare axles and t case. Really a whole jeep except most of the body.
SHOCKED no one has said Flex Seal yet
I did
Utility pump has come in handy.
Spare lumber and fasteners.
Electrical - I don't have spares since it's unlikely I'll be completely out of service in a way that spares would solve.
We do have a backup washer and dryer - that's from when we added laundry to our kitchen.
Universal capacitor for AC unit.
Mostly things for holding other things together, plus like u/mediocre_remnants said, when something fails, you could buy a replacement and a spare on top of that.
I am wary of buying “spare” things with adhesive, rubber, or plastic that is prone to drying out or falling apart too far in advance. With things like that you will want to check your spares every so often to make sure they are in good condition and replace them if not - it’s like an old car, even though you may be worried about putting miles on it, due to the degradation of rubber and plastic seals it is worse not to drive than it is to drive.
I would also not buy replacement lithium batteries unless you need them imminently, they degrade naturally over time even if unused and stored half charged like recommended.
Not an immediate need, but keeping a toilet flapper and fill valve can make life much easier if one fails at night. I also keep a multi turn valve repair kit, a few braided supply lines, and a couple vanity sink cartridges. Plumbing stuff always seems to break after Home Depot has closed. I also keep a GFCI outlet and a light switch in another box. Life is so much easier when you can just do the project and not have to run out to get a part. Also, every time I replace a fixture I cut out out the make and model from the box and tape it underneath. That saves a lot of googling ten years later when you need to fix it.
Spare parts? Very few from a prep standpoint. I keep extra motor oil and filters because i buy in bulk to save money. I have some extra electrical stuff but that’s less a prep and more leftovers. But beyond that very little. Its just my opinions but it’s most important to focus on essentials and not become a part storehouse.
Edit ok, some spare parts for .22, .308 and 12ga guns. Firing pins, cpl of barrels, key springs, etc.
Vacuum cleaner belts.
I've got a spare bundle of shingles in the basement. Try to always keep an extra furnace filter. Spare washing machine hoses.
I haven't seen leather and cloth mentioned yet. A couple of pieces of different thicknesses of leather. Well flapper, repairs to boots, etc. A couple of big rolls of fabric and a bag of scraps for repairs and making new clothes as needed. Handkerchiefs and cheese cloth are good to have too. Some beeswax to add to your materials is helpful as well.
Great catch. Also, a sewing machine. They are being given away for free on FB marketplace quite frequently.
An extra sump pump that's the same, exact make and model of what you have for emergency replacement.
Do a test run during a non raining period.
Do you happen to have a favorite supplier for parts? Retail pricing was absolutely insane.
Small wood stove for when you really need one
Chainsaw bars and chains, oil and filters, Bifenthrin, for control of ticks, fire ants, and other nastys.
Auto parts ordered ahead of time saves ya a lot of money. Front end parts and brakes esp.
Wiper blades bought ahead of time and stashed in the vehicle has saved me $ a ton of times.
Are you on your own well. Pressure switchs motor controls Pressure tanks. Are you on your own septic system. I am and had been limping along on an old system and could have probably limped it along for a while longer. Two problems from a preper point of veiw were an old steel tank and it was set up on a pump and needed electricity. I just threw in the towel and replaced it and if the shtf i will have a toilet no electricity required.
I keep screws, fuses and water pipe gaskets at home. These small parts are a hassle to buy last minute, and spares save a lot of trouble.
a good wagon or cart
Not really a spare part but more a spare fuel source. We heat with wood and have an oil furnace back up. I keep a 250 gallon tank full (we don’t burn a fraction of that each year) with off road diesel because the furnace burns it fine, the tractors use it and I would put it in the trucks if diesel became scarce. I second the electrical and plumbing supplies. They have come in handy multiple times. It’s amazing how if something is going to break it seems like it’s on a holiday or weekend.
I have a bulldozer, and I bought a second one complete. But the motor was blown up so it was very reasonable. Pretty much every spare part at my disposal. As an added benefit, it's worth 10 times what I paid if I were to part it out.
I did the same with my Skidsteer, my tractor, my mini excavator, and even my generator. I bought duplicates that were complete but not worth repairing.
It's a 5 hour round trip for our shopping trips. So, I always have a small memo pad in my pocket or close by to write down anything I might need for our monthly shopping trip, so I dont forget anything. Depending on how frequently the item is used or needed determines how much extra I purchase.
