Keeping clean on drain jobs

Stiff solder flux

Removing flanges

For Nasty Jobs

For all the drain-cleaning techs out there: Ever had to cable a main through a pulled toilet in a commercial establishment? Or cable a urinal line? Hate the mess it makes?

Solution: The arm that attaches the Flushometer body with the angle stop. Take that off and attach a ball valve to it. Then connect washing machine supply hoses to it.

This allows you to wash down the floor from when the main backed up, or to hose down your cable when you're pulling it back from that nasty urinal line.

Cody Hyman
Roto-Rooter Plumbing
Seattle, Wash.

Slow Cooker

Does your solder flux get frozen stiff on those cold days while running copper waterlines? Struggle no longer! Place your flux jar in a small crock pot, and in minutes, the flux is soft and workable. This works great and is safe because the crock pot will not overheat the flux container.

Eric Brubaker and Luke Hainline
Sarver Plumbing Inc.
Arcanum, Ohio

Removing Flange

When replacing a cast-iron toilet flange, I use a metal drill bit and drill holes all around the old lead. Then I take a screwdriver to pry the old lead out of the flange. This makes the flange come off easy.

Andrew Cinko
Andy’s Plumbing & Heating
Johnstown, Pa.

Send Us Your Tool Tips

If you have an idea that has saved you time and money, Plumbing & Mechanical would like to share your tip with our readers. You can e-mail your idea directly to PM editor Steve Smith at smiths@bnpmedia.com, or mail it to him c/o PM, 1050 IL Route 83, Suite 200, Bensenville, IL 60106.

Our first-place winner will receive the following RIDGID® Prize Package, consisting of eight professional hand tools with a retail value of $200:

• 18-inch HD RAPIDGRIP™ Self-Adjusting Wrenches for easy, one-hand operation.
• One-Stop™ Wrench, a compound tool for installing compression couplings.
• 10-inch Wide-Mouth Adjustable Wrench featuring tapered jaws for tight areas.
• 10 1/2-inch Plumber’s Tongue-and-Groove Pliers with extra-wide openings.
• No. 117 Midget Tubing Cutter for use in confined areas.
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• 6-in-1 Multi-Purpose Screwdriver with two Phillips heads, two flat heads and two nut drivers.
• No. 395 Nightshade Torpedo Level for general use and work in tight and/or dark areas.

RIDGID is the sponsor of Tool Tips and does not necessarily endorse the readers' submissions.