A Pipe Fitter is a profession that involves installing, repairing, and maintaining pipes and tubes for the supply of water, gas, oils, steam, etc., in residential or commercial buildings, workshops, stores, gardens, ships, etc. Pipe Fitters must be able to create or examine drawings (and other specifications) and perform a multitude of jobs such as cut passage holes, lay pipes, cut reams, bend pipes, thread them, use different fittings and couplings, fit meters, valves, and many more. There is a lot of math involved in this job. But coming to the practical aspect, a pipe fitter must be familiar with the tools of their trade. And there are several tools for this job. In this guide, we will take a closer look at a Pipe Fitter Tool List.
If you are starting your career as a Pipe Fitter or studying for one, then you need to be familiar with a wide variety of tools that only plumbers and pipe fitters use. To help you out, we are an essential pipe fitter tool list. We hope that this list helps you in understanding the tools of the trade and lifts off your pipe fitter career.
Pipe Fitter Tool List
1. Pipe Wrench
We will start with one of the simple and most commonly used tools, the Pipe Wrench. You don’t have to be a plumber or pipe fitter to know this tool. Anyone who repaired pipes, taps, or other small things in the kitchen or bathroom, must be familiar with a Pipe Wrench.
It is an adjustable wrench with threaded teeth on either of the jaws. These teeth help you have a firm grip on the pipe while you rotate it. An interesting point about pipe wrenches is that the teeth can hold the pipes only when you rotate them in a particular direction (in this sense, it acts like a ratchet wrench).
2. Pipe Pliers
Another common tool in the plumbing and pipe fitting industry is Pipe Pliers. Also known as Water Pump Pliers or Tongue & Groove Pliers, Pipe Pliers can grip, turn, or hold pipes, bolts, nuts, or any other workpieces.
The two types of Pipe Pliers are Curved Jaw and Straight Jaw. You can use Pipe Pliers on any object irrespective of its shape or size. The serrated jaws and adjustable mouth help in achieving this.
You can also get special Pipe Pliers that help you in holding pipes or tubes for Butt Welding.
3. Centering Head
An important part of fitting pipes and tubes is to make sure that all the pipes, fittings, etc. are perfectly aligned to the center. A Centering Head is an essential Pipe Fitter Tool that helps in establishing the center line of a pipe.
As pipes are cylindrical objects, finding their center can be difficult sometimes. But using a Centering Head, Pipe Fitters can easily measure and mark important points around pipes, fittings, and flanges.
These points can be a center line on both ends, reference points at various angles, or upward or downward inclination/slope of a pipe or a plate.
4. Pipe Wrap
A Pipe Wrap is a resin-impregnated fiberglass or PVC tape that wraps around the surface of the pipe to protect it from corrosion, abrasion, or any chemicals.
You can use a Pipe Wrap to protect metal pipes above or below ground, underwater, etc. It is an easy and cost-effective solution to protect pipes.
5. Pipe Clamp
Clamps are great tools to hold objects in place while working on them. Pipe Clamps help Pipe Fitters to hold pipes, fittings, or tubes to line them up, cut them, or do other similar tasks.
If the pipes aren’t aligned properly, then fitting them is difficult. Use pipe clamps liberally so it becomes easy to attach or connect pipes and fittings.
6. Fitter Grips
The Fitter Grips are similar to Pipe Clamps. They help pipe fitters to fit pipes, fittings, and even fittings to fittings. They act as a third set of hands for a pipe fitter as they can firmly hold the pipes and free the actual hands of the fitter to do other important jobs such as fitting or welding.
7. Flange Aligner
You have to properly align pipes and joints before proceeding with the welding process. A Pipe Flange Aligner is a special tool that has vertical as well as horizontal levels to help align pipe joints.
Flange Aligners are also useful during repair or maintenance works as you can identify any misalignments and realign the pipes by making small adjustments.
8. Radius Markers
As the name suggests, a Radius Marker is a geometrical tool that pipe fitters and welders use to draw precise circles. Depending on the make and model of the Radius Marker, you can draw small circles as well as large circles with a radius of over 100 inches.
Radius Makes help in marking circles so that Pipe Fitters can make cuts or holes to fit other pipes, pipe fittings, flanges, etc.
9. Welder’s Gauge
Pipe Fitting is a delicate job. Pipe Fitters work with different kinds of pipe materials. They have to make very accurate dimensions, angles, etc. so that they can use the exact amount of material and make the pipe bend precisely among other things.
Any small error in calculation or dimensions can lead to huge errors in terms of fittings, leakages, etc. A Quality Control Welder’s Gauge is a precision tool that helps pipe fitters in checking the quality of the pipes before and after installing, welding, or fitting.