Any piece of equipment or machinery that we depend on, from snow removal, firewood processing, water well pump, heat, power, etc. I strive to have a primary, a backup, and a backup to the backup.
I also keep pipe fittings and tape. These small parts handle minor pipe issues quickly without for a repairman.
Strong rope, G-clamps (woodworking type) and a large tarpaulin. We found these invaluable when our bay-window roof started to leak and we had to fasten waterproof sheeting over the top until it was fixed.
Cats claw
Old school, roll.of duct tape, roll of electrical tape, done spare wire, a tub of assorted screws,nails etc. A tarp. Zip ties.
Spare well pump, pressure switch, pressure tank, water heater, burner for the furnace, blower motor, various wire nuts/fittings, breakers, wire, outlets, switches. I keep wiper blades, a set of tires, oil and filters, fuel filters, diesel anti-gel, coolant, dry gas, bulbs, fuses, nuts/bolts, tire plugs. All sorts of fasteners and lumber, a few sheets of plywood, a few sheets of metal roofing and the special washer screws. I typically will keep old doors and windows if they are serviceable to get me by in an emergency. I need to get spare filters and belts of the generator. That is a big miss I know will bite me. I used the last filters when I serviced it a couple years ago.
What/how much of what I buy depends on what is expected to fail, how often it fails, what happens if it fails, and how easy it is to get a replacement part.
Money and space is limited, even with a modest house, basement, and garage. Being able to maintain and properly use things is a big part of helping parts to not fail.
10-20 feet of pvc pipe your house/water supply uses along with spare fittings and pvc dope. I keep a couple spare telescoping repair fittings after 2 leaks in my yard.
This kind of stuff is so important. When covid happened, theyclosed down litetsly everything here except for grocery stores and pharmacies for a while. I quickly realised the things I should have had in stock, or the stuff that proved indispensable (also kicked myself for not having another pair of boots on hand when mine were badly wearing out and had to get a so so pair on amazon
I have all of that and much more in my house. Don't forget to buy fire extinguishers for your house. I keep one under my kitchen sink, three bathroom sinks, four in my workshop, and one next to where I sleep.
Spare condensate pump for furnace.
I inherited an old pickup from my grandad as a kid. It was an old 74' Ford with a built-in storage compartment in the side of the bed behind the passenger door. He had that sucker full of bits and pieces of that old truck he had swapped out in the past. Belts, wires, plugs, cap, rotor, points, carb kit, you name it, fluids of all kinds. I can't tell you how many times it got me going. Keep some of them bits and pieces and a small toolbox in your vehicle. And also hit garage sales for good quality used tools that need some TLC.
Various metal parts, like handles, pulleys, I bolts different sizes, latches, hinges. galvanized steel cable, the aglets that go with it, and a crimper tool for it. Carabiners/clips of all different sizes and types including the ones with a circle on one side to attach the cable. All different sizes of zip ties including some metal ones. Pvc pipes, caps, joints, Pvc glue, and a cutter for the pvc. Spare blades for any tools that use them. T posts, rolls of mesh or wire fo the fence posts. At least a couple shade cloths different sizes would be good to have. If you use propane you can't go wrong with more parts and connectors. Backup electronic parts if you can do some repairs, if you can't just extra cables and adapters. Extension cords and know how much power they can handle, have at least a couple that can take the highest power you use. Buckets with lids, a hand truck, a rolling cart/wagon/wheelbarrow would be good. Extra drill bits, way more than you think you need especially of common sizes.
a stainless steel washer supply hose, and also for the toilet (I think that's what we replaced last time there was a flood from washer hose.
Toilet parts, roofing tar for small patching, plastic sheeting and duct tape. Sink faucet seals.
Fuel. Have trees and mill and tools. Just need fuel to run it all.
I don't know if it's been mentioned yet, but a couple of capacitors for your AC unit.
10mm sockets!! Dozens of them. Don't let the void win!!
Flex seal and/or Sashco thru the roof sealer, epoxy, some 2x4s along with a couple sheets of plywood. Duct tape and a roll of black plastic. A tarp and a roll of parachute cord. Ethanol free gasoline and propane barbque cylinders.
Duct tape
Spare sump pump
Fuses
Batteries
Hose
Extension cords
Oil / filters
FYI on an anode rod. I’m a retired service plumber and in all my many decades in plumbing I’ve replaced less than five. I’d save your money and not get one.