If you’ve just purchased a home, congratulations!
Now go get the homeowner plumbing tools you never should be without!
- Plunger: Sure, sure, you say you have one, but unless it’s a plunger with a flange, you’re missing out on a plunger’s true abilities. Forget the simple “cup” plungers. A flange plunger has a small lip that extends out inside the cup, helping you to get a better seal on the toilet’s drain hole. The better the plunger’s seal around the hole, the more vacuum/suction your plunging efforts will create, helping to more quickly dislodge a clog.
- Drain snake: Also known as a drain auger or plumber’s snake, a drain snake is a long, slender, flexible steel auger that you can use to move clogs in your plumbing. It often has a tip at its end. You place the snake in the toilet’s drain hole until you hit an obstruction. Then you turn the snake clockwise. The snake often has a tip at its end that spears the clog, either breaking it up or allowing you to pull it out.
- Pipe Wrench: You can have two or three in your toolkit, but if you get just one, purchase a 10” to 14” wrench.
No homeowner’s plumbing toolkit is complete without a pipe wrench.
- Smooth Jaw Channel Lock Pliers: You’ll use these pliers often as a homeowner. The smooth jaw pliers are best because they will protect the finish on plumbing and other fixtures in your home.
- Hacksaw: These will come in handy when you need to cut through screws, plastic pipe, nuts/bolts, and metal pipe. It’s wise to keep extra blades handy.
- Basin Wrench: This tool tightens and loosens the nuts and bolts that hold your sinks’ faucets in place. This wrench has a jaw that swivels atop a long shaft, allowing you to move it into the narrow and deep space behind the sink, locking onto the nuts.
- Tubing Cutter: Looking a bit like a C-clamp, this tool is the best and quickest way to cut copper piping. A mini-cutter is a good idea for working in tight spaces, while you’ll probably get the most use out of a standard-sized tubing cutter.
Unless you have extensive experience dealing with plumbing problems, we highly recommend that you never tackle only but the most simple of plumbing problems in your home (leaky faucet, “running” toilet, etc.).
For those more serious plumbing issues, Dallas-area homeowners should call Plumbing Dynamics . We are committed to providing terrific service at affordable prices. Give us a call at 214-929-3431 or send us a message via our online contact form.
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