What Kind of Tools Should a Plumber Use on the Job? By Amy Nut At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Without a doubt, the tools used by plumbers to perform services such as unclogging drains are different from tools you have in your own toolbox. Some of the tools may be easily recognizable.

Others, on the other hand, you may have never seen before. Because some plumber's tools serve purposes very different from those of household tools that perform minor repairs, they are considered specific to the operations they are designed to carry out.

Whether you're thinking about doing some do-it-yourself plumbing at home or just curious about tools you've seen your plumber use, the guide below will help familiarize you with tools that a plumber might use on the job.

Tools You Might be Familiar With

Some of the tools that a plumber might need to use include tools you've seen a million times, though their applications might be a bit different.

Adjustable Wrenches

Adjustable wrenches can be opened or closed to fit several different sizes of nuts and bolts. There are different sizes of adjustable wrenches, but a plumber should have at least a standard 10" to 12" adjustable wrench.

Pipe Wrenches

Because a lot of plumbing takes place in and around pipes, this tool is indispensible to plumbers. Pipe wrenches use their adjustable and toothed jaws to grip and turn threaded pipes and pipe fittings. Pipe wrenches range in size from 12" wrenches to 18" wrenches. A plumber is likely to need at least a couple different sizes of this tool.

Rib-joint Pliers

This is another adjustable tool that is very useful for turning nuts, bolts, pipes and fittings. It is also used to grip objects of various sizes firmly.

Locking Pliers

This tool is used by plumbers to perform clamping actions. They are often to lock a bolt or pipe in place while the plumber is working with other pieces.

Screwdrivers

Plumbers use screwdrivers in many of the same ways you might use them around the house. They generally need to have at least a couple of different sized screwdrivers for job such as removing plumbing-related appliances or disassembling faucets in order to replace washers.

Measuring Tape

Plumbers often need to measure runs of pipe as well as distances between different plumbing components.

Tools That You Might Not Have Used Before

Pipe Cutters

A pipe cutter is an essential tool that every plumber should have. It's not to say that every plumber should use this tool on every single job, but it definitely is used with some frequency.

Drain Augers

You may have heard plumbers refer to a "snake." A drain auger falls under this category and is basically a device designed to remove clogs that can't be pushed through by a plunger. The device consists of a coiled metal wire with space between the coils at the end. The other end contains a device with a crank that rotates the wire as it moves down into the pipe or drain.

Toilet Augers

This type of auger, also commonly referred to as a "closet auger" is based on the same premise as a drain auger but is specifically designed for use with clogged toilets.

Hydraulic Blow Bags

Toilet and Sink Plungers

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