The Plumbing Tools Make a Difference
For a new homeowner or someone less experienced in plumbing, knowing what the essential plumbing tools are and picking the right one for your project can be intimidating. In the video above, Ask This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey demonstrates the uses of different specialty wrenches.
Types of Wrenches for Different Plumbing Project
- A traditional basin wrench is used to disconnect faucets underneath a sink, since they’re easier to turn in tight spaces. They also make ones with lights in them for visibility.
- A multi-purpose basin wrench can function the same way as a traditional basin wrench, but they’re better to use for plastic wingnuts that are being used in newer faucets.
- For water hose connections, there’s usually only three open end wrench sizes needed.
- A multi-purpose open end wrench combines those three sizes into one, plumber-friendly wrench.
When using groove joint or water pump pliers, orientation matters. As demonstrated on This Old House, holding the pliers backwards causes the jaws to open up and lose their grip as you apply force — which can strip the head of the nut. In the correct position, the jaws hold tight, making it much easier to turn. But with pliers, you still need to use some of your strength to grip the work, which is why a wrench can make the job a lot easier: all of your effort goes toward turning the nut rather than squeezing handles together.
Pro Tip: For chrome fixtures like showerheads, skip the pliers entirely — even wrapping a rag around the jaws can leave scrape marks. As shown on This Old House, a strap wrench is made expressly for this job, gripping firmly without damaging delicate finishes.
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Richard demonstrated a variety of wrenches that are all designed to work with the connections around faucets and toilets. For jobs in the basement or other more complicated plumbing jobs, other tools will be required.
The basin wrenches Richard demonstrated, both the standard version and the one with the light, are available at most home centers.
The interchangeable plastic tab/brass connection basin wrench Richard talked about is the EZ Change Faucet Tool, and the other wrench Richard showed is the 2-in-1 One Stop Plumber’s Wrench. Both of these are manufactured by Ridgid.
Related Tool Tip: For stuck faucet handles — a common issue when doing faucet work — Richard Trethewey recommends a faucet-handle puller, a simple screw tool that lifts a frozen handle off without scratching its finish. “It’s kind of like uncorking a wine bottle with a corkscrew,” says Richard. The puller’s shaft slides into the screw hole, and as you twist the handgrip clockwise, the arms rise along the shaft and lift the handle free of the faucet stem.
