Plumbing Tools

The toughest part of any plumbing job is taking out the old fittings and pipes. Then once the old is out it's time to get the new ones in. So what plumbing tools do you need?

Some of those old threaded pipes can be a real chore to break the old seal. You will probably need a few hits of liquid wrench and then it's time to attack with tools. You should definitely have a ball peen hammer, a couple of large pipe wrenches, and a couple of pipe fitters.

All of these tools will come in handy for loosening up old rusty pipes or pipes that are encrusted from over the years. You'll also want a wire brush handy so that once you get that old connection apart you can clean it all up.

A putty knife, threads, flanges, various size pipe wrenches, replacement fittings are necessary in your plumbers repertoire. If you are going to be working with steam fittings you will need an anti seize compound to avoid future problems.

You will require a pipe cutter, flux, solder, and a torch if you are going to be working with hot or cold water lines. And a saw or tube cutter would be handy. You will need some emery cloth to remove any oxidation on the pipe before you solder.

A tube cutter works great for cutting small diameter pipes. The wire brush combined with the torch will help loosen up the old solder. If there is copper pipe or there are compression fittings you will definitely need that liquid wrench, a thread compound, and a correctly sized wrench.

Your ball peen hammer is great for closing valves that are sticky, tight, or difficult to close. You can gently tap away to free up the valve. You will also need two open end wrenches that are the proper size for the type of pipes you'll be working with.

If you are going to be working with flared fittings you will need a flare tool. This is used to flare out the end of your copper pipe once the nut has been slid on. Then you will need the tube cutter to cut the correct length of the pipe. Braided stainless hose also used compression fittings.

If you plumbing problem is a clogged drain you will need a variety of tools which should include a basic plunger, a snake, an electric powered router, and perhaps even a pressurized power pig.

If you have large pipes and a long run of pipe, and aren't really sure where the problem is you can inspect with a video camera. It will find broken pipes, tree roots, or any other clogs that might be occurring.

If you need to repair a pump you will need some open ended wrenches, packing tools, ratchet wrench, sockets, Allen wrenches, gasket cutters, a lathe, brazing equipment, a balancing wheel, calipers, dial indicator, feeler gauges, and laser alignment tools.

This about covers the basics in plumber's tools. Of course there are other tools you may need but these will definitely get you started on the plumbing repair field.