Plumbing problems are common especially when you are living in an old house. Homes with internal plumbing system will eventually present clogs and leaks for you to deal with. That is why a plumbing kit should be an essential component of your tool collection at home.
There are a large number of plumbing tools in the market but there are only a few things that you need. Impulse buying of tools will lead you to devices that will end up unneeded and not fitting for your home plumbing problems. Also, you should buy tools that you find easy to use. Tools that perfectly fit your “feel” will make fixing a whole lot easier and comfortable. They will also reduce the risk of problems on your part such as bruises and blisters on your hands.
Among the important tools that you should have in your plumbing kit is the adjustable pipe wrench. This tool is the icon of all plumbing tools and is pretty essential in plumbing work at home. An adjustable pipe wrench is used for gripping round objects such as pipes. Its serrated teeth make gripping easy as well as tightening and loosening pipes. Adjustable pipe wrenches come in a lot of shapes and sizes which can provide leverage for you work.
Adjustable wrenches however may damage pipes because of it serrated teeth. To avoid this, you can cover the teeth with duct tape or wrap it with cloth. Another wrench that you should have is the crescent wrench. This tool will help you in dealing with threaded fitting. It has a thumbwheel that will allow you to adjust the grip of the wrench. Most crescent wrenches have no serrated teeth so you will not encounter damages on your pipes and other plumbing fixtures.
Having a set of pliers is also necessary in your plumbing kit. Pliers are needed for tightening and loosening nuts or fittings as well as holding pipes and fittings for soldering.
But aside from the gripping tools, you will also need a tool to prevent leakage. To deal with leaks, it is a must that you have a Teflon tape in your plumbing tool box. Teflon tapes are inexpensive thin white tapes used to seal pipe threads when they are joined together. This tape is very versatile that it can also be used to seal air and gas from leaking from the threaded connections of your pipes.
Hacksaws and tubing cutters are also must-have tools for plumbing. A hacksaw is used to cut metal and plastic pipes as well as screws, nuts, and bolts. Tubing cutters on the other hand are C-shaped cutters used to cut copper pipes for a smooth and squarely cut perfect for fitting joints.
To complete your plumbing kit, you should also get a hold of clog clearing tools such as the sink or closet auger. A sink auger is a valuable plumber tool used to clear and break clogs from sinks and tubs. But this tool cannot be used on toilets since toilets are water closets and require a different kind of tool. To unclog toilets, you must have a closet auger with you. Closet augers and sink augers are not interchangeable in terms of usage since both are created for a different purpose.
You will never know when you will have plumbing problems at home so it is best that you have your own plumbing kit with you. Plumbing tools are pretty affordable so having you own will not be problem for your budget. Just always bear in mind to get the basic tools first when buying your plumbing tools. You can get additional tools later.
