Any household can experience plumbing problems. But before you pick up the phone and dial your local plumber’s number, consider whether you can do the repairs yourself. With the right tools and a little know-how, some smaller plumbing issues at home can be easily resolved. Particularly if you have the right spanner set.
What is a spanner set?
Spanner sets often include a variety of various spanner sizes that are purchased as a single kit to provide users with a complete range of alternatives and on-hand flexibility for addressing nuts and bolts of any size.
A spanner is made up of a set of pins or tabs that run around the circumference and fit into holes or notches carved into the item to be twisted. To withstand corrosion and make cleaning easier, they are typically chrome-plated. Spanners constructed of chromium-vanadium alloys, tools made of steels, and commonly drop-forged, are considered to be of higher quality.
The finest spanner sets come in a box, case, or foam tray for protection and convenience, and they’re usually a more cost-effective method to get complete versatility than buying different-sized tools separately. Individual parts in a full spanner set can range from two to fifty or more and can include a variety of spanner sockets and other accessories.
What kind of spanners are used in plumbing?
The two most common types of spanners used in plumbing are box spanners and flexible-head spanners.
Box Spanner
Box spanners are made from metal tubing. They commonly have two profiles, one at each end of the tube. Box spanners are designed to fit over the top of the nut and make contact with all of the fastener’s flat sides and corners.
If you purchase a set of box spanners, you will also receive a tommy bar. You may need to purchase a tommy bar separately if you are purchasing a single box spanner. Because spanner sizes and manufacturers differ, double-check which tommy bar you need in the box spanner product description.
Box spanners are ideal for twisting fasteners in hard-to-reach places, such as in automobile parts and plumbing, due to their lengthy design. Tommy bars are especially useful in restricted locations since they may move in and out of the spanner to maximise the amount of space available.
Flexible-head Spanner
A flexible spanner, also known as a flex-head, is a ratchet or socket tool with an extra feature that allows the spanner’s head to swivel through a variety of positions and angles.
In practice, this means that a flexible head spanner set may be used to access fasteners in a greater range of difficult or limited areas since the user can approach the nut from a wider range of positions – making it ideal for plumbing.
Before you start to DIY your plumbing, remember that Australian laws limit the work you can do yourself (unless you’re qualified). Most plumbing should be completed by a professional, but if you’re simply changing a tap or tightening some bolts, you should be fine as long as you have a quality spanner set.