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t0807.txt
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1994-09-08
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0807 PLUMBING TOOLS
Tools for clearing drains
When a fixture stops up you might be tempted to pour drain cleaner into it. DON'T - Chemical
cleaners can sometimes speed up a slow-draining sink or lavatory, but do not dump them into one
that's totally clogged. If they fail to clear the drain, your problem is compounded by dangerously
caustic water.
Instead, try to dislodge the blockage with a plunger, also called a force cup or plumber's friend. A
combination plunger, like this one, has a second cup inside the first, so it fits snugly into the
outlet in a toilet bowl. Fold the smaller cup into the larger one and you can use the plunger on a
sink drain. To work properly, the plunger must be completely immersed in water. Work it up and
down vigorously.
If plunging doesn't clear the stoppage, attack it with an auger. A drain auger, sometimes called a
plumber's snake, threads into a sink drain or down the overflow outlet in a tub. Cranking the
handle rotates a stiff spring that bores through a stubborn blockage. If this doesn't work,
dismantle the trap under the sink and auger the drainpipe that goes into the wall or floor.
A closet auger makes short work of most toilet stoppages. To operate it, pull the spring all the
way up into the handle, insert the bit into the bowl outlet and begin cranking. If you encounter
resistance pull back slightly, wiggle the handle and try again. A closet auger will chew out just
about anything but a solid object, such as a toy or makeup jar. If you can hear something other
than the auger rattling around in there, you'll have to pull up the bowl, turn it over and shake or
poke out the item.
To clear a clogged main drain or floor drain, rent a power auger. It has a longer reach and goes
around corners more easily than hand augers.
Wrenches and pliers
Wrenches are pivotal plumbing tools. Spend the few extra dollars to buy good ones. Wrenches
need to stand up to lots of pressure without bending or breaking. A cheap wrench puts you at risk
of banged knuckles or worse injuries.
You may already own an adjustable wrench or two. These have a fixed jaw and a movable jaw,
both of them smooth-faced so you can grip chrome-plated fittings without marring their finishes.
A 6-inch and an 8-inch adjustable wrench work well for most plumbing jobs. When you use an
adjustable wrench, orient its movable jaw in the direction you are turning so the wrench won't
slip.
Rib-joint pliers, often called water pump pliers, let you get a grip on bigger nuts, such as the ones
that hold a sink trap in place. Long handles provide leverage. Again, orient the movable jaw in
the direction you are turning.
Purchase pipe wrenches in pairs, one to turn the fitting, the other to keep the pipe from turning at
the same time. The serrated jaws of pipe wrenches leave marks on metal, so use them only in
situations where appearances don't matter. When you use any wrench, pull it toward you. This
way if the wrench slips, you run less risk of skinning your knuckles. Eight- and ten-inch sizes
work well for household plumbing projects.
If you're replacing a faucet, a basin wrench reaches up behind the sink bowl to get at the nuts that
hold the faucet to the sink.
Other plumbing tools
The tools shown above will see you through most plumbing projects, but you may need a few
more, depending on the materials you'll be working with.
Cut plastic and copper pipe to length with a hacksaw. Better yet, use a tubing cutter. You lightly
clamp it on a pipe, rotate the tool several revolutions, tighten again and continue turning. A
round blade, like the one in a can opener, does the cutting. You use a second, arrow-shaped blade
to ream out burrs from the inside of the cut pipe end.
The only tool required for soldering copper pipes is a propane torch. But to ready the pipes for
soldering you'll need emery cloth to remove oxidation, flux to allow for free flow of the solder
and to aid the bonding process, and 50 percent tin/50 percent lead solder to seal the joint.
Bending flexible copper tubing to the shape you want is easy with a tubing bender. It consists of a
spring that you slip onto the tubing and bend at several points along the arc's radius.