Is there any lubrication to help turn pipes?

[Fusion916]

Is there any lube you can buy to put around the joints of two connected threaded pipes to help unscrew the pipes? The kinds that have been sitting for 10+ years (estimate)?

 

[LiQuId]

heat it with a torch, it will casuse the metal to expand a little and crack any rust solidifying the joint.... DO NOT DO THIS IF IT IS A GAS LINE. also try lps Penetrant, works pretty good.

 

[Fusion916]

heat it with a torch, it will casuse the metal to expand a little and crack any rust solidifying the joint.... DO NOT DO THIS IF IT IS A GAS LINE. also try lps Penetrant, works pretty good.

I don't know if this is possible where the point joint is. It's in a craw space in the basement where I don't have much room so use a torch. I can barely fit in there myself.

 

[havasu]

PBlaster penetrating oil has never failed me. It is available at all big box hardware stores.

 

[phishfood]

Use a hammer to tap on the outside of the threaded part of the fitting. Get rather aggressive with the tapping, within reason. The impact will tend to break the rust loose and stretch the fitting.

 

[Fusion916]

Does there become a point where a old rusted pipe is impossible to remove?

I've been up in the crawl space trying to remove this pipe for the past 45 minutes with absolutely zero success, pipe hasn't budged at all. Ive used pb blast and have tried taping it with a hammer, several times now. I'm putting a lot of force on the pipe wrench and it is not moving in the slightest.

Should I keep trying or is there a point where a joint becomes so rusted it wont budge?

 

[IFIXH20]

What you might be missing to remove the piping is a breaker bar ( a 2' to 3' piece of iron pipe put over the handle part of the pipe wrench). A breaker bar with the other suggestions should remove the pipe.

 

[Fusion916]

What you might be missing to remove the piping is a breaker bar ( a 2' to 3' piece of iron pipe put over the handle part of the pipe wrench). A breaker bar with the other suggestions should remove the pipe.

I'll give it a try, but in the crawl space I'm not sure I can fit a long breaker bar in.

 

[speedbump]

Beating on the coupling or whatever female fitting you have will help. Go all the way around it with the hammer. Don't baby it, hit it, lots of times. When grabbing the fitting with the pipe wrench, don't grab it where the male threads are inside of it. Move up a bit so as not to squeeze the threads together. I have unscrewed 4" pipe and smaller that has been together for years. I always use the hammer first.

 

[johnjh2o]

Going way back to when I was in trade school (and that is a long way back) we were always taught to use two wrenches, one to turn and one to hold back. We were also taught to use what was called a three cornered bite to prevent from collapsing the pipe or fitting. A three corner bite is one jaw of the wrench one each side of the pipe and the underside of the front jaw coming in contact with the pipe.