10 Must-Have Plumbing Tools for Homeowners
Last Updated on October 15, 2024
Overview of Plumbing in Detail
Living in the safe confines of your home surely gives peace and tranquility, but it presents its fair share of baggage too! A time eventually comes when you have to deal with dripping faucets, clogged sinks, leaky pipes, and plugged-up toilets! Did someone say hideous? As much as one would like to avoid them: plumbing problems are inevitable.
Top Plumbing Tools for Homeowners
And, calling a plumber for each and every repair is not only lavish, impractical, but time-hogging, too! So, why not become a DIY plumber if the problem’s not grim and you can fix it on your own? For that, you will need the right plumbing tools on hand that are mentioned below. Here’s a lowdown:-
1) Adjustable Wrench
There’s no other tool that can accomplish what this nifty tool can, and that’s a serious understatement about the importance of adjustable wrench in plumbing kits. Whether you are working on supply lines, compression fittings, or other plumbing components that have hex-shaped nuts, this versatile warrior will be your accomplice through thick and thin. For sublime results, prefer a branded adjustable wrench from stalwarts such as Taparia, JF Tools, Venus, etc.
2) Plunger:
Arguably, the most cognizable weapon in a plumber’s proverbial artillery, a plunger is pivotal for clearing clogs from tubs, toilets, showers, floor drains, sinks, etc. Whilst employing plungers in toilets, make sure that you press down, forge a solid seal around the drain, and then pull them upwards. The trick here is to vacuum the clog out without shoving it deeper.
3) Hand Auger:
Also renowned the world over as a plumber’s snake, this hand-cranked drain-unclogging berserker boasts a 25-ft.-long flexible steel cable for dislodging hindrances from toilets, tubs, sinks, showers, and drain lines.
PRO TIP: Unleash this ‘snake’ when the plunger fails to clear out the CLOG!
4) Tubing Cutter:
A marvelous tool that resembles a C-clamp, a tubing cutter offers a quicker, hassle-free method to cut through copper pipes. The bustling DIY plumber in you must have a standard-sized tubing cutter, and a close-quarter mini-cutter, deemed ideal for tight spots.
5) Metal File:
This priceless tool comes to your rescue for smoothing a freshly cut metal pipe’s piercing rough edges and burrs. A wise DIY plumber will stock-up a couple of these metal files in their collection – for instance, a rounded metal file with a flat surface and a rounded tapered one.
6) Pipe Wrenches:
These massive, hefty big-boy wrenches are very useful for tightening and loosening fittings, nuts, and threaded pipes. Moreover, the serrated teeth of pipe wrenches ensure a fine solid grip. Whenever you go on a buying spree, nick two pipe wrenches—one for gripping and one for twisting.
7) Basin Wrench:
This one’s a remarkably invaluable tool for loosening and stiffening nuts that hold sink faucets together in place. The swiveling jaw and long shaft of a basin wrench can do wonders aplenty, whether it’s reaching up & into the deep, or squeezing through narrow spaces behind a sink.
8) Hacksaw:
Since plumbing hardware can be unusually sturdy, it’s worthwhile to keep a hacksaw by your side. Hacksaws can cut through hardware, metal pipes, plastic pipes, and screws in a jiffy!
9) Fire-Resistant Cloth:
A thick specially treated fireproof cloth is the perfect remedy to protect nearby combustible surfaces when you are soldering with an open-flame propane torch. Albeit, it’s prudent to keep a fire extinguisher nearby, too just to be safe!
10) Tongue-and-Groove Pliers:
Commonly found in every plumber’s arsenal, tongue-and-groove pliers are the first set of tools a plumber reaches for when the need arises to twist, grab, pull, or loosen and tighten something.
