Five Plumbing Tools Every Homeowner’s Needs
When it comes to your home’s plumbing, prevention is always better than cure. Taking care of plumbing and appliances around the home, whether in the kitchen or bathroom, will help prevent complications and extend their product lifespan.
A big problem encountered by homeowners is that they do not know what tools and equipment they can use to protect their plumbing and fix minor issues before they escalate further. However, with the right plumbing toolbox at hand, you will be well-prepared for common plumbing challenges such as fixing a blocked pipe or installing a new kitchen sink.
But what should the average homeowner’s plumbing toolbox look like? In today’s post, Caldwell Plumbing will provide you with five essential plumbing tools that will go a long way in protecting your home.
The Plunger
Likely the best known and most often utilized plumbers tool, the plunger has been unclogging toilets since 1874. This plumbers tool is used to unclog pipes and drains. Made of a rubber suction cup with a stick attached. The stick or shaft is usually made of plastic or wood.
The common plunger is simple to use. The suction cup is pressed against the drain opening which forces the air in. As the plunger is pushed down, the rubber cup flattens and when you pull out, a vacuum is created that attracts all of the material. The purpose of a plunger is to break up or loosen a blockage because of excessive material in the drain.
The Hand & Closet Auger (Plumbers Snake)
When the plunger fails, all hands are on an auger or plumbers snake. An auger or plumbing snake provides access to the clogged material so it can be pulled out. A plumber’s snake works by manually inserting the end of the auger or snake into the drain and rotating the handle which uncoils the auger. This process breaks up the clogged material and flushes it through the drain.
The Pipe Wrench
Found in most toolboxes, the pipe wrench as the name implies, is used on various pipes including threaded pipe, black iron (or similar pipes), and galvanized steel. A pipe wrench is adjustable and has serrated jaws that dig into the pipe for grip when tightened.
Basin Wrench
A basin wrench is a specialized tool for removing or installing kitchen and bathroom sink faucets. With its long shaft, a basin wrench is designed to reach in or reach up into the hard-to-get-to, and tight spaces underneath a sink so that you can tighten and loosen mounting nuts and other fasteners that are difficult to reach with other tools like pliers and the standard wrench.
Adjustable Wrench
An adjustable wrench is an is an all-purpose nut and bolt-turning tool and open-end wrench with a movable jaw, that allows it to be used with different types and sizes of fastener heads (nut, bolt, etc.) rather than just one fastener size, as with a conventional wrench.
How to Use Plumbing Tools
Questions about ‘’how to use’’ some, if not all of these tools? While most folks have a simple understanding of these 5 plumbing tools in their chest, a simple Google or YouTube Search will provide additional answers and video on a wide array of plumbing tools and questions.
If you think your plumbing issue can only be solved by a certified plumbing expert, contact Caldwell Plumbing today: 416-574-4770 (for Toronto & GTA), or 905-239-3950 (for Durham Region) or 289-240-7482 (for Clarington)
