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Essential Plumbing Tools

Posted on August 21, 2017 by Melbourne Plumber

You don’t have to be a professional plumber to handle many of the plumbing needs in your Melbourne, Florida home.  But in order to do any type of plumbing job, you need to have the right tools.  Here are a few essential plumbing tools that you should have on hand, even if you’ve never had to unclog a toilet before.

Plunger

Clogs happen, whether you want to admit it or not.  And when they do, you want to be prepared.  There are two types of plunger you should have on hand.  A flange plunger is recommended for use in toilets.  A cup plunger, on the other hand, is great for handling clogs in shower drains and sinks.

Snake

While plungers often do a great job at unclogging drains, sometimes the clogs are just too large.  In these cases, a snake, or auger, becomes necessary.  With a snake, you feed the flexible end through the drain until you reach the clog.  You then twist the wire to break the clog up.  Augers come in different sizes, and are used for different drain types, so be sure you are using the right one.

Wrenches

An adjustable wrench can be your best friend when it comes to dealing with pipes.  Many of the nuts, fittings and supply lines are hexagonal in shape, and are all of varying sizes.  The adjustable wrench can help you to work with many of the pieces.  You may also want to invest in a pipe wrench, which is essentially a large adjustable wrench used for tightening and loosening the actual pipes.

Pliers

Tongue and groove pliers are wonderful for helping you to grab a hold of things.  They allow you to grip, twist, pull and hold different components, due to its adjustable joint.

Plumber’s Tape

Pipes have many fittings and joint connections that are threaded.  Because of this, they become highly susceptible to leaking if they become damaged.  Any minor leaks in areas such as shower heads or water lines can be temporarily stopped with plumber’s tape.  Keep in mind, the tape is only temporary, and should be used to stop the leak until you can get a professional plumber out to your home.

While many plumbing issues can be handled on your own, even if you don’t have much experience, there are still many more issues that should be handled by a professional.  If you are in need of help, don’t attempt the job on your own.  Make sure you call your local professional Melbourne, Florida plumbers to prevent serious damages.