Any lubricant for undoing galvanized pipe?

[BHD]

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[BHD]

And just in case you don't know about Internal Pipe Wenches:

View attachment 472255

those are great if nothing is stuck or corroded, other wise they will shear off in the nipple, there are much better units made, (but cost a lot more).

 

[bcp]

In my experience, internal pipe wrenches don't work if you broke the pipe with an external wrench. It's way too tight.

If something else breaks the pipe, like hitting it with your FEL, or your kid was swinging on the shower head, the internal wrench is much more likely to work.

Bruce

 

[GLyford]

The other bit of fun is when that fancy chrome shower elbow breaks off because the metal was so thin the pipe threads cut 90% of the way through the wall...and when you pick the coil of thread out of the elbow in the wall, its threads are munged, and the back wall of the elbow blocks the length of a proper pipe tap to chase it.

I ground a sharp groove in a pipe plug and that did the trick, the replacement did not leak (and I made sure I bought one with thicker walls at the threads).

 

[bigtiller]

I have crushed old pipes with a pipe wrench so I usually try a strap wrench first. It doesn't always work so then I get the big boys out and take my chances. Now, years later and a little arthritis, my telephone fixes most of my problems.

 

[Raspy]

The other bit of fun is when that fancy chrome shower elbow breaks off because the metal was so thin the pipe threads cut 90% of the way through the wall...and when you pick the coil of thread out of the elbow in the wall, its threads are munged, and the back wall of the elbow blocks the length of a proper pipe tap to chase it.

Better yet is when the wing ell turns in the wall and breaks the joint feeding it.

 

[turnkey4099]

I have crushed old pipes with a pipe wrench so I usually try a strap wrench first. It doesn't always work so then I get the big boys out and take my chances. Now, years later and a little arthritis, my telephone fixes most of my problems.

View attachment 472324

Same here but the arthritis isn't all that bad...yet. After I retired and all the soc scty, 2 civilian retirements, one 21 year military kicked in I find that a checkbook fixes most things. For sure at 81 I am too decrepit to even think of tackling anything that would require crawling around or laying down, eliminates most plumbing problems.

 

[turnkey4099]

When undoing pipes, a lot depends on who tightened them. Dad had a philosphy of "if some is enough, a lot more is better'. His theory of tightening a pipe fitting was: "as tight as it will go plus 1/2 turn..

 

[STx]

If it was me, I'd take the remodel as an opportunity to replace the drop pipe entirely. Galvanized pipe has a very finite lifespan in this part of the country, it's guaranteed to fail, usually with multiple pinhole leaks. If it doesn't fail, then it gunks up inside and severely restricts the flow. Most of the time these problems are with the horizontal pipes but, given the opportunity to make a planned replacement while doing a remodel instead of an unplanned repair after the new paint is dry, I'd just go ahead and replace it with copper, PEX or PVC/CPVC now and be done with it.

 

[TomSeller]

When undoing pipes, a lot depends on who tightened them. Dad had a philosphy of "if some is enough, a lot more is better'. His theory of tightening a pipe fitting was: "as tight as it will go plus 1/2 turn..

I subscribe to the "tighten it until it breaks but stop just before". I forget who posted that, I thought it was great advice.