The Ultimate Plumbing Tools Every Home Should Have

If you want to handle your own plumbing needs, there are some basic tools that you need to have in your arsenal. These will help you do a wide variety of things with your pipes, and this small investment in gear just might save you money on calling the plumber.

Get A Grip - Wrenches

The most basic and essential tool for your plumbing needs is the wrench. There are two different kinds of wrenches - adjustable and fixed. Fixed wrenches are ones that are made for a certain size. The best possible situation is to have a whole ton of fixed wrenches - one for every size of pipe. This is what the pros have. If that's not an option, and it isn't for most folks, go with a good adjustable wrench and some common fixed wrench sizes.

Needed Suction - Plungers

We all know that you need a good plunger for the toilet. When it gets backed up, you can jam that sucker in there and prevent about 90% of the most common plumbing problems. But you also need plungers for the sink, tub and shower. The one used for these flat surfaces is called a cup plunger. The one for the toilet is called a ball plunger. If you've got real problems, you might look into getting a bellows plunger. This is the strongest type and it can get out really serious clogs.

Crank It Out - Augers

Lots of folks have never used an auger before, but this is a really important plumbing tool for getting out clogs. It's a coiled cable that you insert into a pipe. It has a mechanism that you turn and it gets out clogs in drains. There are several different types and you should have one of each. The sink auger is used for sink clogs, and for the deeper toilet clogs, you need a toilet auger. The main advantage is that it's longer so it can reach further, and it has a different kind of cranking mechanism.

Cut And Ream - Pipe Vises

Pipe vises also come in handy when you're doing your own plumbing work. These are vises made specifically to grip pipes. They come in lots of different sizes and can be used to do lots of things. You can use them for threading pipes, cutting them or also reaming them. These are a little more advanced than the other types of equipment listed here, but if you're doing any real work with your pipes you'll need some.

Patch Things Up - Teflon Tape

Finally, when you need to patch things up, you should use Teflon tape. This is the absolutely best type for dealing with leaking pipes. It's cheap, but it holds connections really secure so you don't have to worry about leaks. No other tape does it quite like Teflon.

The above list is just the basics. However, these simple tools are enough to let you do your own plumbing if you know what you're doing. They'll keep your pipes working right, and that will keep the plumber away.