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
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.
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.
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
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
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.