The eleven tools that cover 90% of home plumbing
Quick answer
Most beginner plumbing jobs need a short list: channel-lock pliers, an adjustable wrench, a basin wrench, two plungers, a hand snake, a headlamp, and a bucket, plus thread tape, pipe dope, and towels. Keep it all in one bucket near the water heater.
You do not need a van full of gear. You need this short list, a bucket, and the nerve to shut the water off.
This guide is general information and is awaiting technical review by Pando Plumbing. Always follow your fixture manufacturer's instructions.
Tools
- Channel-lock pliers, 10-inch
- Adjustable wrench
- Basin wrench
- Flange plunger (toilets)
- Cup plunger (sinks)
- 25-foot hand snake
- Headlamp
- Bucket
Supplies
- Thread seal tape
- Pipe dope
- Old towels
Before you start
- Check what you already own before you buy anything.
- Pick a spot near the water heater or main shutoff to keep the bucket.
Steps
- 1
Channel-lock pliers, 10-inch
The single most-used tool under a sink. Buy one good pair instead of three cheap ones.
- 2
Adjustable wrench and a basin wrench
The basin wrench looks strange and feels awkward, and it is the only thing that reaches faucet nuts behind a sink.
- 3
Thread seal tape and pipe dope
Tape for threaded metal joints, dope where the manufacturer calls for it. Both live in the kit.
- 4
A real plunger and a hand snake
A flange plunger for toilets, a cup plunger for sinks. A 25-foot hand snake handles most branch clogs.
- 5
Headlamp, bucket, and old towels
Unglamorous and decisive. Two free hands and a dry floor is the difference between a repair and a story.
Common mistakes
- Buying three cheap pairs of pliers instead of one good pair.
- Using a cup plunger on a toilet.
- Storing the kit in the garage where you will not grab it at midnight.
- Using tape or dope where the manufacturer calls for something else.
Final check
Everything fits in one bucket and lives where you would look in an emergency. If a job needs a torch, a press tool, or a pipe cutter behind drywall, it is past the starter kit. Call Pando.
Plumber's tip
Keep the whole kit in one bucket by the water heater. If it lives in the garage, you will not go get it at midnight.
Stop and call Pando if...
You find yourself needing a torch, a press tool, or a pipe cutter for anything behind drywall.