Possible to Extract Broken Pipe End?

[brianjohnson]

I had a pipe break in half, and long story short, if I can't get it out, it's going to require $1000+ worth of work to replace a whole bunch of stuff and renovate a whole wall.

I don't have the tools to extract the remaining end of the pipe, but I can get them. So my question is this: do you think I'm going to be able to get this pipe end out and replace it, or do you think I'm just out of luck?

I have included pictures to show you. The first one is the rusted remains of the pipe end, within another fitting; this is what I need to extract. The second one is of the other half of the broken pipe just so you can see what it looks like.

One note: I had a plumber from a bigger company come and look. He didn't look at it very long and didn't even attempt to get it out. He said, "It's not worth the time it would take to get it out" and then quoted me $1000 for the alternative.

Do I have hope?

Also, uploaded the photos to Facebook so you can see them in higher res:

Photo 1:
https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...9_10153625094180944_1432292382876821152_o.jpg

Photo 2:
https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...6_10153625094195944_6669130381138540620_o.jpg

 

[frodo]

it looks to me that my first choice would be to repipe that wall with some exposed copper pipe

secured to the wall using dropeared 90's

does the water pipe come from over head?

 

[brianjohnson]

it looks to me that my first choice would be to repipe that wall with some exposed copper pipe

secured to the wall using dropeared 90's

You don't think it's worth even trying to get the end of that pipe out? Because that's on the back of the faucet area, where the water mix is also made. If I can't get it out, I have to replace the faucet. The faucet is ancient, and we won't find a similar replacement, so we'll have to completely redo how it works, and that requires taking out an entire, tiled wall.

It's the difference between probably a $2 repair, and a $2000 repair, and I would rather not do the $2000 repair.

does the water pipe come from over head?

To answer your question, the pipe I'm trying to get out is horizontal, coming from directly behind the faucet. Then as you can kind of see in the second picture, it connects to an elbow that takes it vertical all the way up to the showerhead. The rest of that pipe seems just fine; it's just this 3" section that's rusted.

So again: while there may be better ideal solutions, I'm really just hoping that I'll have the option to remove the broken end of this pipe, which is just the thread part.

 

[frodo]

I would start by using an easy out

then if that failed to work, i would open the wall and try and remove the 90

http://screencast.com/t/LeTeavrO



your problem is going to be rust, the threads rusted off the pipe broke

when you try and remove the 90 will it break off or unscrew?

 

[brianjohnson]

I would start by using an easy out

Okay, I can try that.

then if that failed to work, i would open the wall and try and remove the 90

Well luckily there is an access panel on the other side, so I can easily get to the 90 degree elbow there. But the 90 degree isn't really on the side I care about, because I could just replace that whole thing if I wanted without destroying the wall. I'm guessing I'll be able to just remove that whole elbow and replace it when the time comes.

It's the other end that goes directly into the back of the faucet assembly or whatever it is that I'm worried about. So I'm going to try and get that out with an easy out.

when you try and remove the 90 will it break off or unscrew?

I haven't been able to get it off there yet, but I don't have a proper pipe wrench yet. My vice grip was just spinning, as I'm sure you'd expect. But again, worst case, I can replace the elbow along with the whole vertical pipe leading to the showerhead if needed, without doing any demolition.

 

[frodo]

Okay, I can try that.



Well luckily there is an access panel on the other side, so I can easily get to the 90 degree elbow there. But the 90 degree isn't really on the side I care about, because I could just replace that whole thing if I wanted without destroying the wall. I'm guessing I'll be able to just remove that whole elbow and replace it when the time comes.

It's the other end that goes directly into the back of the faucet assembly or whatever it is that I'm worried about. So I'm going to try and get that out with an easy out.





I haven't been able to get it off there yet, but I don't have a proper pipe wrench yet. My vice grip was just spinning, as I'm sure you'd expect. But again, worst case, I can replace the elbow along with the whole vertical pipe leading to the showerhead if needed, without doing any demolition.

do not attempt to to work on it with out proper tools
you will wind up f---n it up wheir the pipe wrench wont work
then you will be....

pot a picture of the whole thing