Okay, so you’ve finally completed purchasing a set of great plumbing tools for your work around the house. Expensive, wasn’t it? Whether you’re a DIY enthusiast or a professional plumber, you already know how important those tools are and, therefore, it’s crucial to take good care of them so they will last.
Why is maintaining all of your plumbing tools so important? It’s simple – the more tools you have, the more invested you are. If you don’t want your money to go to waste, there are things you can do to keep the tools from rusting and keep them in tip-top shape so that when you need them, they will not let you down.
Why Is it Important to Take Care of Your Tools?
There’s no doubt that tools are expensive, even the so-called “cheap” ones, so if you take good care of them, you can potentially keep them for a lifetime. Since so many people store their tools outdoors in a garage or shed, this means they can be affected by the humidity and temperature, even though they are protected from the elements.
Hot or cold temperatures and humidity can wreak havoc on your tools depending on what they’re made of. Even stainless-steel tools can ruin if they are kept in a hot, humid environment long enough. Plumbing tools often have parts that are not steel, however, which means you have to be even more careful with them. Tools used in plumbing can include:
- Plunger
- Hand-held snake
- Ratchets
- Crimpers
- Pliers
- Tubing bender set
- Pipe wrenches, saws, and cutters
- Jigsaw
- Auger
So as you can see, plumbing tools are made out of various materials, which is why learning to take care of them properly is such a big deal.
Tips for Taking Care of Your Tools
Regardless of the tools you have on hand, learning to maintain them year after year really isn’t that difficult. In fact, all you need are a few tips and a little common sense, and the rest is easy. Below are some tips that can make taking care of your tools a little quicker and easier:
Be careful how you store them. Always try to store your tools in a cool, dry place whenever possible. Tools such as plungers can crack or become damaged quickly if left in places that get too cold. If you need to, buy a small dehumidifier for the area. If you use a toolbox, throw a few silica gel packs in there to keep things dry.
Don’t let your tools get dirty. It’s best to thoroughly clean your tools immediately after using them, because this prevents dirt and gunk from building up on them and causing damage to occur. Fortunately, this shouldn’t take long because most tools can be simply wiped down with a damp washcloth. Some, however, will need a good cleaning with soap and water. Also, make sure they’re completely dry before storing them in your toolbox or on your pegboard.
Pay extra attention to your metal tools. Tools made out of metal can rust, so one thing you can do to prevent that is to occasionally spray them with a little WD-40 or similar lubricant before you store them or hang them on your pegboard. Make sure you wipe off the excess, and spray them on a regular basis so they can remain rust-free.
Conclusion
We hope you learned something you didn’t know earlier about maintaining your plumbing tools. As you can see, taking good care of your tools is neither difficult nor time-consuming, and most of it just involves a little common sense. Also keep in mind that if you store your tools on a pegboard, it is much easier to keep track of your inventory, and it makes for a much neater appearance as well. This alone makes maintaining them a lot easier.
Taking care of your tools guarantees you’ll be able to keep them a lot longer, saving you a lot of money in the long run. If you like what you learned in this article, or if you have any questions, leave us a few comments below. Until next time, happy plumbing and tooling around!
