Essential Plumbing Tools Everyone Should Have at Home

There are certain tools homeowners should have on hand, but many do not think about them. Plumbing issues can come up at any time and while it’s always better to call in a plumbing professional, there are certain things you can do to help improve this situation until a plumber can come to your home to make the necessary repairs. Below is a detailed list of the tools you should have on hand that you may need in a pinch to resolve a plumbing-related issue.

Pipe Wrench

When most people think about having to repair plumbing, the first thing that normally comes to mind is some type of wrench. There are actually several kinds of wrenches that can be used for various things when addressing a plumbing issue and one of those is the pipe wrench. The pipe wrench is the largest of all of the wrenches and is used by plumbers it is a very heavy tool that is used to either loosen nuts and fittings on pipework or to tighten them. You can even use two of these to make things easier since you can use one to hold a pipe in place and the other to rotate the nut or the fitting in the direction it needs to be in to loosen or tighten it.

Basin Wrench

Shaped like the letter T, a basin wrench is used by plumbers for working on faucets. It boasts a clamp-like mechanism on one end which will allow you to reach into a narrow space to tighten or loosen nuts to stop a leak or to help the faucet work better.

Adjustable Wrench

An adjustable wrench is used to loosen or tighten hexagonal nuts as well as fittings on pipes. You can get this type of wrench in a variety of different sizes, but the most common to be used when addressing plumbing issues are the six-inch and the 10 -inch sizes.

Tongue and Grove Pliers

Players are very important when it comes to addressing plumbing issues and tongue and groove players seem to work best because they are smaller tools that will allow you to loosen or tighten nuts and bolts that are too small for you to be able to grip well with a wrench. Pliers can be used to tighten, loosen, grip, pull, push, twist, or hold something in place.

Plungers

While most people own a toilet plunger or sink plunger, professional plumbers use them also but usually have one with a very heavy-duty flange and a cup of varying sizes to assist in unclogging a drain or toilet.

Hacksaw

A hacksaw may look very weak and flimsy, but it can actually cut through plastic and metal pipes as well as nuts, bolts, screws, and other hardware.

Metal File

After you use a hacksaw, it’s important to then use a metal file to smooth the rough edges that are left after cutting metal piping.

Plumber’s Snake

Plumber snakes are basically drain-snakes great for removing clogs from smaller drains and pipes that were found in sinks and bathtubs. There is a metal crank that you can turn that will wind the snake down through the drain until you reach the clog and you can then pull it out.

Plumber’s Tape

Plumber’s tape is known as the duct tape of plumbing since it can be wrapped around pipe threads to help join the connections together without allowing any water or air to escape.

Tubing Cutter

A tubing cutter is very important to have on hand since it provides a quick and very clean way to cut a pipe. It is best to have a standard-sized tubing cutter as well as a smaller cutter to help you work in very tight places.

Contact Us

While having plumber’s tools on hand is a great idea so you can mitigate plumbing issues right away, you will ultimately want to call upon a professional plumbing service that can address any issues you are having. If you have been looking for experienced and knowledgeable plumbers in the Sacramento area, look no further than the plumbing professionals at Ace Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning. Contact Call today for an appointment.