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Learn More About 3 Common Plumbing Tools - Game Show Edition

Plumber posing next to sink

Get Ready To Play… The Plumbing Game!

Everybody knows that old cliche of the hunky plumber showing up at the door to rescue the homeowner in distress from a plumbing disaster. Of course, there are other less flattering cliches about plumbers, but those are hardly worth mentioning. But while heroic plumbers everywhere undoubtedly deserve the rose-colored image they often get painted with, they wouldn’t be able to save the day without the trusty tools in their belts. So in this article, homeowners will get a chance to draw back the curtain (instead, the toolbox lid) and learn of the mysterious unsung heroes of plumbing repair. 

Suitor #1 - Drain Augers

First up are the invaluable tools known as drain augers or drain snakes. These are used to unclog drains and remove obstructions from drainage pipes. These typically feature a long, flexible metal coil that can fit down a drain. One end of the ring is generally a corkscrew-like tip. As the wave goes into the drain, it rotates, causing the information to drill into whatever materials block the drain, allowing the plumber to extract them.

A few different drain snakes are designed for a specific purpose. Some rely on a manual hand crank to unwind and rotate the coil, while others use an electric motor. Toilet augers have a bend at the end of the ring to navigate the curved “water trap” below the bowl. Sewer augers measure 50-100 feet and have much longer coils than household augers. They also have special tips designed to cut through tree roots and tough obstructions.

Suitor #2 - Wrenches

No plumber’s tool kit would be complete without wrenches, lots of twists. Plumbing work involves many unscrewing and tightening bolts, nuts, and other components. Most people are probably familiar with the classic pipe wrench, the big, long, and heavy-looking wrench (often painted red) with adjustable clamps on one end, typically used for pipe fittings and heavy-duty nuts.

Other wrenches may not be quite as familiar but are still vital. A basin wrench is a T-shaped rod with a small crab claw-like clamp at one end, designed for accessing hard-to-reach hardware in faucet plumbing assemblies. Then there are the even more specialized wrenches, such as faucet keys (used for opening and closing certain faucet valves), garbage disposal wrenches, and shower valve socket wrenches, to name just a few.

Suitor #3 - Safety Gear

Finally, any severe plumber always shows up prepared with personal protective equipment. A focus on safety separates the pros from amateurs, the men and women from the boys and girls. After all, avoidable plumbing-related injuries aren’t very attractive.

Plumbers use wraparound safety glasses or goggles to protect their eyes and gloves of various types to protect their hands from burns, cuts, abrasions, and hazardous materials. They use earplugs or muffs to protect their hearing when using loud power tools. They may even use respiratory protection and hazmat suits in some cases to protect against sewer gases or other harmful pollutants. The real winner is the plumber who puts safety first!

About Knight Plumbing, Inc.

Knight Plumbing has been Milwaukee’s trusted plumbing contractor since 2002. Their clean, courteous, background-checked experts always show up on time in fully-stocked trucks, ready to finish the job. Knight guarantees 100% satisfaction on every job, so don’t hesitate to call for plumbing services in Milwaukee, WI, today!

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