Blogs from December, 2017

Every homeowner knows how important it is to have tools for when emergencies arise. Most people have at least a collection of wrenches, screwdrivers, and a hammer, but fewer people have a collection that’s big enough to be able to handle other household emergencies. This is particularly true for plumbing emergencies, which can arise at almost any time and often without warning. If you don’t have the right tools in your collection, you may not have what you need when the time arises. Here are five tools every homeowner should make sure they have in their collection so they can handle most minor plumbing emergencies when they arise.

Tongue-and-Groove Pliers

Massive plumbers’ wrenches have been mostly replaced by a more all-purpose tool: the tongue-and-groove pliers, or as they’re better-known by their common name: “channel locks,” and are a pair of pliers that can be adjusted to grip while locking in position without damaging what they’re grabbing.

Basin Wrench

Also known as a “sink wrench,” these are a self-tightening wrench that’s designed to fit into hard-to-reach places, giving you the advantage when it comes to removing stubborn fixtures like faucets. Be sure to get one that has a telescoping shank and holds a 90-degree position on its own!

Pipe Wrench

We mentioned that they’ve been mostly replaced by channel locks, but there’s no substitute for a large plumber’s wrench when you really need to get a good amount of torque on something. These can’t be beat when it comes to working with galvanized steel or iron pipes and fittings.

Adjustable Wrench

Also known as a “crescent wrench,” these are wrenches that adjust their width with a small screw in the handle, making them easily fit around any size nut that’s within their minimum and maximum dimensions. They’re also good for adjusting and tightening fixtures without causing damage.

Hacksaw

Sometimes, plumbing just doesn’t want to come apart, and there’s not much you can do when no amount of pulling will get something to budge. However, you can always just simply cut the pipe away with a hand-held hacksaw loaded with a plumbing blade.