Hand tools: Plumbing and heating

Hand tools: Plumbing and heating
The basic equipment for installation and maintenance.

Minor installation and maintenance work in the apartment and house can also be carried out without professional help. Plumbing repairs are also possible with the right tools.

The fields of activity in sanitary and heating systems are diverse. Much of this work can be done on your own. Of course, work on gas-carrying lines and devices is excluded for safety reasons.

In addition to the necessary experience, the quality of the work depends to a large extent on the tools used. With water- and heating installations in houses and flats, copper pipes are predominantly used. The connection of pipes and fittings, den Fittings, happens through Hart- or soft soldering. During brazing, the material is subject to high temperatures, In addition, complex equipment is used with this technique. Soft soldering is ideal for do-it-yourselfers, because the required devices are inexpensive and easy to handle. The temperatures up to approx. 420 °C can be achieved with fuel gas from refillable steel cylinders or disposable cartridges. A fleece for cleaning the pipe end and fitting is just as much part of the soldering equipment as suitable flux and soft solder, so-called fitting slot.

Before commissioning: rinse thoroughly first
A newly created system must be flushed before the line network is put into operation. This is best done before installing the fittings. If they are already installed, remove the aerators and let the water run for a short time. Residues from soldering and chips can then not damage the fittings.

The right tool for the installation

Pipe cutters have proven themselves in copper pipe installation. The small one is responsible for the connection pipes of the fittings, the middle pipe cutter separates the nominal widths up to approx 22 mm diameter. What they both have in common is the exact right-angled cutting of the copper tube. When working with a pipe cutter or saw, a cutting burr occurs at the cutting point, which reduces the actual pipe size and can cause injury when handled. The ends that have been cut to length are reworked with a file or triangle. This is also avoided, that flow noises occur during operation.

The combination pliers can be used universally. At first glance, pump pliers and fitting pliers can hardly be distinguished, however, they are fundamentally different in application: The pump pliers grip screw connections with their toothed jaws and also help, if the appropriate key is not within reach. The fittings pliers with their smooth jaws set screw connections on high-quality, with. B. chrome fittings. A specialist is the pillar valve pliers: You can use it to get to the union nuts of stand fittings in the wash even in cramped conditions- and sinks. Gabel- and Allen keys in the usual sizes should always be at hand. The fastening screws of the washbasin are tightened with the 17/19 spanner with adjustable rider. A steplessly adjustable key is useful, which combines different jaw widths in one tool. The aerator wrench is used to loosen and fix the spout on fittings. Hemp and "Neo-Fermit" are the classic sealants for pipe threads. Teflon tape is easier to handle. "Plastic-Fermit" seals drain valves. A silicone syringe is required to process permanently elastic sealants from cartridges.

In the event of blockages in the sewage system, chemical agents can be dispensed with: In most cases, they remain ineffective and pollute the environment. It is gentler and more environmentally friendly with classic mechanical aids. Cleaning spring and "pumpfix" really clear drains.

Perfect finish for the taps
Are the preparatory work for a bathroom installation complete?, it goes to the final installation. It can happen quickly, that the chrome-plated or powder-coated connecting tubes of the single-hole batteries snap off. The bending springs are useful helpers: They not only reliably prevent damage to the connecting pipes, they can also be used to shape the connecting pipes particularly well.

 

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