Pi-Piper Pipe Sizing Tool

Pipe sizing can be hard. I cannot speak for professional plumbers, who can probably figure out pipe sizes in their sleep. But for home renovators, it's a bit of a challenge. PVC has sizes printed on the side - except when it's smeared off or not there in the first place. Metal pipe is usually a mystery.

Everyone raise their hand who has tried to size a pipe in some ad hoc manner. Ever tried wrapping string around the pipe and then laying the string against a tape measure? Or rolling the pipe on the ground? Useless. Metal tape measures will not bend around a pipe. A plastic sewing measure might do the trick, in a pinch. Why not something designed just for pipe sizing?

A Tape Measure for Pipes

First let's get the name out of the way: Pi-Piper. Yes, it sounds like "pied piper," but the cleverness here has to do with Pi, the mathematical concept approximately equal to 3.14159 which relates to diameter and circumference of circles.

Or pipes.

It's a square, putty-gray plastic unit with roughly four or five linear feet of fiberglass tape inside. The tape is strong and will not stretch out - a chief difference between this and weak sewing tape. The tape, according to the website, "measures...Black or Galvanized, P.V.C. Pipe Schedule 40 & 80, and Copper pipe. It measures Steel and PVC pipe from 3/8 [inches] to 18 [inches] and Copper K, L, & M from 3/8 [inches] to 12 [inches]."

In other words, it measures every type of pipe you will encounter in home renovation, and more.

How Pi-Piper Works

Pull the tape out, and the Pi-Piper gives off a very satisfying ratcheting sound that lets you know it's ready to take care of business. Wrap the tape around the pipe and slide the metal hook over the tape. The metal hook serves as a kind of placemarker to show you where the measurement falls.

The best thing about Pi-Piper is that it only has markings for pipe sizes that exist. So, looking at the "Steel, Iron, and PVC" side of the tape, you see: 3/8", 1/2", 3/4", 1" and so on, skipping all intermediate measurements.

This is especially good because it's immediately clear what the pipe size is. You're not left wondering.

Yes, it's worthwhile to have the Pi-Piper in your toolbox. The only downside is that Pi-Piper isn't really being positioned for the retail market or for the average home renovator. It appears to be aimed more at the pros, or for companies that might want to brand it with their logo. Still, if you contact the company, they may be able to direct you to a distributor.