Must-Have Tools for DIY Plumbing Projects

A clogged drain, leaking pipes, plugged-up toilet; plumbing problems can occur at any time and they can be terribly inconvenient when they do. In general, we recommend you leave the plumbing projects up to the professionals, especially if they're complicated jobs that require a lot of experience and know-how. But there are some DIY plumbing jobs that are feasible for you to take on yourself. If you're going to give it a try, it's important to make sure you have the right tools for the job.

Here's a quick overview of some of the must-have tools for DIY plumbing projects.

Pipe wrench

Pipe wrenches are a fixture of the plumbing world. While they're not used quite as frequently as they might have been in past years, they are still important to have in your toolkit if you're going to be doing any plumbing work with large threaded iron or galvanized steel pipes. There are certain pieces of equipment that will require the use of one or two pipe wrenches to unscrew them. Pipe wrenches are also important when removing clean-out fittings on drains, such as sewer mains, and they can be used to prevent stress on fittings while working with them.

Adjustable wrenches

These wrenches are often known by the popular brand Crescent wrench. They are easily adjustable to fit a wide variety of nuts, screws, valves and fittings. The smooth jaws of an adjustable wrench will prevent damage to any chrome surfaces you work with. A good quality adjustable wrench will last you forever.

Tongue and groove pliers

The tongue and groove pliers (also known as a channel type or slip joint pliers) features angled jaws, long handles and a variety of positions to which you can adjust. A 10-inch size will be suitable for most types of plumbing jobs.

Tubing cutter

While a hacksaw will work for you to cut many types of plumbing pipes, you'll find the job is much easier if you have a tubing cutter that is specially designed for the type of pipes you have. You can find tubing cutters meant for PVC plastic, copper and PEX tubing.

Plunger

You should have at least one plunger on hand in your home to help you unclog drains that get stopped. There are two types of plungers: a cup plunger features a rubber cup that fits over an entire drain opening, and a flange plunger features an extended inner flange to fit into the drain opening of a toilet. Obviously, the latter is the kind you'll use for clogged toilets. The former is what you'll use for sink or shower clogs. You may be able to find plungers that can be used for a variety of functions.

Basin wrench

Basin wrenches are useful if you're changing faucets in sinks. This type of self-tightening wrench features a pivoting head and a very long handle. It's useful for tightening and loosening fittings in spaces that are very compact or hard to reach.

These are just a few of the tools you should absolutely have in your collection if you plan on doing any plumbing work at your home. For more tool recommendations, we encourage you to contact us at: info@pipemasters.ca or (289) 404-9063.

Pipemasters is part of Oakridge Plumbing Ontario Ltd. All Rights Reserved.