Tools Needed to be a Plumber

[jase158]

I have the usual Pump Pliers, Adjustable spanners, Pipe Benders, Drill, 18v Drill Circular saw.

Now I wonder what else I need, as I am I get by, but I do wonder would my job be made easier if I had different tools, Now my adjustable spanners are the medium size ones, not big ones. same as with the pump pliers.

and I was replacing a pump the other day and the pump pliers did not work very well.

So I am a bit confused as to why they are called pump pliers if they do not fit pumps very well?

Any suggestions

 

[dontknowitall]

They work better if you connect to a bicycle pump ...

Knipex are favourites on here, but are expensive.
I wouldn't do without my Bahco spanners (6" and 8" thin blades), available from Screwfix.
Reasonable screwdriver set with loads of bits and pieces including magnet - needn't cost the earth.
Stabila spirit levels (different lengths) - one of mine is a keyring which comes in handy occasionally.
Bosch PMF 180E if you're feeling flush - they're around £70 on Amazon - brilliant piece of kit which will be borrowed by others from time to time.
Wouldn't be without my wet vacuum either.

 

[jase158]

Cheers dont know it all, did have a wet vac, think this is an urgent replacement item.

cheers for the advice on everything else, will invest in these items, do you have 2 pump pliers.

 

[dontknowitall]

No, but I'm looking out for another pair.

 

[ADM360]

I couldn't be without my Barco's 8" wide jaw adjustables, set of pipe slices 15,22 and 28mm although if you have spare money, I've just got the milwaukee 12v pipe cutter!! hardly used my slices since!! there are many sizes of pump pliers rotherbureger do a 6" set, I have a regular set and have over the years aquired a large set about 24", think there american can't remember. stilsons are always handy!! good set of screw drivers I prefer stanley ones and mostly use the long 18" posi good hacksaw and junior hacksaw, although with my pipe cutter I got the 12v hackzall, mini rip saw, hardly use a hacksaw any more. but it cost money though, I have slowly collected a good assortment of tools that will do just about any job I need to do. but I have been at it for some ten years now and my wife does think I'm a bit of a tool hoar and every time a new screwfix book arrives she " passes over my new **** mag" her words!!
my advise is buy the best you can now but don't break the bank, as in time you can get the tools you realy want, but first you have to get some work done.

 

[jase158]

I couldn't be without my Barco's 8" wide jaw adjustables, set of pipe slices 15,22 and 28mm although if you have spare money, I've just got the milwaukee 12v pipe cutter!! hardly used my slices since!! there are many sizes of pump pliers rotherbureger do a 6" set, I have a regular set and have over the years aquired a large set about 24", think there american can't remember. stilsons are always handy!! good set of screw drivers I prefer stanley ones and mostly use the long 18" posi good hacksaw and junior hacksaw, although with my pipe cutter I got the 12v hackzall, mini rip saw, hardly use a hacksaw any more. but it cost money though, I have slowly collected a good assortment of tools that will do just about any job I need to do. but I have been at it for some ten years now and my wife does think I'm a bit of a tool hoar and every time a new screwfix book arrives she " passes over my new **** mag" her words!!
my advise is buy the best you can now but don't break the bank, as in time you can get the tools you realy want, but first you have to get some work done.

cheers for the advice, my mrs has threatened to lock me in my van with a screwfix mag, she says I spend more time with them then do with her, lol

 

[jase158]

Also did you ue to use the 28mm cutters very often, I got an adjustable cutter for the larger pipe, although I couldnt imagine tight holes with the adjustable pipe cutters.

 

[stevetheplumber]

trick for getting pumps undone is use two hammers and tap either side of the nuts simultaniously moving round before you try to loosen them
not applicable to combis obviously
personally i like my foot prints grips as they lock on and dont rely on how hard you can grip takes a while to get used to the fact they only work in one direction(as do stilons) but once locked on they seldom slip ive got 12 inch ones for pump nuts
i only use pump pliers when i need the thinner jaw or i need to turn backwards
one tool i wouldnt be without is Wolfcraft 90 degree Angle Screwdriver Tool Set: Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools
you can get them much cheaper than that thing i paid about a tenner with 6 bits in a clip its one of those tools you dont realise how handy it is till youve got it
my other most handy tool is a smal pen knife on my key ring i keep it sharp and use it daily for opening packets slitting boiler boxes cutting the end caps of bundles of copper being on the van keys its alway there when i need it how many times have we all struggled to open someting in those infenal plastic packets

 

[nysk2008]

maybe a hammer and a swear box?

 

[Rossi46]

Bahco do a 12" widejaw adjustable perfect for pump nuts and monument do a pump spanner too. If the nuts seize heating with a blowlamp soon frees them.

 

[jtsplumbing]

What-ever makes the job easey Ive been at it for over 30 years and still keep buying tools but invest in good pump pliers at least 2 paires Barco expensive but worth the cost

 

[SimonJohns]

My favourite tool is my 18v makita angle grinder use it for everything

Removing old rusted screws. Cutting flues. Stripping out. Cutting tops of cylinders and then storing all scrap inside. And various others


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- Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[helpsy]

2 items of kit I have that make life easier are a wet/dry vac I got from Wickes for under £50 and also bought a combined filter so you don't have to change over between wet and dry jobs! I've also got a Fein Multimaster (bit of a luxury) very helpful but genuine blades aren't cheap, there is cheaper makes about.

 

[jase158]

With the wet and dry vac, does anybody get this out first on every single job and make sure it is plugged in, just for those runs that are impossible to get the water out through draining alone and if doing a bathroom does anybody suck all the water out of the pipes to ensure that there is absolutely none in there, I have tried this but always end up sitting there for what feels like forever and end up giving up.

 

[jase158]

Problem I find is that on the heating you may have 1 or 2 radiators downstairs which are on seperate runs and will end up coming through when using wet and dry vac. and the hot water cylinder is obviously full and stick a hoover on it will suck all of that water out.

However there is nothing worse then trying to solder onto a bit of pipe that has water on it.

and finnally Gate valves, if they don't shut properly, you can find yourself spending days sucking it away, with no joy, but I guess that is a different issue all together

 

[secret squirrel]

Problem I find is that on the heating you may have 1 or 2 radiators downstairs which are on seperate runs and will end up coming through when using wet and dry vac. and the hot water cylinder is obviously full and stick a hoover on it will suck all of that water out.

However there is nothing worse then trying to solder onto a bit of pipe that has water on it.

and finnally Gate valves, if they don't shut properly, you can find yourself spending days sucking it away, with no joy, but I guess that is a different issue all together

Wouldn't be without my head lamp torch.

Had this problem the other day drained the cwst down still water kept coming through as I had worked on the house before and will go back for other jobs spent a bit of time replacing the gate valves with lever valves.

Wouldn't have done this though if the customer wasn't a returning customer. Due to the extra cost.

 

[unguided1]

my favourite tool is my loveslave, hours of entertainment costing me money, as he falls through ceilings, causing biblical floods and leaving trails of black sludge on cream shagpile, still he makes a good cuppa and doesnt mind wearing a gimp mask when he gets a good thrashing.