Metric Nut

Metric Nut

Flare Nut Wrench - What It Is and How to Use It

Flare Nut Wrench - What It Is and How to Use It

By Olivia Stanford

My husband loves tools but when he said that he needed a good flare nut wrench set, I had no idea what he was talking about!

Being the good wife I am, though, I decided to do some research. After all, a flare nut wrench set might be a good gift idea, right?

Flare Nut Wrenches are Designed for Soft Metals

This type of wrench is designed for soft metals like aluminum and brass that can crush or strip easily.

The flare nut wrench is similar to a box-end wrench, but with a small opening on one side.

A box-end wrench looks like a short bar with a completely enclosed circle on one or both ends, with the circle(s) available in several different sizes. The box-end wrench slips on one end of your fitting. It is designed to allow maximum contact with the pipe, nut or fitting that needs tightening or loosening.

This prevents damage to the fitting so that it does not get stripped or otherwise damaged.

Flare nut wrenches are similar to a box-end wrench, only with a small opening to allow the wrench to slide perpendicularly over the fitting or pipe. The "jaws" of the wrench are larger and thicker, allowing better contact with your fitting.

Picture working on a pipe. You can't get a wrench over one end of the pipe because it is a continuous piece, so the flare nut wrench allows a small opening on one side of the wrench to slip it over the pipe.

Because pipes are typically made of copper, brass or aluminum, this type of tool is designed to tighten or loosen fittings on pipes with maximum contact.

You might think of a pipe fitting. If you use an open-end wrench to tighten it, the wrench may only make contact with 2, or at most, 3 spots on the fitting. This means that your pipe fitting could be crushed or dented when tightening or loosening, causing a loss of integrity for your application.

What Do You Use a Flare Nut Wrench for?

The most common uses for flare nut wrenches are plumbing applications (like copper pipe), automotive (since a lot of car parts and fittings are made of aluminum) applications, and hvac or heating and air conditioning applications.

For example, most automotive fuel and brake lines are made of soft metal and it can be quite easy to strip out a fitting or line, leaving you covered in brake fluid or gas!

Flare nut wrenches are also known by other names including "tube wrench" and "line wrench." The British equivalent is "crow's foot spanner."

What Does "6 Point" and "12 Point Fractional" Mean?

Flare nut wrenches come in 6 point and 12 point "fractional".

6 point means that there are 6 points of contact inside the wrench (picture your tool touching the pipe or fitting in 6 separate places), and 12 point means that there are 12 points of contact with your fitting or pipe application. Of course, 12 points means better contact and possibly less potential for damage to your fitting.

12 point fractional tools, though, are less common than their 6 point counterparts.

Common sizes for flare nut wrenches include metric and SAE (measurements in inches).

You can find flare nut wrench sets in multiples of ? to 11/16 inches, and 9 to 21 millimeter sizes.

Buy a Good Quality Flare Nut Wrench Set

Reviewers all agree unanimously - buy good quality flare nut wrenches!

Kobalt, Craftsman, Snap-On and Husky have all received good reviews.

People who have bought flare nut wrench sets from Harbor Freight and other bargain retailers have all recounted that their tools stripped out or damaged fittings, causing them to have to spend more money to buy the better quality tools to finish their application.

The good news is that once you've bought your quality wrench set, it will be in your tool box for years to come and ready to perform as needed.

It's a good idea to buy a good quality flare nut wrench set that will last a lifetime!
About the Author

This author really enjoys his home and family and lives life to the full. He also loves to learn about everything. Feel free to see some of his interests at

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