What is a pipe wrench used for?

Round, hard, threaded stuff. That means steel and galvanized pipe, black iron gas pipe, threaded brass fittings, and the big nuts and unions on older plumbing. RIDGID describes its straight pipe wrenches as having a full floating forged hook jaw, with replaceable hook and heel jaws. The floating hook is the whole trick. Set the jaws around the pipe, pull the handle, and the hook jaw rotates into the pipe instead of sliding off it. The harder you pull, the harder it bites.

### Where you'll run into one at home

• Water heater connections. The nipples and unions at the top of a tank are threaded steel or brass.
• Old galvanized supply lines. Older homes can still have some. Our page on galvanized pipe problems explains what to expect when you touch them.
• Gas piping. Black iron gas pipe is threaded, and a pipe wrench is the standard tool for it. That doesn't make gas a DIY job, and we come back to that below.
• Threaded valves and hose bibs, where a stuck body needs a second wrench to hold it while you turn the pipe.

The teeth leave marks. That's fine on a rusty nipple that will be hidden in a wall. It isn't fine on anything you want to look at afterward.

Set the jaw opening so the pipe sits deep in the throat, with only a small gap left. Then pull the handle toward the side where the jaws open, and the teeth bite. Push the other way and the wrench slips off. If you need to go the other direction, flip the wrench over.

### Set up before you pull

Shut off the water first, and open a faucet to drain the line so you aren't wrestling a pressurized pipe. Look at where the pipe runs. Turning a length that's anchored at the far end can twist a joint inside the wall, where you can't see it. If the pipe is fixed at both ends, you probably need to hold one side with a second wrench. Our page on shutting off water to a single fixture covers the valve part.

### Use two wrenches on threaded joints

Plumbers usually work with a pair. One wrench holds the fitting still while the other turns the pipe or the fitting next to it. Without the backup wrench, you can twist a joint that's already tight further down the line and start a leak somewhere you weren't working. Put the two wrenches so the handles come together and you can squeeze them toward each other. That way your hands stay clear of the swing path, and a slip won't skin your knuckles.

### Don't stack a cheater pipe on the handle

It's tempting when a joint won't move. It's also how a cast iron fitting or a brass elbow cracks. If the joint is that stuck, look for the reason: old sealant, rust, or a connection that was overtightened years ago. Penetrating oil and patience help. Heat helps, too, but a torch near gas piping or wooden framing is a job for a licensed plumber.

### How tight is tight enough?

Tighter than hand-tight, and much less than you think. Oatey's guidance on sealed threads says to go hand-tight plus one or two wrench turns, and to avoid overtightening. Tapered pipe threads seal because the thread and the sealant fill the space between them, not because you flattened the joint. Cranking on one just risks a split fitting, which is a lot worse than a joint that needs another quarter turn.

The sealant matters as much as the torque. Our page on the best thread sealant, tape or dope covers what goes on the threads before you tighten.

RIDGID makes several styles, and the differences help you pick:

• Straight pipe wrench: the standard choice for open pipe and long reach.
• Offset pipe wrench: a jaw opening parallel to the handle and a narrower head, made for tight spots.
• End pipe wrench: grips pipe close to a wall or in closely spaced parallel lines.
• Hex wrench: a hex jaw that grips hex nuts, square nuts, unions and valve packing nuts on multiple sides.
• Chain wrench: a double jaw with ratchet-like action in either direction, handy for large or awkward pipe.
• Strap wrench: a polyurethane-coated strap that RIDGID says is good for polished pipe.
• Adjustable wrench: smooth jaws on flat-sided nuts, with a hex jaw design that helps reduce slippage on the bolt.

Size matters too. A wrench that's too small can't grip the pipe, and one that's far too long gives you enough leverage to break a fitting. For most household pipe work, a 10 to 14 inch wrench is plenty, and a second one of the same size makes a good backup wrench. If a fitting has flats on it, use a tool made for flats. If the finish matters, use the strap wrench. Those two rules head off most damage. For a starter kit, basic plumbing tools every homeowner should own lists what earns a spot in the drawer.

Skip it on chrome or brushed faucet parts, PVC, CPVC and PEX fittings, thin copper tube, and the nuts under a toilet or sink. The teeth chew through plating, and hard jaws can crack plastic or crush thin tube. Use a smooth-jaw tool, a strap wrench, or a basin wrench for the nuts high up under a sink.

Also retire a worn wrench. OSHA's hand tool guide says a wrench with sprung jaws might slip, and that wrenches must not be used when the jaws are sprung to the point that slippage occurs. A wrench that slips under load is how hands get hurt. Replace it, or replace the jaws.

### Gas pipe is a special case

A pipe wrench is the right tool for threaded gas pipe, but work on gas piping carries permit and license rules of its own, and a mistake there isn't a puddle. Before you touch it, read who can install a gas line in Arizona. If you ever smell gas, leave the house and call the gas utility. Our page on black iron versus CSST gas pipe explains what your home probably has.

If the joint won't move without heat, if the pipe is corroded through, or if turning one fitting makes another one leak, stop. HQ Plumbing & Air is licensed and insured, offers 24/7 emergency service, gives free estimates, and quotes the price upfront before work starts.