If there is any mismatch before and after welding, you can check it using a Welder’s Gauge and avoid any weld joint rejection.
10. Pit Depth Gauge
When Pipe Fitters use Quality Control Welder’s Gauge, they also need to measure the pit depth, pipe diameter, weld undercut, and weld height before and after welding.
A Pit Depth Gauge is a stainless-steel accessory that you have to fit at the end of the Quality Control Welder’s Gauge and make all the above-mentioned measurements. You can easily find out any misalignments from pipe to pipe or plate to plate.
11. Flange Spreader
Sometimes, Pipe Fitters have to replace flange gaskets or reapply sealants. They can use Flange Spreaders to separate flanges and do repairs. You have to attach the Flange Spreader (or a pair of them) to the flange holes and spread the flange faces.
Most of the time, this action will not cause any damage to the flange surfaces. But some inexperienced or young pipe fitters might face problems using them. A typical Flange Spreader applies over 100 ft-lbs. of torque which can result in a spreading force of more than 12,000 lbs.
Hydraulic Flange Spreaders are quite common in the industry and pipe fitters use them to effortlessly separate flanges without any wedges or hammers.
12. Hack Saw
Power Tools make any job easy, especially when working on heavy metals. This is also true for pipes, fittings, and tubes. But what if a Pipe Fitter wants to make a quick cut? Does he/she have to take out a large circular saw to do the job?
If they have the space, time, and patience to do that, they definitely can. But sometimes, simple is better. In this case, a simple Hacksaw can do the job quickly and precisely. So, Hacksaws are staple tools for all Pipe Fitters.
13. Allen Wrench Set
While welding is the ultimate way to join two pipes or fittings, sometimes this may not be possible. In such a situation, the Pipe Fitter has to use nuts and bolts with proper leak prevention. Hex Screws are very useful in such situations.
To fasten or loosen Hex Screws, Pipe Fitters have to use Allen Keys or Allen Wrenches (Hex Keys). We recommend you get an Allen Wrench Set that contains keys of different sizes.
14. Spacing Wedges
Pipe Fitting and Welding go hand in hand in several situations. One such common case is welding pipe ends. Spacing Wedges are very useful accessories that allow pipe fitters and welders to give precise weld gaps between pipes or plates for welding. They are very easy to use, especially when you combine chain clamps or cage clamps to hold the pipe ends.
Just bring the pipe ends closer, tighten the chain clamps, and make the desired gap between the pipes using Spacing Wedges. The “wedge” part of a Spacing Wedge is very hard while the top part is slightly soft (to avoid splinter).
15. Two-Hole Pin Pipe Fitting Tool
A Two Hole Pin Pipe Fitting Tool is a special tool that helps Pipe Fitters in aligning the holes in pipes to fit nuts and bolts. This ensures that the drilling process doesn’t miss the alignment of the holes.
After using the Two Hole Pin Pipe Fitting Tool to check for hole alignment, the Pipe Fitter can use a pocket level to check if everything is level or not.
16. Miter Marker Pipe Layout Tool
Miter Saw is capable of making cuts at an angle. But how to ensure that the angle is right? This is where a Miter Marker Pipe Layout Tool comes in handy. It is a special marking tool that allows Pipe Fitters to mark pipes for different angles of miter cuts.
You can mark for 45°, 90°, 22-1/2°, saddle cut, etc. Most Miter Marker Pipe Layout Tools have a spring mechanism that holds onto the pipe for a secure layout.
17. Multi Hole Imager
Another popular pipe “layout” tool is a Multi-Hole Imager. It will help the Pipe Fitter is making round layouts or elongated holes (elliptical) on round, flat, or even irregular surfaces.
You can fit a Protractor with an adjustable shaft and a marking arm to the Multi Hole Imager and make round holes and elongated holes in pipes and plates.
18. Industrial Endoscope
While repairing, servicing, or maintenance, Pipe Fitters usually do not know where the problem is or how to isolate the problem. In such situations, an Industrial Endoscope can be of great use.
It is a camera system with a long rigid cable and a camera module at its end. The other end of the cable connects to the display/control module which displays the feed from the camera.
Industrial Endoscope is an expensive tool. So, invest in this tool if and only if you deem it fit for the job/operation you perform as a Pipe Fitter.
19. Soapstone Markers
While using protractors, Radius Markers, etc., you need a proper tool that does the actual markings on the pipe to indicate cut lines or weld lines.
Pipe Fitters and Welders often use Soapstone Markers for this purpose. You can use these markers on several kinds of pipe materials and you can easily erase them as well.
