Arrgghh - what have I drilled into?

[DIYNotIan]

i all

I have just been putting up a bracket for a shower curtain and I think I've drilled into something I shouldn't have.....!!!

But I'm not sure what. Whatever it is is, it is pretty much immediately under the tile.... It's goldenish/copper, and made my drill bit glow red (and whatever it is was glowing red too)!

I've tried taking a pic to try and help...:

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• DIYNotIan
• 25 Apr 2012
• 1

What I do know is that a blue water pipe comes down from the loft and out at the bottom of the wall to feed the bath tap. So I'm guessing it might have something to do with that.... However, knowing nothing about the construction of houses/walls (or plumbing) I really don't know what it is I might have been drilling into....

It's a cavity wall.

Here's a pic of the hole from a distance so it can be seen in context:

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• DIYNotIan
• 25 Apr 2012
• 1

A pic of the pipe coming out of the wall beneath the bath

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• DIYNotIan
• 25 Apr 2012
• 1

And here's what's on the other side of the wall (our stair well).

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• DIYNotIan
• 25 Apr 2012
• 1

I'm hoping it is not too disastrous and that someone here might be able to help us figure out what it is we've drilled into.

Many thanks

Max

 

[ladylola]

It does look like the copper pipe although I suspect the glowing was caused by the drill bit heating up when it was drilling through the tile.
What you need to do now is to remove the tile to expose the problem, which assuming it is a pipe is an easy enough fix for a plumber to cut the pipe at the damage an solder in a joint.

 

[DIYNotIan]

Many thanks for the reply.

Removing the tiles has certainly crossed my mind, but I thought I'd see what folk on here think first before doing anything too disruptive.

It could well be copper pipe. The things that made me think it isn't are:

1. The fact the blue pipe goes through the ceiling (from the loft) and blue pipe comes out of the all at the bottom. Would it be normal to have copper pipe in between? Incidentally, if I move the pipe in the loft the missus can see the pipe beneath the bath moving.

2. Would copper pipe be that close to the wall - literally on the other side of the tile?

Cheers

Max

 

[foxhole]

Looks like you were lucky not to pierce it , seems to be just short of that. Although it looks like the centre is blue which might indicate the copper is just a protective sleeve put over the blue water pipe to protect it , in which case it's done it's job.

 

[DIYNotIan]

Hi foxhole.

Is that quite a normal thing to do, put a copper pipe around a blue water pipe to offer protection?

I must admit, I thought I could see a little bit of blue at the deepest part of the hole, which made me think it could be some kind of bracket holding the pipe (seeing as it is literally just the other side of the tile). But then the coppery metal bit didn't make sense. It would make more sense if it was a protective pipe sleeve as you suggest. Funnily enough though, the missus thought she couldn't see the blue bit at the deepest part of the hole.

Of course, the other thing that makes the pipe idea an odd one is that there is nothing in the hole directly beneath.... So maybe it is some kind of pipe junction which is taking the pipe off at an angle to line up where it comes from the loft to where it comes out at the bottom of the wall...?

Whatever it is though, it is not holding the blue pipe firm because if I move that just a little bit in the loft, the missus can see the other end of it (under the bath) moving as well.

Cheers for all the help

Max

 

[StephenW]

When you wriggle the blue pipe in the loft, is there any sign of movement through the drill hole? Could there have been a wall-mounted shower at that point in the past? You might have hit the edge of a brass connector.

Of course, the other thing made of copper within a wall is the electrics so I'd be careful what I poked into the hole until tested.

Would you have a matching tile if necessary?

 

[Nige F]

(and whatever it is was glowing red too)!

It's a cavity wall.

Max

Timber stud wall with a cavity . If it was glowing red - it aint a copper pipe - you`d have gone through it for sure - it`s probably a protecting metal plate so it`s done its job . I`d leave it all alone

 

[jdpjamesp]

And in future get a pipe/elec tester gadget and use it before drilling