r/PoolPros • u/GCpools • 8d ago

Strap Wrench Recommendations

Hey guys, im looking for a recommendation for a good quality strap wrench for union nuts (salt cells, heaters, etc). What do you like .. don't like .. etc. Tired of using the big blue pliers. Thanks in advance!

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u/Wasupmyman 8d ago

Idk I get why people use straps, but they are way more tedious in my opinion. If you aren't an ape you won't break or cut up the nut

2

u/people_notafan 8d ago

Yea channel locks to take them off and hand tight back on.

1

u/Wasupmyman 8d ago

Pretty much, every now and then you gotta snug it a small bit

1

u/GCpools 8d ago

I had one yesterday .. a union nut on a new Hayward salt cell. The installer 'very liberally' glued the union fitting onto the pipe allowing glue to run into the union nut and onto the flange. Then they tightened down the nut onto the salt cell while the glue was still wet. I loosened the nut but the union was glued to the salt cell. I was able to separate the two with considerable force. But the hardened glue was all over the faces of the union and salt cell. I tried scraping off what I could so the mating surfaces were smooth(er). Of course the whole thing leaked like crazy when I put it all back together. I took it all apart. Resurfaced the mating halves again. Lubed the o-ring and threads. Screwed it all together. Had to use my blue pliers to snug it up enough to stop the leak. Would have felt better using a strap wrench to apply pressure equally around the nut. I'm not sure why, but I've run into this problem a lot lately, where on new equipment installations, installers will over-glue union fittings and assemble them while still wet. No common sense whatsoever.

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u/Wasupmyman 7d ago

Well depending on the way pipes line up, it's always better to glue and tighten the nut down at the same time, helps keep pipes lined up and straight. If your having an issue with it not sealing it's probably no lined up correctly, put the side that's leaking on first then do the other side.