PSA: That viral video about copper pipe freezing trick is dangerous

Saw a video last week with 2 million views showing someone using a blow torch on a copper pipe joint they claimed was frozen. They said just heat it up and water flows again. That's a fast way to blow a pipe apart or start a fire in your wall. I used to think the same thing when I was 18 working my first plumbing job. After I saw a guy's basement flood from a split pipe he tried this on, I learned you gotta thaw from the faucet end with a hair dryer, not a torch. Anyone else seen that clip getting shared around?

3 comments

3 Comments

young.michael4d ago

You ever actually seen what happens when you torque a frozen pipe with direct heat? I've mopped up way too many basements where someone tried the torch trick and ended up with a split joint and water everywhere. Hairdryer from the faucet end is the only safe move, slow but it actually works without blowing stuff up.

cameron_hernandez694d ago

Last time I tried the torch method I burned a hole in my own jacket leaning in too close, probably shoulda just grabbed the hair dryer and saved myself the wardrobe casualty.

olivia_lopez984d ago

How many times have you seen a torch actually cause a fire, not just a leak?