Plumbing and central heating engineers need to be ready for anything. Central heating systems and pipe networks can be so varied and different, that they are open to a catalogue of potential issues all of which need to be solved by your central heating engineer as soon as he/she walks through the door. A heating engineer carries an array of different tools at any one time and as one of Bristol’s seasoned plumbing suppliers, we can vouch for that fact that there are some core essentials that every plumber should carry.

Adjustable Spanner

The adjustable spanner is an essential tool for any plumber on the job as it can be used to tighten or loosen compression joints and many other different kinds of nuts that are found on heating pipes, faucets and water supplies. Adjustable spanners are prized for their adaptability and come in extra handy since there are many different sizes of nuts and valves. It also saves the engineer or plumber the effort and time of having to carry around a collection of individually sized spanners.

Pipe Cutters

Plenty of tasks undertaken by a plumber involve pipe work whether this is the preparation of new copper pipes for installation, repairing old ones or even just removing them altogether. The trusty pipe cutter is a small compact tool that usually has an adjustable jaw clamp of between ⅛ – 1⅛ inches. When this jaw is fastened onto the metal pipe and tightened, it bites deeper into the copper. With a few circular rotations around the pipe, the cutter will then cut even deeper, eventually separating the pipe into two pieces. Making a clean and neat cut is important so using something like a set of secateurs is not an option as they would pinch the end of the pipe together.    

Blowtorch

You may have just installed a new set of copper pipes with clean cuts but how do you make sure that the elbows that allow the pipe to change direction won’t leak? The answer to this is a good quality blow torch. The joints in every pipe network need to be soldered watertight otherwise you will soon experience leaks that could cause some serious household damage. The solder itself is melted over the copper pipe joins them together in a watertight seal.

Radiator Key

A simple no-frills piece of equipment often found in a plumber’s arsenal is radiator key. Although no more than 20g in weight, these small brass tools are essential in letting pressurised air out of radiators. Sometimes pockets of air get stuck inside the radiator and prevent newly circulated hot steam from entering. This creates a loud knocking sound that can be very disruptive. To fix this, the radiator valve needs to be loosened in order to release the excess air. The radiator key universally allows you to open the radiator valve and release the excess air.

Spirit Level

Used across many different trades, spirit levels are the most accurate way to check if a surface is level whether this is in a horizontal or vertical sense. The spirit level will contain a small capsule filled with a mixture of liquid and alcohol. This will reveal whether or not a surface is level by staying within the confines of two marked lines. This tool is invaluable for any plumber when installing pipes and radiators which need to be positioned perfectly level for hot water and steam to flow to and from.

Need a plumber in Bristol with all the tools and know-how to match? Taps On Plumbing operate 24-hours a day and are available at a moment’s notice for all domestic plumbing work. Contact us today on 0117 911 8053

Laurence Matone

Laurence is a content writer and marketing manager for Taps On Plumbing. He helps publish regular content and insights for customers and industry personnel.