Professional plumbers are generally good with their hands and technically inclines, but the thing that makes them the best ones is that they know when and how to use the right equipment and tool for the job. This article will introduce the 30 best plumbing tools that most plumbers use for their services.
When it comes to residential plumbing services, experts navigate an array of health hazards, issues, and small spaces to best serve you with a long-lasting plumbing system and solution. This is why hiring a professional plumber for your home services is recommended. If you don’t know how to find an expert, check the link below.
The list of Plumbing Tools and Equipment
First, let’s have a quick look at the best plumbing tools that every plumber should have. We have provided more details on each below.
Plumbing Wrenches
- Pipe Wrench for Plumbing
- Basin Wrench for Home Plumbing
- Adjustable Plumbing Wrench
- Faucet Key for Residential Plumbing
Pipe Work Plumbing Tools
- Hacksaw
- Tube and Plastic Pipe Cutters
- Plumber’s Torch
- Thread Sealing Tape
- Pliers
- Press Fitting Systems
Clearing Clogs for Home Plumbers
- Plumbing Plungers
- Hand Auger
- Snake Machine for Plumbing Services
Safety Tools for Plumbers
- Safety Goggles
- Gloves for Plumbing
- Heat Shields and Pads
Other Essential Plumbing Tools
- Pipe Expander and Fitting
- Crimpers for Plumbing
- Screwdriver (stubby)
- Borescope
- Plumbing Software and Calculators (for Plumbing Contractors)
Now let’s get to more details about these home plumbing tools.
The Wrenches that You Should Have in Your Plumbing Tools
No tool or equipment is more associated with residential or commercial plumbing services than the wrench. No plumbing tools list is completed without twists. Experienced plumbers bring different types of wrenches to a job site, including:
Pipe Wrench is the First Plumbing Tool
A pipe wrench is the most oversized wrench that a plumber utilizes for residential plumbing services. Professional plumbers use these heavy plumbing tools to loosen or tighten nuts and other fittings on the pipework.
Plumbers generally utilize two pipe wrenches at once. One is used for holding a pipe in place and the other for rotating the fitting or nut correctly. Pipe wrenches are available in different lengths, and professionals can work with an entire set of these plumbing tools.
Basin Wrench for Home Plumbing
Plumbers use a basin wrench, a T-shaped tool, to work on faucets. This tool has a clamp-like mechanism on one end of its body that allows plumbers to reach narrow and small areas to tighten or loosen the nuts on the faucet. Anyone asking questions about the best tools for plumbers from you, remember to mention basin wrenches.
Adjustable Plumbing Wrench
An adjustable plumbing wrench is used for tightening or loosening hexagonal nuts on your home’s pipes. These plumbing tools come in various sizes; however, pro plumbers often use the 6-inch and 10-inch versions for their services.
Faucet Key
Faucet keys are not traditional tools for plumbing services, but they are a critical part of this list. These are small X-shaped plumbing equipment designed to close or open spigots and sillcocks.
Pipe Work Tools for Plumbing
Professional plumbers who do plumbing daily have pipes on their plumbing tool list. Modern plumbers utilize various techniques and tools to repair, replace, and install residential plumbing fixtures. Here are some of the essential pipework tools for home plumbing services.
Hacksaw for Plumbing
Although woodworkers and carpenters use saws more than plumbers, professional plumbers have hacksaws with them to cut through various hardware such as pipes, bolts, screws, and nuts. When cutting this hardware, plumbers secure the blades tightly.
Plastic Pipe and Tube Cutters
A plumber who regularly deals with plastic or copper piping will need to replace, remove, or resize them. For this purpose, they need cutters that can cut plastic pipes and tubes.
Plumber’s Torch for Home Plumbing Services
Many commercial plumbers or even residential plumbers seal metal piping by soldering them. For soldering, plumbers need heat, and plumber’s torches are the best tool.
This plumbing tool is a small, handheld one that allows the plumber to apply a high level of heat in a particular area, soldering and sealing piping for replacements and installations.
Thread Sealing Tape
A plumber’s tape or thread sealing tap is used for patching or preventing possible leaks at the threaded joint connection in your home’s plumbing system. High-quality sealing tapes are resistant to low and high temperatures. Additionally, they stretch for better coverage and never dry out.
