The Plumbing system in your home is a complex network of pipes that bring water into the house, drain waste, and vent. This essential system needs to be installed correctly.
It is important to understand the different plumbing parts to ensure they are installed correctly and in good working order. It will save you money on costly repairs and maintenance.
Pipe Wrenches
Pipe wrench from a plumbing parts company is one of the most essential tools you should have in your plumbing kit. It is a heavy-duty wrench that can grip and turn round pipes. It also helps you install and remove different pipe fittings, like elbows, tees, and couplings.
It has a heavy-duty handle that is easy to grip and adjustable jaws, making it convenient to turn around pipes. It is also useful for turning valves, which control water flow in a plumbing system.
It would help if you had a strap wrench in your toolkit. It is meant to work on oddly shaped pipes and is attached with a leather, rubber, chain, or metal strap. The strap wrench works due to friction between the pipe and the strap.
Strap wrenches are usually a bit easier to use than other wrenches. They have a tight-fitting strap, which applies near-uniform pressure to the workpiece. They are especially useful for working on oddly shaped pipes and tubing, as they can be difficult to turn.
Channellock Pliers
Pliers are essential for every home and garage, as they can grip, turn, crimp, and squeeze round or irregularly shaped objects like pipes and bolts. They also come in many different styles, shapes, and sizes.
The best pliers have a wide range of crimping options and can handle any size object. The key to a good pair of pliers is a well-designed jaw configuration that can grip any shape object, like square, hex, round or flat.
They should also have an adjustable feature, so you can quickly and easily adjust them to fit the job.
Adjustable Wrenches
Adjustable Wrenches are a must-have in any toolbox, as they are used for various purposes. They can be of several different types and styles, depending on their design and functionality.
These wrenches have one fixed part and another movable jaw, allowing them to fit different sizes of fastener heads by turning a screw on their top.
Unlike ordinary wrenches that only work on a single nut or bolt size, an adjustable wrench can be adjusted to fit various sizes. It means that you won’t have to worry about using multiple wrenches when you need to work on various nuts and bolts, which can save time and money.
They’re also essential for plumbers and homeowners who want to install or repair plumbing fixtures, such as faucets or pipes. They’re small enough to fit in tight spaces but have the strength to grip even heavy-duty fixtures that might be difficult to use with traditional pipe wrenches.
Aside from being an essential tool for plumbers, wrenches are also a great tool to have around the house. They’re handy for several different DIY projects, auto repairs, and furniture maintenance. Just be sure to choose a quality wrench that will work for you.
Basin Wrenches
A basin wrench is a long-handled, T-shaped tool used to tighten or remove the mounting nuts of faucet tailpieces. It is one of the most versatile tools in a plumbing toolbox, especially when you need to work on faucets in tight spaces where other types of wrenches can’t go.
Basin wrenches have a claw head that can grip the notches on faucet mount nuts, and they can be set up to turn clockwise and counterclockwise to loosen or tighten them. However, before you start any plumbing job, ensure the basin wrench is positioned for correct operation, as this will affect how you use it.
Position the basin wrench around the nut so the claw head is perpendicular to its shaft. The opening of the claw should be facing right, and you should be turning it counterclockwise.
Once the nut is in place, turn the shaft of the wrench until you feel it’s gripping the notches or edges. Once you feel the nut is firmly grasped, it’s time to start turning the wrench in either direction.
You can also use the T bar at the end of the wrench to give you more leverage when trying to loosen or tighten the nut. If the nut is stuck, try spraying it with penetration oil to help it slip a little more easily.
Once the nut is loosened, you can move on to the next step in your plumbing job. To prevent a water leak, inspecting the threads on your faucet nut and bolts periodically is a good idea. If you notice that they’re corroded or have mineral deposits on them, this can lead to further problems.