20. Tape Measure
This is a no-brainer. Any kind of construction, woodwork, or plumbing job needs accurate measurements. A Tape Measure is an essential tool for Pipe Fitters. Get one that is at least 25 feet long. In the case of Tape Measures, the principle is very simple, the longer, the better.
21. Protractor
An important job of a pipe fitter is to bend it as per the drawings and instructions. A Protractor is a simple tool that helps the Pipe Fitter in measuring or set the bevel angle. You can also check the squareness of the pipe, and pipe miter angles (between 0° and 90°) among other things.
You can get a set of protractors that contains a Mini Protractor, a Small Protractor, and a Large Protector. While mini and small protractors are made up of stainless steel, large ones are usually made up of aluminum.
22. Pipe Fitter’s Square
The Pipe Fitter’s Square is usually a stainless-steel precision square that has several markings specifically for a Pipe Fitter. Additionally, welders, boiler-makers, and layout personnel also use this type of square.
Using this square, the pipe fitter can find the pipe’s center line, check the squareness between two surfaces, determine the length and diameter of a flange bolt, and many other things.
23. Framing Square
A Framing Square helps the pipe fitter in measuring angles, finding squareness between two points/surfaces (pipes, flanges, fittings, etc.), and even finding the center line of a pipe. When you combine a framing square with a level, you can measure the degree of the slope.
Usually, you get Framing Squares in two sizes and materials. The Small Framing Square is made up of stainless steel while the Large Framing Square is made up of aluminum.
24. Screwdriver Set
A Screwdriver Set contains at least a Flat Head Screwdriver and Phillips Screwdriver among other types. But these two drive heads of different sizes are more than sufficient to tighten or loosen screws.
25. Calculator
As we said earlier, the Pipe Fitting job has a lot of math and the pipe fitters are expected to know the basics of geometry, circles, angles, etc. Special Scientific Calculators are a must-have tool for all Pipe Fitters.
You can easily perform all the pipe trade math using calculators such as angles, slopes, offsets, take-outs, take-offs, etc. They can even accept the type of pipe you are working with, its size, elbow type, gap, etc.
26.Laser Level
Installing small sections of pipes and tubes is a relatively easy job. You can use a Pocket Level or a Beam Level.
But that’s not the case when a pipe fitter has to work with continuous stretches of pipes, fittings, and tubes. In this case, a Laser Level will be a better tool. Using a Laser Level, the Pipe Fitter can make sure that all the pipes are level to a reference point.
27. Steel-Toed Boots
Safety is always a priority. You can easily avoid small accidents with proper safety gear. As Pipe Fitters, you have to deal with heavy metal pipes all the time. If they accidentally fall on your toes, it might cause severe pain and damage.
Industrial-grade Steel-Toed Boots are very useful for all pipe fitters, plumbers, welders, or construction personnel.
28. Gloves
When working on the repair or maintenance of pipes and tubes, the Pipe Fitter has to be careful as you never know what the pipe is carrying. It could be hot water, chemical, gas, or any toxic substance.
Use a pair of Safety Gloves when working on pipes, especially in industrial environments.
29. Safety Glasses
Another important and useful piece of safety equipment is Safety Glasses (Goggles). They can prevent debris, tiny shrapnel, liquids, etc. from entering your eyes.
Buy a pair that fits you well and at the same time protects your eyes from all sides. Depending on the job you are working on, you might have to constantly take the glasses on and off. So, look for a tough, durable, and lightweight option.
30. Tool Box (Tool Belt)
This goes without saying. Any tradesman must have a proper Tool Box or Tool Belt. You can organize all the essential tools in them and carry them with you to the work site.
Apart from the Pipe Fitter tools that we mentioned in this list, a Tool Box or a Tool Belt will have space/compartments for other tools such as wrenches, hammers, utility knives, and many more.
Conclusion
Pipe Fitting is a special job that deals with installing, routing, and fitting different pipes, flanges, tubes, and fittings. Pipe Fitters are tradesmen that are responsible for this job.
As Pipe Fitters, you have to know a great deal about the different kinds of pipe materials, and the math involved in calculations, dimensions, welding, etc.
Another important thing for every Pipe Fitter is a good understanding of all the important tools, equipment, and accessories.
In this guide, we saw a Pipe Fitter Tool List that contains more than 30 essential tools useful for fitting pipes, tubes, flanges, etc. Some tools in this list are highly specific to Pipe Fitters while some tools are general-purpose tradesman tools.
If you feel that this Pipe Fitter Tool List is missing something or want us to add any particular tool, device, or equipment, then do let us know in the comments section below. It will be helpful not only to us but, to other readers as well.
