The drum auger, also known as sink auger, drum auger or canister auger comes in handy when dealing with clogged drain repairs. The cup plunger is a must have and a very common plumbing tool in any home. It is shaped in a rubber cup form with a wooden handle and helps with unclogging showers, tubs and sinks.

The faucet valve seat wrench for typical compression faucets are the oldest styled faucets and least expensive. The faucet valve seat wrench comes handy in grabbing a nylon or rubber washer opposite a valve seat in faucet bodies. Teflon tape technically known as PTFE (PolyTetraFluoroEthylene) is a silky textured, strong tensioned tape breaks in a stringy style preventing leakages at threaded water line links, plumbing links, sealing pipe threading and shower heads. Teflon tape is typically white in color. The closet auger consists of a hand crank, a lengthy sleeve grip, and a strong auger bit at the end. A flexible shaft connects the auger bit to the crank handle, reaching about 3 feet. This tool will help with any stubborn clogs in the toilet drain line.

The flange plunger is a special shaped ball plunger comes in real handy in clearing congested toilets by applying vacuum and water force. Unlike a standard goblet shaped plunger used in tubs and sinks, this tool’s unique silhouette shuts the gap at the floor of a toilet bowl. A faucet valve reseating tool, also called the valve seat grinder or dresser, aides in smoothing out the valve seat of the faucet. The tube cutter is an ideal tool when working with copper pipes for smooth, well fixed joints. The adjustable pipe wrench, a quintessential plumbing tool, this provides incredible force and grip. The wrench tightens around pipes by jabbing its spiky saw–like teeth into the pipe with the pressure increasing on turning the wrench. Faucet packing and washers/compression faucets are still old fashioned with nylon/rubber washers with sealed faucet stems. Newer models come with rubber washer or O–rings for the stem–retaining nut.

A homeowner will usually have most, if not all, of these tools in their arsenal. These plumbing tools will make dealing with plumbing problems much easier for either a homeowner or professional plumbing contractors.

To be sure, pipe insulation in parts of the country where pipes have the potential to freeze and burst is a given.  Consequently, the time and effort put into seeing that your pipes are properly insulated far outweighs the possibility of a pipe bursting during a snowstorm.  While it’s obvious that your outdoor pipes need insulation, other pipes, even those in your home where the temperature is regulated, need insulation as well.  For instance if you have an electrical power outage, go on vacation or have a sudden temperature drop, you are susceptible to frozen pipes.  By properly insulating all pipes connected to your home, you can eliminate the possibility of an unexpected problem.

In addition, insulation of your plumbing can have a huge impact on your home’s energy use as well as the price you pay for that usage.  Insulation of your pipes improves the thermal efficiency of your home, limits heat transfer, provides a vapor barrier against moisture, eliminates condensation and decelerates pipe deterioration.  All of these results help keep energy prices down and contribute to environmental preservation. 

What Materials to Use
Materials used for insulation of pipes have recently moved from mineral and fiberglass products to flexible and rigid closed-cell glass materials.  The newest materials will block moisture that would normally collect in tradition fiberglass insulation and keeps pipes from getting wet even under the harshest of circumstances. Some methods of insulation use a wicking material, wrapped around the pipes that will absorb moisture and carry it outside of the jacket over your pipes where the moisture evaporates.  If you need to insulate underground pipes, you can buy a variety of polyurethane foam products that serve as excellent insulators and limit the impact of water on those pipe systems.

Take time this winter to inspect your pipes for exposed areas.  You can then insulate them yourself or call a local qualified plumber to do the job for you.  A small investment upfront on insulation may save you a lot of money over this winter season.

Blog post provided by:  Alpharetta GA plumbing services experts

Pipe Wrench
Buy yourself a sturdy pipe wrench for when you need a wrench that is the appropriate size and with the appropriate grip to loosen pipes.  A medium-size, adjustable pipe wrench will suffice to tighten and loosen pipes and other plumbing connections.  Your local hardware or plumbing-supply store will have these in stock in a variety of styles and prices.

A basin wrench is a specialized tool that will enable you to reach tight spots under sinks and basins.  The jaws of a basin wrench are adjustable and accommodate nuts of different sizes.  In addition, a basin wrench, when flipped over, allows you to keep turning the wrench without removing it from the nut.

A socket wrench set is another useful plumbing tool to have around.  It is used for removing recessed packing nuts and on tub and shower fixtures.  You’ll also find it handy to have around to complete other do-it-yourself household repairs.

If you need to change a toilet seat, a deep socket wrench will do the trick.  And to remove a toilet for replacement or repair, you’ll most likely need a spud wrench.  Older toilets sometimes have a large pipe (called a spud) which connects the tank to the bowl.  An extra-large hexagonal slip nut holds the bowl to the tank.  Consequently, a spud wrench is required to remove these slip nuts. Purchase an adjustable type of spud wrench as it will be more versatile than the nonadjustable type, which has a fixed opening at each end.

Other Plumbing Tools to Have Around
Augers, plungers, and snakes are tools designed specifically for plumbing. You’ll find these useful in almost any home repair project as well as most plumbing repair tasks.  Plumbers’ snakes (or drain-and-trap augers) vary in length.  For general use, a short snake is all you’ll need for most plumbing repairs. Look for a closet auger, a version of the plumbers’ snake designed specifically for clearing clogs in toilets.  It will be a bit shorter than a regular snake, and comes encased in a plastic or metal housing with an easy-to-use crank.

Having some plumbing repair tools available to solve simple plumbing issues is paramount to being a responsible homeowner.  Investing in these tools is ultimately an investment in the longevity of your home.

Post provided by: Bathroom Repair Plumber Alpharetta GA