There might have been a time when you would call your handyman if something breaks down in the house. However, with the fear of COVID-19 and letting other people inside your house, homeowners are now doing household repairs and even renovations on their own. This also includes plumbing, like fixing a broken faucet or stopping the sink from leaking.  Feel free to watch the video below or scroll down to read this quick blog.

Although DIY plumbing can be intimidating for the inexperienced, one can actually do it by using the right tools and taking proper precautions and preparation.

In this blog post, you will learn the tools needed for every DIY plumber.

1. Pipe Wrench – The main function of the pipe wrench is to grip and turn a threaded pipe, black iron, or other similar metal pipes. It’s also like a ratchet wrench because its teeth will only grip if you turn the wrench in a single direction. Because of its long shaft, it gives lots of leverage making it very good at turning tough pipes.

2. Tongue and Groove Pliers – Also known as water pump pliers, provide an adjustable jaw that has a bigger width compared to standard slip-joint pliers. This is mostly used for gripping and turning nuts and bolts, and other similar objects. These are more nimble than pipe wrenches but still, provide a good and customizable grip.

3. Hacksaw – A hacksaw is useful when it comes to cutting any types of pipes or for bolts, nuts, or screws that are stuck. They have very small teeth which make cutting slow, but very precise even when cutting through metal.

4. Drain Auger –  Also called a drain snake, this is an essential tool for home or DIY plumbing. It has a long coiled-metal cable that feeds from an angled handle and is used to spin the cable through drain clogs to break up and extract whatever is causing the clogging. There are ones that turn the hands or attach to a drill power tool for more ease.

5. Plunger – A drain plunger is the first tool to look for if your sink, drain, or shower is clogging. You can choose from a cup plunger, which has a rubber that fits over the drain. Another type is called a toilet plunger, which has an extra ring of rubber that is inserted into the toilet drain, sealing in the air and improving suction.

6. Water Bucket – Considered to be one of the most simple yet effective pieces of equipment in plumbing you definitely should have at least 1 or more buckets. When there is a leak or an unexpected water flow, you will want a bucket to catch it, plus when mopping it makes it easy to carry water and soap. It comes in many different sizes, and 5 gallons is the optimal size for household chores.. 

There are many other tools that you can use to help you, but these basics will suffice for most jobs. Make sure to familiarize yourself with these basic tools first, then buy more tools in the future as you need. Hopefully, with this article, you will feel the confidence to tackle your problem yourself before calling a plumber.