Handy Tools

Ear Defenders
Most plumbing work doesn’t involve prolonged use of power tools but if this ever looks likely, get a pair of ear defenders. These come as either little memory foam in earplugs or huge great headphones. They are a very important bit of kit as you need to protect your hearing whilst you work.

Pump Pliers.
If you cant get a nut with your spanner, then you need these. There is a right way and a wrong way to use these pliers, so if you have them the wrong way you will find the jaws open rather than close. Good for most things, you should not use them on chrome. Kingston Plumbers use pump pliers every day.

Stilson.
The stilson is an old plumbers favourite. It comprises of a long handle and teeth on the jaws to give solid grip. Its main function use is to grip round sections of pipework. Its jaws are opened and plced over the item to be held and then the handles are closed so the jaws come together and grip tightly.

Adjustable Spanner.
A spanner with jaws that can adjust to various sizes. These come in different sizes so it is a good move to keep a couple of pairs to give you flexibility. A Kingston Plumber uses adjustable spanners.

The Saws.
There are three types of saw used by plumbers as a rule, the handsaw which is designed to cut into floorboards. There is also the jigsaw, which will normally of power type, being electrically driven. The jigsaw is
especially good for cutting holes in floors and plasterboard. To use the jigsaw, drill a hole in the material, then, put the saw blade inside and lay the body of the hacksaw flat, switch on and slowly move the blade forward making the cut, usually over a pencil line for guidance and correct measurements. There are always some pipes that can be cut with a proper cutter and at this point the hacksaw comes to your aid. If you do use one for cutting pipework try your best to keep the cut at right angles to the pipe, and once you are through, clean the clean edges with a bit of abrasive strip or a small flat file,


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