How Do You Unscrew Rusty Water Pipes?

When working with water pipes, especially older pipes or those exposed to the elements, it is not always a simple matter to unscrew two joined pieces. Rust forms a bond between two metal pipes that can seem stronger than glue when attempting to turn them. Unscrewing the pipes is possible if the rusted seal between them is broken before the attempt. There are a few techniques to accomplish this without resorting to contacting a plumber or handy man. Clean the areas around the pipe connections with a wire brush or high-grit sandpaper to remove as much of the exterior rust around the joint as possible. Don't actually work at it so hard that you damage the pipe. The idea is simply to get to the bare metal, not to remove all the visible rust. Spray the joint of the two pipes with spray lubricant. Try to direct the spray around the seam in such a way that some of the lubricant is able to soak between the two pipes and allow it to work to break the rusted seal. For highly rusted and sealed ...  more