5 Basic Plumbing Tools Every Home Owners Should Have

Plumbing requires skill, and plumbers tend to be technically gifted and skilled with their hands. Along with their skills and experience, tools are one of the most important characteristics of a good plumber. However, let’s face it, most of us know little to nothing about plumbing and tools.

I have a master’s in linguistics and language, and if you ask me to hand you a hacksaw, I won’t be able to tell you what it means or what tool to give you. Below, you can see our list of the best tool every plumber should have. So, without further ado, let’s get this list started!

1. Thread Seal Tape

They are also known as PTFE tape, Teflon tape, or plumber’s tape. According to the EPA, the average American household wastes about 180 gallons of water per week due to leaks, and this can be easily fixed with seal tape. This is why you need to consider thread seal tape as a plumbing essential, as this can be an easy fix for this problem.

Plumber’s tape is good for sealing pipe threads and another plumbing necessitates but especially leaks. It can be a temporary fix for leaks, which can avoid further water damage before your plumber comes in. In some cases, they can be used to resolve a situation and can avoid water waste.

2. Sink auger

Also known as a canister auger or drum auger is considered the ultimate tool and weapon to break up and clear existing clogs in your tub drain or sink. Please don’t use a sink auger for your toilet; there is a specific auger for that that is called a toilet or closet auger. A sink auger is made up of a flexible stainless steel cable that has a corkscrew tip at the end.

The cable is coiled within a drum canister and is then extended into a clear, and this can reach the clog and clears it. The auger’s rotating drums snake the cable through bends in your drain pipes, allowing the cable tip to penetrate the clogs and pull them out efficiently.

3. Wrench

No other tool is more associated primarily with plumbers than wrenches. The two are seen in a symbiotic relationship, and the wrench is a plumber’s best friend. No list of plumbing tools is complete without the addition of wrenches, but it’s essential to know that there is no universal wrench, and that’s why there are a variety of wrenches on the market.

The pipe wrench is the best known and largest wrench in a plumber’s toolbox. Pipe wrenches are used to tighten and loosen nuts and fittings on pipes. They are usually used in conjunction with another pipe wrench, one holding the pipe and the second turning the nut or fitting in the desired and appropriate direction. This heavy tool comes in various lengths and sizes.

4. Screwdriver

This is the simplest tool on our list and an essential one that every plumber must have in their toolbox. Compared to the other tools on our list, the stubby screwdriver can be a lifesaver when a plumber needs a tool to tighten or loosen a screw.

Stubby screwdrivers help you get into hard-to-reach places that a regular or electric screwdriver can’t reach. You can buy stubby screwdrivers equipped with several Phillips and slotted screwdrivers.

5. Safety Equipment

Plumbing isn’t usually the first thing you think of when talking about dangerous jobs, but dressing for the job is essential when you’re a plumber. Any experienced plumber will tell you that there are many ways to get hurt. First of all, I’m the most realistic, but also take your safety glasses.

You will need safety glasses to examine leaks closely, which can be potentially dangerous to the eyes, so it is essential that you wear glasses for your safety. Gloves are necessary because they will touch many things that most of us would be too squeamish to touch with our bare hands.

There are a variety of heavy-duty gloves on the market that protect the plumber’s hand and give them a better grip on slippery objects. Be careful when doing plumbing and pay attention to your surroundings.

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