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Plumbing Tools You Should Always Have on Hand

It’s hard to tackle a plumbing job without the right equipment. Though many would avoid plunging into any potentially costly do-it-yourself projects, it doesn’t hurt to have a few tools on hand just in case you need them.

Plungers

Nearly every household has to deal with a blocked sink or toilet at some point. That’s where a plunger comes in handy. There are two types of plungers that you should keep in your DIY plumbing toolkit.

Cup plunger

A cup plunger is helpful when clearing clogged drains in bathtubs or kitchen sinks. It has a cup-like bottom that fits over the drain opening and a long handle you press down on to unclog the drain.

Image: a man plunging a sink with a cup plunger.

Flange plunger

A flat plunger, also called a toilet plunger, is used to clear clogs from toilets and drains. You pump the plunger up and down in the toilet bowl until the clog breaks free.

Pipe Wrench

You need a pipe wrench to tighten or loosen pipes, valves, and fittings in plumbing lines. There are several different types of pipe wrenches, including –

  • Adjustable pipe wrench – This type of wrench allows you to adjust the jaws to make them fit around various sizes of pipes.
  • Combination pipe wrench – This type of wrench has three different jaw sizes, so you can use it with different-sized pipes without having to change out any parts of the tool.
  • Crowfoot pipe wrench – This type of wrench has teeth on one side, so it can grip nuts or bolts and grip onto pipes or fittings.

Basin Wrench

The main purpose of a basin wrench is to make it easier for you to remove or replace the parts on your faucet. The wrench consists of a long bar with a T-shaped handle at one end. The opposite end has teeth that fit into your faucet. You can hold onto the handle and twist, making it easier to take off faucet nuts that are tricky to access.

Caulk Gun and Caulk

Caulk guns are useful for sealing gaps between your home’s pipes, sinks, bathtubs, showers, and other fixtures.

Caulking is essential for your home. It prevents water seeping into your walls, causing mold and mildew to grow on the surfaces. Caulking also helps stop leaks, protecting the structure of your home from damage.

Long-Nosed Pliers

Long-nosed pliers are a must-have tool for any plumbing maintenance. While they might not look like the sort of tool you’d need to use on the job site, long-nosed pliers can help you take care of several tasks that require more precision than your standard pair of pliers.

Image: long nosed pliers.

Long-nosed pliers come in handy when you need to grab onto something small and delicate, such as a pipe or wire that’s hidden behind a surface. They’re also great at helping you bend and cut small wires, which can be difficult if you’re using regular pliers. Long-nosed pliers have been used as plumbing tools for decades, but they’re also commonly used in other industries like electronics repair and automotive repair shops.

Hand Auger

A hand auger can be used for various things, including clearing drain clogs and unclogging toilet drains. It’s also good for other plumbing jobs around the house, like cleaning out sewer lines and clearing pipes after tree roots have grown into them.

Using a hand auger is simple – feed it down into the drain or pipe until you hit resistance and pull back on the handle to clear out whatever’s causing the blockage. You’ll want to wear gloves and eye protection when using this tool because some materials may fly out when you remove them from the pipe.

Plumber’s Tape

Thread seal tape is a thin, stretchy material that wraps around a threaded pipe and creates a watertight seal. The tape comes in different sizes and colors to identify the exact type of gas or liquid you need to protect.

Image: teflon tape in use.

You’ll need to use thread seal tape when installing threaded fittings in pipes or tubes such as nuts and bolts, valves, pipes, hoses, and other plumbing applications. The tape works by coating the threads with a hard plastic material that fills any gaps between the threads on the bolt and nut or pipe. This helps keep water from leaking into your home or business.

Heavy Duty Rubber Gloves

It may seem a simple addition to your plumbing tools, but many seem to forget the importance of gloves. Heavy duty gloves protect your hands from cuts and punctures (which can lead to serious injury if not treated quickly).

Image: plumber gloves.

Gloves are also necessary for protection from chemicals and other substances that could irritate your skin. Moreover, gloves help prevent burns from hot pipes and steam or scalding water.

Not ready to tackle your own plumbing? Give the Adeedo experts a call for all your plumbing needs.

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