How to Fix a Broken Pipe Inside a Wall

When you see signs of a broken pipe it is important to get it fixed immediately to avoid worse damage from occurring. You can call a local plumber to come out and do the pipe repair for you, or you can fix it yourself. Either way, you will want to turn off the water right away to stop the water flow coming into your home and minimize the amount of cleanup you’ll need to do afterwards.

If you’re going to fix the pipe yourself, start by looking around for water damage signs. Anyplace where paint is bubbling, wood is splitting, drywall is swelling, or mold or mildew is present can be the result of water damage in your home or business. Locating the leak can be tricky because water can drip and run along the edge of things, making an appearance far from its original source. However, when you think you’ve located the source of the leak, it’s time to get it fixed!

If the break is on an exposed pipe, count yourself lucky. Broken pipes inside of walls are much harder to fix because they require cutting into the wall to access the break and then repairing the wall afterwards.

Before you get started, ensure the water is off – double check this because you’ll have a complete disaster if your water is not entirely shut off or if someone else in your home turned it back on while you were looking for the leak. Then, gather all the tools you may need to do the job before getting started. You don’t want to be in the middle of a fix only to discover that you’re missing a key tool or supply and have to go to your hardware store to go pick something up to complete the repair. Depending on where the pipe is located, you may also want to put something down to protect nearby items or surfaces. Get a bucket catch water or some towels to absorb the water that will inevitably leak out when you remove the leaking section of pipe. Remember, if you have a broken pipe in a wall, you may be working near electrical outlets or wires. Take extreme caution when working around electrical components to avoid electric shock, which can cause death. Once you have done the prep work, you can start the pipe repair process.

Getting into drywall or concrete to access the pipe will be your first challenge. You will need to carefully cut away at the material preventing you from accessing the pipe. Make sure to use the right tool for the job to avoid doing more damage to the wall and the components that may be hiding behind it. Drywall will typically require a drywall saw while concrete will involve a chisel and hammer. Use a stud finder to determine where studs and joists are and then determine where you will make your cut. Work slowly and carefully while you remove enough of the wall in front of the pipe to give you good access to the broken section.

Depending on the extent of the leak, you may be able to apply a patch instead of needing to cut the pipe out. However, if the pipe has burst you will need to cut the broken section out and replace the pipe with a new piece of pipe. If the burst pipe was as a result of freezing, the section you need to replace may be quite large because the expansion when water freezes can cause significant pipe warping and weakening all around the break as well.

Assess the damage and plan for how you will fix it. If the break looks like it may be accompanied by other plumbing problems like clogged lines, sagging pipes, or thinned out lines, call a professional plumber to assess the problem and determine if any other fixes need to be made at the same time to avoid more costly fixes down the road.

If the leak is due to a failing fitting, you can likely just replace the fitting, although this is less common than a pipe crack due to old age, freezing, or damage. If you aren’t sure if the pipe or the fitting are the ones leaking, you can call in a licensed plumber to help you diagnose the issue and recommend a solution to get the problem fixed the right way the first time.

Note: Replacing a section of pipe will likely require the following tools: a pipe cutter or hacksaw, a deburring tool, soldering paste, and a propane torch. If you don’t have access to these tools or can’t get the pipe size and slip couplings you need, call a plumber. The risk of using the wrong tools and supplies is too high to just try to wing it!

Once the repair is complete, wipe soap around the edges of the pipe that you just replaced or near the patch you just applied and then turn the water back on. Listen for any sounds of leaking (hissing or rushing), run your hand along the pipe feeling for any moisture, and look to see if the soap is bubbling anywhere (which would indicate that it’s mixing with water that’s leaking from the pipe). If the fix appears to be holding, you can clean up the area and determine how you want to fix the wall that you cut into to access the pipe. If you don’t want to repair the work yourself, you can hire someone to come patch or rehang your drywall.

Additional resources:
Who Fixes Broken Pipes?
Emergency Plumbing Problems
Should You Call an Emergency Plumber?
Sewer Line Repair Rates
Find an Emergency Plumbing Company
Is Plumbing Repair Urgent?
What does Emergency Plumbing Cost?
Emergency Plumbers in Chicago
Is My Problem a Plumbing Emergency?
Is Emergency Plumbing Expensive?
Learn More about Emergency Plumbing
Does a Broken Pipe Need an Emergency Plumber?
Local Emergency Plumber Costs
Broken Pipe Repair Near Me
Fixing a Pipe in Concrete
Cost to Fix a Burst Pipe
How Does Insurance Help with Broken Pipe Repair?