The man of the house must be good at some things, one of which is a sound knowledge of how to deal with everyday issues like loose nails, leakage in the water tank, and a broken joint.
It takes time to get acquainted with the solution to different common problems.
However, once you have given a sufficient amount of time to learn, you become good at it.
A pre-requisite of dealing with these physical issues is the knowledge of plumbing tools.
Every house must have a toolbox comprising of all the necessary tools.
One of the most common issues which we face every once in awhile relates to plumbing.
In this article, we will discuss a few must-have plumbing tools:
1. Adjustable Wrench
An adjustable wrench is a typical tool for any working man. It can be used for a load of tasks. Do you need to turn a stuck pipe? Having trouble with a loose nut? Well, don’t worry at all.
It has two identical jaws, one of which is fixed. It can be tightened around any shape by turning the screw at the junction of two jaws.
2. Sink/Basin Wrench
This wrench is specially made for use in basin and is exceptional in approaching nuts located at the back of a basin. These nuts are difficult to reach with an ordinary adjustable wrench.
It has two jaws, a fixed and a curved adjustable one. A spring connects the two jaws so that when you try to tighten a nut, it creates a firm grip around it automatically.
It has a long shaft, and a handle passes through the hole of the shaft end in a perpendicular position.
It allows the shaft to reach deep places and tighten or loosen a nut. The handle is turned in a direction that increases torque in the curved jaw trailing the pivot.
3. Pipe Wrench
A pipe wrench is specifically designed to be used on threaded pipes. It is good for hard fitting pipes. You’ll need two of these wrenches for any pipe.
One is used for keeping the pipe in a static position so that you can easily use the other for assembling or disassembling it.
4. Internal Pipe Wrench
It is used to repair the broken threads and plugs of a pipe without causing any potential damage to the pipe surface.
It is also used to remove any broken pipe end inside the pipe or get rid of rusty ends.
5. Socket Wrench
It is a type of wrench which fastens a nut by getting inside a socket. It is especially useful for changing your car tire.
6. Faucet Installing Wrench
It is a more advanced type of sink wrench, which comes with a tiny shape and a cylindrical projection making it ideal for operating in tight spaces.
It is used to fix supply lines below the sink too. The round shape of the wrench makes it helpful when dealing with common faucet designs.
7. Crimping Tool
A crimping tool is used to combine two metal pieces by deforming them. The joining surface, which is created as a result, is called a crimp.
If the crimp created as a result of its operation does not look very good, you can use a crimp cover to conceal it.
It can be used for many purposes, including joining two wires using a sealing tube. The crimp joint of wires is stronger than a traditional overlapping joint.
8. Pipe Clamps
As the name suggests, pipe clamps are used to hold pipes with rigid surfaces. If you look around your house, you’ll find many of these.
They can be used for the lining of gas pipes, water pipes, etc. These clamps have threads at both ends and can also be used for joining two pipe assemblies.
There are several types of clamps. They vary in their shapes and usage. Some are:
- C-shaped Clamps are both versatile and cheap. They are used for wood and steelworks.
- F-shaped Clamp has a wider opening capacity than the C-shaped clamp.
- Pipe Clamp has a virtually infinite holding capacity. It is also quite stable.
- Locking Clamp is easy to fit clamps used in woodworking.
- Parallel Clamp also has wide openings.
- Steel Metal Clamp is a bigger version of the locking clamp.
9. Hacksaw
Hacksaw is a sharp-toothed blade with a supporting mechanism. It is designed in such a way that it can cut through most materials like metals, wood, and plastics.
If any nut or bolt is stuck and stubborn to get out, bring hacksaw into the game, and it’s over for the poor thing.
10. Pipe Cutting Tool
A pipe cutter is somewhat lighter than a hacksaw.
It is also faster and cleaner in working and made in such a way that it makes it easy to operate in small places.
It has two types.
One is used on thin and light pipes. It is called a plastic tubing cutter.
It is shaped like thin shears. The other is used for thick pipes. It has a sharp wheel and adjustable jaw grips. They function by turning around the pipe until they cut all the way through it.
11. Screw Driver
A screwdriver is used for turning screws. It can be both powered and manual. It consists of a handle and a rod. The tip of the rod has engraving for different screw heads.
Its types include a flat head screwdriver, a Philips screwdriver (manual with cross tip), a pozidriv screwdriver (double cross lobes), Robertson screwdriver(taper tip), Torx screwdriver(six lobes) and hex screwdriver (hexagonal tip).
12. Claw Hammer
A claw hammer can be used in multiple tasks and is a must tool in your tool carrier. Its primary usage is driving nails in or pulling them out of surfaces.
A traditional claw hammer is used in woodwork. It is not suitable for metals. The one used for metallic surfaces is called a ball-pin hammer.
13. Plier
A plier is used for firm grips. They are made by using two metal levers. A fulcrum exists at one end of the plier separating two jaws and two handles.
The version of the plier used for the safe handling of hazardous objects is called tong.
The one which is helpful in cutting different thin surfaces is called a pincer.
A pincer has a cutting surface inside the jaws. Place a wire inside the jaws and tighten the handles for cutting any wire.
14. Plunger
It is one of the most common and cheap tools every plumber should have.
It is used to pull surfaces which have no holding mechanism like drain clogs. A plunger works simply by the suction mechanism.
When the rubber cup of the plunger is forced on a surface, it creates a vacuum inside it. The outside pressure helps to keep hold of the surface.
A plunger has various types. The standard plunger is used in the sink. Toilet Plunger has a special folded surface for cleaning out toilet clogs.
Accordion Plunger is also used for toilets, but it has a smaller and better design. Taze plunger is used for cleaning large pipes.
15. Flash Light
A flashlight is one of the common tools used in a household. It comes handy when there is no light in the house. It is also helpful when finding leaks and cracks in areas with dim lighting.
You can either use a simple torch or a head flashlight. A head flashlight is helpful when performing plumbing operations.
Conclusion
We have tried to cover the important components of your toolkit. Every household must have these basic instruments. They may seem a lot but are quite affordable.
With the basic knowledge of their usage and good practice, you can solve most of your everyday problems by yourself and enjoy that sense of accomplishment too!
