What are the Most Useful Plumbing Tools?
Enacting good plumbing practices in your home and building is essential for its well-being, ensuring that piping, fittings, and other system components are always correctly installed and in good health. With the use of common plumbing tools, most projects and repairs can be conducted with ease. Additionally, many plumbing tools and accessories are easily obtainable by individuals and are often fairly cheap. In this blog, we will discuss the most popular plumbing tools that one should have for conducting the most common repairs and procedures for a space.
Ball Peen Hammer
A ball peen hammer is a basic tool for plumbing applications, allowing for a user to strike down on materials. There are a number of reasons to utilize a hammer, such as for shaping metallic objects or for dismantling tiles. Such hammers may also serve well for rivets, allowing a user to expand the free end of the component for securing an assembly.
Chisel
The chisel is a tool that may be used by itself or with a ball peen hammer or mallet, serving for the removal of various materials. Generally, chisels are used to cut into or chip away at ceramic tiles, mortar, or various hardened materials. Chisels may vary in shape, though regularly feature a blade on one end and a handle on the other.
Pipe Wrench
While there are many wrenches that a plumber may rely on during a job, the pipe wrench is often the largest of the set. With a pipe wrench, the various nuts and fittings of a pipe assembly may be tightened or loosened as required. In order to achieve a robust hold on the pipe to easily remove a nut or fitting, a plumber may use two wrenches to remove the fastened component while the other wrench holds the pipe in place. To accommodate a variety of fitting and fastener sizes, pipe wrenches can come in numerous lengths.
Basin Wrench
The basin wrench is a tool that has a T-shaped handle, and such tools are regularly used for any work conducted on sinks. With their design and clamp mechanism, such wrenches may fit into tight and compact spaces so that plumbers may tighten or loosen the nuts of the assembly. As most other tools are unable to fit into such narrow areas, the basin wrench is often an essential component of any plumber’s tool box.
Adjustable Wrench
As the final common plumbing wrench, the adjustable wrench is one that allows for hexagonal fasteners and fittings to be tightened or loosened as needed. While such wrenches come in a variety of sizes, the 6-inch and 10-inch variations are the most widely used due to the common sizes of components that they work on. Unlike some other wrench types, adjustable wrenches are beneficial as their jaws can be adjusted in size to accommodate a variety of parts.
Hacksaw
While a hacksaw is a tool that is most commonly associated with woodworking and carpentry, plumbers will still utilize them for various needs. While not always common, hacksaws are used by plumbers to cut through pipes, bolts, nuts, screws, and other various pieces. Due to the intensity of such processes, one may require spare hacksaws for a job.
Tube/Pipe Cutter
In order to remove, resize, and replace various piping and tubing, cutters may be required for plastic and copper components. Unlike some tools that may come in a select few variations, tube and pipe cutters can come in many forms, shapes, and sizes. As such, one should choose such tools based on their individual needs or may discuss with other plumbers to find recommendations.
Torch
While cutting into piping assemblies is useful for removals and resizing components, soldering can ensure that copper piping can be sealed together. The torches used by plumbers are often small, acting as a handheld tool that may be used to apply heat with great precision and control. As they serve for securing fittings, piping, and other components, they are an essential tool.
Plier
Pliers are as commonly used as wrenches, acting as a small tool that can be used to tighten and loosen nuts, bolts, and other fastener types. While a wrench can provide great force for many fittings and fasteners, pliers are more useful when the component is too small for a wrench. Their compact size is also beneficial for tighter or more narrow areas as well.
Thread Sealing Tape
When creating threaded joint connections for a pipe assembly, thread sealing tape is commonly used to prevent any leaking. To ensure that adhesion is retained for the benefit of the assembly, the sealing tape chosen should exhibit optimal resistance to both hot and cold temperatures. Additionally, the thread sealing tape used for plumbing will commonly be stretchy and will avoid drying out.
Plunger
When the materials and substances inside the pipe system are the problem, tools such as the plunger are highly useful. While consumer plungers are often beneficial for clogs, the plungers used by plumbers will typically be more heavy-duty to increase suction.
Hand Auger
A hand auger is a handheld device that permits a plumber to reach far into a drain or pipe to remove clogs. With a long cable and hand crank, such tools are quite capable and are commonly found in a plumber’s tool box.
Snake Machine
Snake machines are similar to hand augers, albeit motorized and larger. Snake machines are best for the clogs that are either very deep in a system or are quite difficult to remove. With their motorization, they can more easily clear tough clogs as compared to the hand auger.
Beyond the various plumbing tools and accessories previously mentioned, one should also consider procuring equipment such as screwdrivers, goggles, gloves, heat shields, crimpers, borescopes, calculators, and other items that will benefit a particular job. Internet of Industrials is a premier supplier of industrial equipment, providing customers access to an unrivaled inventory containing over 2 billion new, used, obsolete, and hard-to-find items. Take the time to explore our vast catalogs, and our team members are always on hand to assist customers through the purchasing process or to provide quotes for comparisons. Give us a call or email today and see how we can help you fulfill all your operational requirements with ease.
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