# Plumbing tools



## brian phillips (Jun 27, 2012)

What is the most important tool a plumber can have?

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## AlbacoreShuffle (Aug 28, 2011)

brian phillips said:


> What is the most important tool a plumber can have?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using PlumbingZone


A functioning BRAIN !


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## DesertOkie (Jul 15, 2011)

Invoices.


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## pilot light (Apr 21, 2012)

a brain and invoices!


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## Gettinit (May 9, 2012)

Multimeter's


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## pilot light (Apr 21, 2012)

I call them mul tim eters!:laughing:


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## PrecisePlumbing (Jan 31, 2011)

An opinion


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

Humility.


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## PrecisePlumbing (Jan 31, 2011)

plbgbiz said:


> Humility.


Patience


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## revenge (Jun 30, 2011)

service plumber: chanellocks multi screwdriver flashlight leatherman multi tool
commercial plumber: chanellocks multi screwdriver level


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## user4 (Jun 12, 2008)

An understanding of the consequences of making a mistake, and the knowledge to avoid making them in the first place.


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## affordabledrain (Nov 24, 2009)

Rubber gloves to protect them from the germs


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## PlumberJ (Dec 12, 2011)

I would have to say channel locks


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## Doubletap (May 5, 2010)

Can't live without a headlamp


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## easttexasplumb (Oct 13, 2010)

The internet and a PZ membership.


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

easttexasplumb said:


> The internet and a PZ membership.


I can't believe it took 15 posts for PZ to get mentioned.


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## deerslayer (Mar 29, 2012)

Suspenders:yes:


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## High-plumbing (Jan 8, 2012)

Cellphone. Don't ever be afraid to ask for help when in over your head.


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## PinkPlumber (May 20, 2012)

High-plumbing said:


> Cellphone. Don't ever be afraid to ask for help when in over your head.



What did plumbers do before cell phones?


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## pilot light (Apr 21, 2012)

PinkPlumber said:


> What did plumbers do before cell phones?










:laughing:


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## pilot light (Apr 21, 2012)

My fav a Whackometer!


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## Doubletap (May 5, 2010)

Hand sanatizer:whistling2:


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## chuckscott (Oct 20, 2010)

When I started we had radios in our trucks. Really sucked if you had a call back because everyone heard it and had to chime in all the way to the recall. Before GPS was just as bad. Flipping through map books at 4:30 was a little stressful... Ah, the good old days...


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## affordabledrain (Nov 24, 2009)

Gloves. to protect yourself. from all the nastyness we deal with


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## ditchdigger (Aug 12, 2012)

PinkPlumber said:


> What did plumbers do before cell phones?


We were a lot more sane


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## Fullmetal Frank (Jul 11, 2012)

ditchdigger said:


> We were a lot more sane


Idk, I can remmber waking up out of a dead sleep cause I dreamed that damn pager was going off. 

I don't think much has changed for me.


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## brian phillips (Jun 27, 2012)

Removal tool for shark bytes.

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## Fullmetal Frank (Jul 11, 2012)

brian phillips said:


> Removal tool for shark bytes.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using PlumbingZone


We desperately need a booooooooo button. :laughing:


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## brian phillips (Jun 27, 2012)

How about Gator Bytes from lowes.

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## brian phillips (Jun 27, 2012)

How about those accordion traps?

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## chuckscott (Oct 20, 2010)

brian phillips said:


> How about those accordion traps?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using PlumbingZone


Or fernco wyes.... Or my personal favorite the clear plastic traps with the water wheel thing in it. Actually saw one at a customers house that wouldn't turn to clear the trap.


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## Dmaz (Jan 11, 2011)

chuckscott said:


> Or fernco wyes.... Or my personal favorite the clear plastic traps with the water wheel thing in it. Actually saw one at a customers house that wouldn't turn to clear the trap.


Hey. That thing has a popular science product of the year award!

http://www.pfwaterworks.net/


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## brian phillips (Jun 27, 2012)

Maybe I could use that for my hamster wheel.

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## brian phillips (Jun 27, 2012)

How about a drain line piped with pressure fittings instead of DWV?

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## SewerRatz (Apr 25, 2009)

brian phillips said:


> What is the most important tool a plumber can have?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using PlumbingZone


First and most important tool a plumber needs is a plumbing license. The rest you get as you come across the need.


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## chuckscott (Oct 20, 2010)

brian phillips said:


> How about a drain line piped with pressure fittings instead of DWV?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using PlumbingZone


Or conduit fittings and pipe.... Bet transition glue works in those technical situations.....


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## chuckscott (Oct 20, 2010)

Dmaz said:


> Hey. That thing has a popular science product of the year award!
> 
> http://www.pfwaterworks.net/


I'm getting it!!!!


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## No-hub (Sep 1, 2012)

:thumbsup:


SewerRatz said:


> First and most important tool a plumber needs is a plumbing license. The rest you get as you come across the need.


