Water · Water Storage Supplies
Opens and seals 55-gallon water and food storage drums. If you own a barrel, you need one. Hand-tightening does not create a proper seal.
The basics
A barrel bung wrench is a simple tool that engages the threaded plug — the bung cap — in the opening of a 55-gallon drum. Standard drums have two openings: a large 2-inch bung and a small 3/4-inch bung. A universal wrench fits both. Without one, you cannot properly open or seal a barrel.
Hand-tightening the bung cap does not create a watertight seal. It risks cross-threading the cap, which can make it impossible to open later, and it leaves microscopic gaps that allow oxygen, bacteria, and contaminants to enter the stored water over time. The wrench provides the torque needed to seat the cap correctly against its gasket. This is the same reason Water Preserver Concentrate instructions specifically say to use a bung wrench, not to hand-tighten.
Most bung wrenches are made of plastic or steel. Plastic versions are adequate for routine use but can crack under heavy torque — particularly on drums that have been sealed for years and need force to open. A steel wrench costs a few dollars more and eliminates that failure mode. Either works for most households; choose steel if you are sealing drums for multi-year storage.
One wrench per storage location. It lasts indefinitely and requires no maintenance beyond keeping it dry. If you have drums at multiple locations — a home supply and a property or vehicle cache — keep a wrench with each setup. The tool is worthless if you need to open a drum and the wrench is somewhere else.
Bung wrenches are specifically for 55-gallon and similarly-sized drums with threaded bung caps. Seven-gallon Aqua-Tainer containers and most stackable water jugs use standard spigots and do not require a bung wrench. If your entire water storage system uses smaller containers with spigots, this tool is not needed.
Where to buy
Amazon, homebrew supply shops, and preparedness retailers all carry them. Verify the listing confirms compatibility with both 2-inch and 3/4-inch bung caps before buying. Most universal wrenches do — that is the standard specification.
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