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What are the parts of a ratchet-handle pipe cleaner?

What are the parts of a ratchet-handle pipe cleaner?

Shop for Ratchet-handle Pipe Cleaners

     Pipe cleaner showing head, ratchet, wire brush, metal teeth and handle

Pipe cleaner head with metal teeth

Head of pipe cleaner with wire bristles inside The pipe cleaner head contains rows of tough, tungsten coated metal teeth which sweep over the outside of the inserted pipe and remove any roughness, corrosion or old paint, leaving the ends smooth and ready for soldering.

Ratchet handle

Close-up of ratcheted handle The ratchet handle allows you to crank the tool head round and round with little effort and doesn’t require a lot of space.

At the base of the main handle is a rotational shaft which allows the pair of grip handles on the end to spin round easily when you are using the tool.

Picture of a ratchet The ratchet mechanism sits inside the head at the base of the wire brush and ensures that the head will rotate only in one direction (clockwise).

When the pawls lock on to the teeth, the ratchet moves clockwise and cleans the pipe. When you turn the handle anti-clockwise, the springs allow the pawls to click over the teeth so the head and brush remain static. This means that the metal bristles inside the head polish the pipe in a smooth sweeping motion.

Picture of copper pipe with scratches around the end If you had to turn the pipe cleaner back and forth this could leave unsightly stripes where the copper hasn’t been evenly polished, and would also place more strain on your wrist.

Wire brush

Front-facing wire brush is used to clean inside pipes The double stemmed wire brush on the back spins round when you rotate the tool to clean pipes on the inside.

Advantages of a ratchet handle

The ratchet handle will still work in small spaces A ratchet handle means you can work easily in confined spaces as you don’t have to turn the handle 360 degrees (all the way round) to operate the tool. This is particularly handy if pipes are fitted against a wall or under floorboards.

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