DO THIS, NOT THAT

Don’t start an unseen fire.

Old-house owners are do-it-yourselfers by nature. Whether it’s patching a roof, repairing a window, or installing a new outlet, the feeling of accomplishment is wonderful. All of those projects, however, require that you take precautions. Plumbing is no different. Even with the introduction, over the past few years, of homeowner-friendly, flameless couplings, some instances still call for a propane/MAPP torch and solder. The utmost care is required when soldering tubing in a tight space or against a wooden wall. Heat from the flame not only can char the material behind the pipe, but also, on occasion, may ignite dust and debris in the wall cavity. The danger is analogous to when high heat is used to strip paint from the soffit and eaves: Very hot air forced through cracks and seams may encounter debris and build to smoldering. Many a house fire has started this way.

WRONG WAY SUPER-HEATING THE UNSEEN

Don’t depend on the pinpoint accuracy of your torch skills. The super-heated air can travel through tiny cracks and crevices, even those you can’t see. Examples include the joints between floorboards or wall panels. The debris inside a wall, floor, or ceiling—dust, guano, rodent nests— can act like kindling that will cause particles to smolder, sometimes for hours, before either self-extinguishing—or developing into flames.

RIGHT WAY SAFE PROTOCOLS

Where possible, assemble sections of tubing on the workbench, in a metal vise, away from flammables. Where final connections have to be made in tight spaces, such as under a sink or in a wall or floor cavity, use a flame-guard heat shield between the flame and any material behind the plumbing. These shields are designed to absorb and dissipate heat rapidly. Finally, remember to always keep a spray-bottle of water handy. And a fire extinguisher.