Archive for the ‘Pipe Wrench’ Category
Keeping A Pipe Wrench Around For Good Measure
There are many water pipes that run across the entire property on the family cattle ranch. This can be a bit of a problem when a pipe leaks or bursts and we can’t get a plumber out to help us in a timely fashion.
It’s times like these when keeping a pipe wrench in the shop can save us a whole lot of money which a plumber would have charged us to come all the way out in the country especially on weekend when these sorts of things tend to happen for some strange reason. We also save a lot of water from running as we wait for a plumber as well. I think it’s safe to say that the pipe wrench has more than paid for itself tenfold since we bought it a few years back.
Never Get Caught Without Your Pipe Wrench
In Texas, the weather usually stays pretty mild in the winter but when the mercury drops, the plumbing isn’t really set up for a deep freeze and there are usually problems. We recently encountered quite a deep freeze that froze the water in pipes that were way down in the ground. This caused the water to expand when it froze and pushed out a section of the PVC pipe and caused quite a leak when the temperature thawed it a bit.
It’s a good thing I always keep a pipe wrench handy for just such incidents. I purchased some replacement pipe and some twist-on couplers that need to be tightened with hand tools such as a pipe wrench. I just adjusted the pipe wrench to a size that fit the new coupler and once it all the pieces were in place, used it to tighten everything up so there were no more leaks.
When shopping for pipe wrenches, there are a few things to know that will help you decide which pipe wrench is for you.
The first thing to consider is the material. Pipe wrenches are hand tools that are usually manufactured by using either steel or aluminum. Aluminum pipe wrenches are much lighter than steel, but tend to be a bit more pricey. If you don’t mind the weight though, steel pipe wrenches will do the job just fine.
The next and final thing to consider is the size of pipe wrench you are looking for. Pipe wrenches range from about 10 inches all the way up to 48 inches which will let you take on just about any size pipe job.
My First Kitchen Sink Project Using A Pipe Wrench
As a young man, one of my first at-home projects was to fix the kitchen sink. Thinking that it was going to be a one-two-three job, I grabbed my hand tools, including my pipe wrench, and took on the job head-first. quickly I discovered that the sink was very old and hadn’t been touched in what looks to be ten years.
Because of the awkward position of the sink under the counter, i couldn’t get a good fit on the pipe with the pipe wrench. Because the handle of the pipe wrench was so long, it was bumping into everything. At that point, I broke out the channel lock pliers, which still gripped the pipe like the pipe wrench, but the handle was much shorter making it at least able to turn. It took a lot more muscle, but I got the pipe off, and didn’t wind up damaging it too much.
Keep An Eye On Your Aluminum Pipe Wrench While On The Job
Being an avid tool enthusiast, I like to browse the tool forums about new products, opinions, and perspectives about power tools and hand tools. One thing I’ve noticed people talking more and more about, is tool theft on the job site. There are many reasons this is happening, and some tools are being singled out for one reason or another.
The aluminum pipe wrench is one of these tools that are discussed. The reason the aluminum pipe wrench is being stolen from the job site more and more, is that it’s lightweight and easily slid down a pant leg. Another reason for the aluminum pipe wrench being targeted for theft is that they can get pretty costly depending on their size, and to a contractor this can be a big deal when multiple pipe wrenches have to be purchased to run the business. The aluminum pipe wrench is one of the top lost items in the plumbing industry, so just be mindful of where you leave your hand tools laying around.
It’s often that I see plumbers and do-it-yourself handy men alike at work on the pipes with their hand tools. There is something that I noticed professional plumbers doing with pipe wrenches often that the do-it-yourselfers could benefit from as well.
This simple trick is carrying keeping around pipe wrench sets around the house. Since the pipes around the house can range significantly in size, such as heating pipes compared to tap water pipes, carrying around a pipe wrench set will always be of great benefit. Not only do you have all the pipe wrenches you need when you need them, you don’t have to bother going to the store four times to adjust four separate pipes. Pipe wrench sets can be picked up at any hardware store or online tool store for added convenience, which will also save gas money in your pursuit of quality hand tools.
The pipe wrench was originally created by Solymon Merrik in 1835 which was an enlarged adjustable wrench with a long handle. The patent for one of the most successful hand tools however, was not granted until 1869 to a man named Daniel C Stillson. This is why the pipe wrench is also referred to as the “Stillson wrench”. Stillson went from door to door trying to turn his patent into a success, but to no avail, many doors were slammed in his face.
It wasn’t until Stillson brought the pipe wrench to the attention of Walworth, a company that that had manufactured heating pipes, that the idea picked up momentum. He pointed out that they could use the pipe wrenches to tighten their large bolts on the pipes. It was the particular design of the pipe wrench that allowed for the rocking back and forth motion to assemble the pipe fittings. The pipe wrench functioned by digging the teeth into the soft metal of the pipe which tightened when pressure was applied. The owner of the Walworth’s liked the idea, and after Stillson made a functional prototype, it was a huge success. It’s estimated that Stillson earned over eighty thousand dollars in royalties from his pipe wrench patent before he died.
Today, the pipe wrench is widely used in construction, especially in plumbing. This is why the pipe wrench is also referred to as a plumber wrench. Pipe wrenches are usually available is sizes ranging from 10 inch all the way up to 48 inch face openings. There are two types of materials that are used to manufacture pipe wrenches: steel and aluminum. The particular advantage to using aluminum hand tools, is primarily because they are significantly lighter than steel hand tools. This rule applies even more so for pipe wrenches because they can get quite large in size. Pipe wrenches can be purchased at any large tool franchise, but more conveniently and competitively priced at most online tool stores.
When it comes to elbow grease, plumbing is a trade that needs a five gallon bucket. Not being the most experienced plumber in the world, I don’t know nearly every trick in the book. What I do know however, is that using any other pliers besides a pipe wrench to get a stubborn pipe off is some real combat. Because most other wrenches don’t have offset locking teeth, and a long handle, it will be nearly impossible to get any leverage on the wrench, let alone have the gripping power to hold on to the pipe so it will loosen or tighten.
There are some instances when using a pipe wrench is still a back-breaking effort to get off a really stuck-on pipe. Here’s a simple tip that might help you out if you find yourself in this situation. Grab a hollow pipe about 2-4 feet long and about 2-3″ wide and slip it over the handle of the pipe wrench while it is attached to the pipe you’re working on. This is to add leverage to the pipe, so that you will have exponentially more torque. Just make sure the pipe you are using for leverage is still short enough to swing around in the room you are working in.