How TikTok Is Changing the Building Trades

It’s a distinct change of pace from the viral dances, "must-have" shopping deals, and other TikTok tropes: "Let’s cut open this twelve-year-old hot-water heater and find out what’s on the inside," announces a smooth but matter-of-fact voice while a faceless pair of gloved hands starts to peel away the exterior layers on a big white tank to show off the sludge that might build up if you don’t flush your hot-water heater annually. It’s a mind-bogglingly effective advertisement for regular servicing that’ll have you imagining crunchy little flakes in your water—a pimple-popping video, home-maintenance style. "It’s not the worst that I’ve seen, but there’s quite a bit of buildup in here, and it looks pretty nasty," explains the narrator, who posts by the handle @theplumbersplunger.