Founding a plumbing business is an appealing option, as growing demand for professionals in this specialist area suggests that it will be a reliably rewarding niche to occupy for years to come.
That said, you can’t find success without the right tools, and knowing which to invest in as a priority is not always easy, so here are some excellent examples of useful equipment any plumbing firm will need to help direct your procurement efforts.
Cold saw: cut through pipes with ease
Pipe cutting is part and parcel of a plumber’s everyday duties, and this needs to be done in a way that does not damage or distort the material while still providing adequate efficiency to get through jobs quickly.
While you can use manual cutting methods to achieve this, finding powered cold saws for sale at Revelation Machinery will let you speed up the cutting of metal and plastic piping dramatically. As the scale of your operations increases, this type of kit will only become more valuable.
Wrenches: deal with all sorts of fittings
The wrench is arguably the most useful weapon in a plumber’s arsenal, although it’s misleading to think that you can get away with equipping your employees with just one.
In fact, you’ll need to ensure that they have several wrenches with them to tighten and loosen fittings, from fixed-size pipe wrenches to adjustable wrenches, from basin wrenches to faucet keys.
Blockage removal tools: clear drainage systems swiftly
One of the most common problems that customers come to plumbers with is a blocked pipe, and the faster you can resolve this type of issue, the more clients you will be able to add to your books.
Again, there are both manual and powered types of tools in this category, and a basic, domestic-grade plunger is not really up to the task in most scenarios. As a base level guide, you should choose a hand-cranked auger, which will destroy clogs without the need for access to power.
Moving up a level, an entertainingly named snake machine adds a powered action to an auger design, letting you get to embedded, tough and remote clogs in domestic and commercial systems alike, breaking them down without breaking a sweat.
Smartphones: provide versatile support & functionality
You might not think of a smartphone as a tool that plumbers need often, but in reality they are enormously handy in this profession, as they are in almost every other sphere. So if you can provide business-owned devices to employees of your plumbing business, you will ensure that the same level of access is afforded to everyone.
Plumbers can use smartphones to do everything from taking pictures of fixtures and fittings so they can find the right spare parts, to using invoicing software and payment platforms to bill clients and receive remuneration for the work they have done without having to head back to the office.
Obviously it makes sense to choose devices which are rugged so that they can withstand the rough and tumble of life in the pocket of a plumber, and also to get insurance for these handsets so that they can be replaced or repaired if they are damaged in the line of duty.
Safety equipment: protect employees from injury
Plumbing, like any job that involves a degree of manual labor and the use of heavy machinery, needs to be orchestrated with safety at the top of the agenda.
Depending on the work that your team is expected to do, you will need different types of safety equipment to keep them out of harm’s way.
This is not just ethically advisable, but also sensible from a business perspective, because if a plumber is injured at work, they will be out of action and will leave you less able to meet the demands of clients.
Safety goggles and gloves are both prime examples of must-have PPE for plumbers. This can help when using cold saws, when unblocking clogs, and when handling wrenches.
Another reason to be serious about safety equipment is that it can be a matter of hygiene as much as anything else, so don’t cut corners here.
Torches & applicator guns: solder and seal to your heart’s content
Earlier we talked about pipe cutting and fittings, but plumbers also need to affix components together and create tight seals in a number of other ways.
A plumber’s torch is a good example of this, and is essentially a portable soldering device that is used in conjunction with metal pipework and fittings to create a water-tight seal when creating custom runs for water and central heating systems.
Silicone sealant is also widely used in this profession, both in areas which will be on show, and in parts of the plumbing system which will be hidden from view. In either case, having an applicator gun to use in conjunction with standardized sealant products, is a must.
Final considerations to keep in mind
Once you have acquired the various tools and technologies you need to run a plumbing business, there are a few other things to think about in order to make best use of them.
The first is that of employee training, specifically in the case that you are intending to hire plumbers to work under the umbrella of your brand. Ensuring that they are able to use the tools you give them safely and efficiently must be a priority, and providing training is better than letting them get on with it and learn on the job.
The second is the need to store and secure valuable tools whether they are on-site at your business premises, or out and about with the plumbers while they are visiting clients.
You cannot afford for any items to go walkabouts, and insisting on a strict tool storage policy, which includes removing items from work vehicles when left overnight, is wise.
With all this taken into account, you should be in a better position to begin the process of launching your very own plumbing business.
