5 Plumbing Tools Every Home Should Have

9 May

Whether you are a home owner, a landlord, or a tenant, you are well advised to have a few tools around the house or work place in order to be able to DIY fix any small problems that might arise, without having to call in and pay, the professionals.
If you live and/or work in South London, and you have a plumbing problem, we here at CW Services Plumbing and Heating are at your service. But before you decide whether or not you may need to call us, here are five basic plumbing tools we recommend you should have, to give you a chance of trying your own DIY repair.

When to call the professionals
Before we get down to the meat of the matter, just to be clear, unless you are a plumbing professional, we suggest you lim

it yourself to trying only simple DIY repairs; things like blocked sinks or dripping taps. For things of a more serious nature, like burst water pipes, call CW Services – it’s what we are here for.
Back to those more simple repairs. In order to give yourself a chance of doing a DIY repair, here are the tools we suggest you should have.
A Plunger
The most common plumbing problem is a blocked sink. This happens when a build-up of hair or an accumulation of waste is allowed to gather. A plunger allows you to force a small amount of water down the pipe (meaning you must fill the bottom of the sink first) by placing it above the plug hole, (or down the toilet), and rapidly depressing it. A few rapid repetitions are often enough to clear a small blockage.
A pair of Nitrile Safety Gloves
If you’re dealing with a blocked toilet, it’s always a good idea to have a pair of safety gloves handy. Nitrile disposable gloves are the best as they are strong, allow you full flexibility, and you can dispose of them afterwards, if you’ve had to put your hands down the toilet. It pays to be careful. There can be some horrible germs and bacteria lurking down the loo, or in the drains.
An Adjustable Wrench
You never know what size of fixing you may need to undo. Having a good quality adjustable wrench to hand will enable you to deal with most sizes you will come across.
A Large Bucket
If you got water leaking onto the floor, having a good-size bucket available is a boon. You can use it to gather any leaking water while you attempt to do your own DIY repair, or, if you decide you have to call a plumber. It might help to keep the floor from flooding while you wait for a plumber to arrive.
A Torch
If you are trying to find the source of a plumbing problem, you may need to go where it’s dark. Torches are fine, but a headlamp is even better as it will light wherever it is you are looking, and it means you can have both hands free for dealing with the problem when you find it.
When you need a professional plumbing company – call CW Services Plumbing and Heating. If you do decide you need to call a local London plumber, we here at CW plumbing and Heating Services also operate a 24/7 emergency call-out service. You can call us on either 020 7733 6812, or 07949 095 184.