wrote in message
oups.com...
My wife started to remove the showerhead pipe that goes to the wall and
when she started to turn the pipe it broke leaving part of the pipe
still in the wall and now I cant seem to find a way to remove that left
over pipe, so I cant put in another pipe until I remove the old one.
Can someone help me on removal of that piece still left in the wall?
Thank you...Tony

BTDT. Before you take a hammer to the wall, try this- Buy one of those
one-ended hacksaws, and saw through the inside of the rotted-off section of
pipe. Yes, you will also be sawing through the threads on the inside of the
bronze casting. Once you cut the slit, use a skinny punch or drift and a
hammer, to get a corner of the metal of the rotted-off part turned up. Grab
that corner with narrow-nose vise-grips, or if your hands are strong, with
needle-nose pliers. If you lived a clean life and the gods are amused, you
may then be able to peel the thing out of there like an orange rind. You may
need to cut more than one slot to get it to collapse on itself. Now, when
you install the new nipple, use twice the normal amount of teflon tape- it
should seal the cracks enough to make it all not drip. It won't work in the
middle of a pipe run, but six inches from the shower head, water will take
the easier way out. Note that after a McGyver repair like this, showerheads
with shutoff valve or diverter valve, like for a hand-held shower, are not
recommended.

It may not work, but you won't be any worse off than your are now. If you
end up having to open the wall, you will want to replace the bronze casting
anyway, just on principle.

aem sends...