Skoolin two wood hep, without a license you are not a plumber. Glad to see so many on this site feel the same:thumbup:


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

No-hub said:


> :thumbsup:Skoolin two wood hep, without a license you are not a plumber. Glad to see so many on this site feel the same:thumbup:


So plumbers that are employees are not plumbers? A piece of paper doesn't define who someone is or indicate the quality of their work. All a license means is that at one point, you knew at least the bare minimum when you took your test.


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## RW Plumbing (Aug 16, 2010)

gear junkie said:


> So plumbers that are employees are not plumbers? A piece of paper doesn't define who someone is or indicate the quality of their work. All a license means is that at one point, you knew at least the bare minimum when you took your test.


Here a license means you can do plumbing. You can't touch plumbing without a license here. You even need an apprenticeship license. That ones good for 6 years. After that you cannot renew it. Its a 5 year minimum apprenticeship so they give you a year of working to pass your journeymans.


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## easttexasplumb (Oct 13, 2010)

RW Plumbing said:


> Here a license means you can do plumbing. You can't touch plumbing without a license here. You even need an apprenticeship license. That ones good for 6 years. After that you cannot renew it. Its a 5 year minimum apprenticeship so they give you a year of working to pass your journeymans.


 
We need that here is Texas, we got lots of lifetime apprentices.


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## jc-htownplumber (Feb 29, 2012)

gear junkie said:


> So plumbers that are employees are not plumbers? A piece of paper doesn't define who someone is or indicate the quality of their work. All a license means is that at one point, you knew at least the bare minimum when you took your test.


Any idiot can pass a test without ever working on the field you give them a book to study someone to sign off take a prep course. 
My professor for my prep course told us it doesn't matter what you passed your plumbing exam. In the end you have to give 100% all the time


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## RW Plumbing (Aug 16, 2010)

jc-htownplumber said:


> Any idiot can pass a test without ever working on the field you give them a book to study someone to sign off take a prep course.
> My professor for my prep course told us it doesn't matter what you passed your plumbing exam. In the end you have to give 100% all the time


I don't know about that. On our masters, we are given a 4 story hospital and we have to size it both waste and water.


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## cbeck (Mar 7, 2012)

jc-htownplumber said:


> Any idiot can pass a test without ever working on the field you give them a book to study someone to sign off take a prep course.
> My professor for my prep course told us it doesn't matter what you passed your plumbing exam. In the end you have to give 100% all the time


I guess you are trying to say is that your exams are too easy


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

Please keep in mind that the licensing and test requirements vary from state to state. I took my license in VA and CA and neither was hard. The VA test, although open book was harder then the CA.


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## user4 (Jun 12, 2008)

RW Plumbing said:


> I don't know about that. On our masters, we are given a 4 story hospital and we have to size it both waste and water.


What's so hard about that?


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## easttexasplumb (Oct 13, 2010)

jc-htownplumber said:


> Any idiot can pass a test without ever working on the field you give them a book to study someone to sign off take a prep course.
> My professor for my prep course told us it doesn't matter what you passed your plumbing exam. In the end you have to give 100% all the time


 
Are you in Texas?
Have you taken your Journeyman's test yet.


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## jc-htownplumber (Feb 29, 2012)

easttexasplumb said:


> Are you in Texas?
> Have you taken your Journeyman's test yet.


Yes I am in Houston Texas and yes Took it back in october


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## easttexasplumb (Oct 13, 2010)

jc-htownplumber said:


> Yes I am in Houston Texas and yes Took it back in october


Then you should know you can't learn how to do the shop work or rough in and top out in a book.


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## RW Plumbing (Aug 16, 2010)

Killertoiletspider said:


> What's so hard about that?


The only thing that was hard for me was the crappy photocopies we had to work off. Most of the lines were missing. Kind of hard to follow 6 lines when it looks like one blob. 

I passed my masters with a 95% so it wasn't that bad.


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## brian phillips (Jun 27, 2012)

The whole point of being tested and certified is to remove liability from the licensing authority, you are tested on your ability to know why and how plumbing works and your ability to follow the rules. There is no substitute for on the experience, but you must also learn why you do things and that is what testing does. It is a complete package of on the job experience as well as passing a test on minum standards for the correct way to install plumbing and protect the public as well as the industry standards, hence the name Master Plumber, a master of his trade.

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## jc-htownplumber (Feb 29, 2012)

easttexasplumb said:


> Then you should know you can't learn how to do the shop work or rough in and top out in a book.


Yeah not out the book but the prep course through phcc Todd will show you shop work brazing the house to plumb and all the heaters


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## No-hub (Sep 1, 2012)

gear junkie said:


> So plumbers that are employees are not plumbers? A piece of paper doesn't define who someone is or indicate the quality of their work. All a license means is that at one point, you knew at least the bare minimum when you took your test.


So where do you draw the line on who is a plumber? Am I a pediatrician because I take care of my sick kids? Not being rude, just wondering does your state not have individual licenses?


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

You would be a pedatrician if you worked in a clinic or hospital and it was your full time job. 

The short answer for me is a plumber is someone who makes a living in the plumbing field.

I have my card for CA and expired card for VA. Both states did not require any licensing at all if you're an employee.


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