How to Extract a Broken Pipe or Fittings

Pipe cutters are used to cut through plastic water pipes.

Household plastic sewer or water-supply pipes can break or fracture when they get old or if a heavy weight is dropped on them. Copper water-supply pipes can also fracture if they have not been insulated well, and the weather is cold. All types of pipes have to be cut to remove the broken section, and if accessible, is an easy job. However, if the broken pipe is behind drywall, an area of drywall in front of the broken pipe will have to be cut out.

Things You'll Need

• Felt-tip pen
• Tape measure
• Hacksaw
• Pipe cutter
• Tradesman's knife
• Tubing cutter
• Stud finder

Instructions

Extracting Broken Plastic Pipes

1. Mark the plastic sewer pipe---or water supply pipe---4 inches on each side of the pipe fracture or break. Use a felt-tip pen.

2. Cut through the pipe at each mark, using a hacksaw for sewer pipes and a pipe cutter for plastic water-supply pipes.

3. Pull out the broken piece of pipe by hand. Remove any burrs from the cuts on the remaining sewer pipe with a tradesman's knife.

Extracting Broken Copper pipes

1. Turn off the water at the main shut-off valve. Mark the copper water-supply pipe 4 inches on each side of the pipe break.

2. Place a tubing cutter around the pipe. Tighten the cutter blade onto one of the marks. Rotate the cutter 360 degrees and tighten the blade again. Rotate again. Repeat until the pipe is cut through.

3. Tighten the blade onto the second pipe mark and follow the same steps to cut through the pipe. Now pull out the pipe by hand.

4. If the pipe is behind drywall, locate the wall stud on either side of the broken pipe with a stud finder. Run pencil lines on the wall down the center of each stud and join them up 6 inches above and below the pipe break area. This will create a penciled square or oblong shape. Run a tradesman's knife several times along all lines until the drywall is cut through. Pull out the drywall, and cut through any insulation underneath. The pipe will now be accessible.

Tips & Warnings

• If removing a broken piece of plastic water-supply pipe---also known as CPVC pipe---turn the water off at the main shut-off valve first.

• Remember that, after cutting through either plastic or copper pipes, those pipes cannot be used until the area that has been cut away has been fixed by replacing it with a new piece of pipe.

References

• "Home Improvement 1-2-3"; Benjamin W. Allen, Christopher Cavanaugh; 1995