Plumbing Pliers
Another one of the plumbing tool that professionals use regularly is plumbing pliers. These tools allow home plumbers to tighten or loosen tiny nuts and bolts that a wrench cannot grip.
Press Fitting Systems
One of the critical things that any plumbing project requires is a secure connection between pipes. Press fitting systems are used to physically press and connect a line while producing a solid connection or seal.
Press fitting systems are essential plumbing tools since they save money and time in the long run. Plumbers can produce connections using these tools in lesser time than it takes to solder or weld pipes.
Clearing Clogs Tools
In some residential and commercial plumbing issues, the problem is not the piping system, but it is what is inside. Professional plumbers know their way around a severe clog and which plumbing tools they require to keep a home plumbing running smoothly. Here are the sewer machines or clearing clogs tools that plumbing contractors have:
Plungers for Cleaning Clogs
Although most homeowners have plungers in their homes, professional plumbers should also come to services equipped with them. Experienced people are ready with heavy-duty flange and cup plungers that can produce more suction than the standard consumer tool.
Hand Auger Plumbing Tool
A hand auger is a handheld, circular plumbing tool that allows lumbers to drive cables deep down a drain to clear the clogs. You can find various types of hand augers in the plumbing tools suppliers or store near you.
Snake Machine for Commercial and Residential Plumbing Services
Snake machines are essentially motorized and larger versions of a standard hand drill. These plumbing machines are efficient when the clogs are deep or complicated to be removed.
Plumbing Tools for Safety
Although most plumbing services are not associated with danger, experienced plumbers know there can be some threads during the job. So, they use some tools that provide safety and protect the professional by lowering the chances of an accident. Here are some of the plumbing equipment that is used for protection:
Safety Goggles
All professional plumbers closely examine leaks and solder pipes at a close distance, which can be dangerous for their eyes. It is essential to remember that a good plumber is also safe, so they should wear appropriate goggles during their services.
Gloves for Plumbing
Plumbers are exposed to scorching pipes that you can never touch with bare hands. So, they have to use heavy-duty gloves to protect their hands and allow them to grip hot or slippery items without having a problem.
Heat Shields and Pads
Plumbers that deal with soldering during most of their services should utilize safety equipment to protect them. Heat shields and pads help plumbers protect themselves and the environment from heat damage and fire when welding or soldering is required.
Other Plumbing Equipment
Although the items above are the best plumbing tools that any plumber should have since technology is growing day by day, the hardware changes with it, and some other plumbing equipment can help plumbers do their job in a better way.
Pipe Expanders and Fittings
PEX pipe expanders and fittings are one of the newest innovations in the plumbing industry. These tools are resilient, flexible plastic piping that offers unprecedented reliability and convenience.
The expander is a drill-like plumbing tool that widens the entry of the pipe so the plumber can insert a metal fitting into it. Since these tools retain the original shape of the tube, after the mouth is closed on the fitting, it creates a perfect seal.
Crimpers for Plumbing Services
Crimpers are critical tools for plumbers who use PEX plumbing systems. However, they can also be used for other types of plumbing systems.
Crimping means joining multiple metal pieces or other materials by deforming one of them to hold the other part.
Screwdriver (Stubby)
Although a stubby screwdriver might sound more fundamental than the other plumbing equipment, you need to have these tools if you want your list to be completed. These plumbing tools can be a job saver when tightening and loosening are necessary for hard-to-reach areas.
Borescope
Most of the current pro plumbers carry borescope to the job site. The borescope is a small camera tethered by a flexible and long cable and is meant to be inserted far down into sewer lines or drains to give a better look at your home’s piping conditions.
Plumbing Business Software and Calculators
Fewer plumber professionals use traditional methods to work out estimates and do calculations. Instead, they use modern technologies and software that make the job way more accessible than it used to be. Some of the software and calculators that plumbers use are:
- Business Valuation Calculator
- Flow Rate Calculator
- Pipe Vol. Calculator
- Invoice Generator
- Labor Rate Calculator
- ROI Calculator
- Service Business Grader
- Other Mobile or Tablet Apps (Data Access, Customization, Job Automations, Payments)