Remove Capped Copper Supply Lines & Drain for New Wall?

[JCGuitarDad]

Hi all. Did a search for this topic, but didn't find one, so I've started my own.

I'm remodeling a second-floor closet in an old home (1905), which the former owners had sold with this capped sink plumbing left in the bottom of the wall. We use this room as a closet and had simply put something in front of the pipes before, but now that I'm covering the plaster walls with shiplap panels and putting in shelving, I need these pipes removed. Problem is, I can't find their supply line from the basement -- or it isn't specifically marked. I can't tell if these still carry water or not. Should I unscrew those caps? There is some play in the copper pipes, and it's possible they could be pushed back into the opening btwn rooms in the wall (est. about 8" gap) if I could bend them, but a bit afraid I might break them. And the drain pipe seems fairly fixed in its position. So, what's the protocol here if one can't tell if the pipe is "live" but needs to be removed? Thanks very much for any assistance!

 

[SHEPLMBR]

The left and right, carry water. Or at least one time it did. The center was a drain. Without the wall being opened, no one can tell where they go.

 

[havasu]

You need to cut out the drywall and follow the lines. To me it likes like it use to be an old mop sink or just a utility sink. Good chance those likes are still pressurized. Tread lightly.

Then again, on a house that old, I'd suspect plaster walls.

 

[JCGuitarDad]

You need to cut out the drywall and follow the lines. To me it likes like it use to be an old mop sink or just a utility sink. Good chance those likes are still pressurized. Tread lightly.

Then again, on a house that old, I'd suspect plaster walls.

Thanks, yes you're right, these are plaster walls with lath behind them, then studs. Some of the plumbing supply lines to the bathrooms and kitchen had been marked in the ceiling of the basement by the former owner, so I was hoping this might be as well, but no such luck.
What about opening a larger hole around the pipes, shutting off the main water for the house, then cutting the pipes down a bit and recapping them within the wall?

 

[havasu]

If those lines are pressurized, I myself would not want that behind my wall, where a misplaced nail could cause you major problems. Do some Sherlock Holmes investigation, and find where that line is connected from and cut and cap it at the source.

 

[JCGuitarDad]

If those lines are pressurized, I myself would not want that behind my wall, where a misplaced nail could cause you major problems. Do some Sherlock Holmes investigation, and find where that line is connected from and cut and cap it at the source.

Thanks much. Sound advice. Will do my best!

 

[TomFOhio]

Are you sure those aren't brass nipples going into the wall. They look like threaded valves

 

[JCGuitarDad]

Thanks for the reply. Must admit I don’t know what those are. Would that affect how I’d safely remove these lines from the room?

 

[TomFOhio]

If their threaded they will have to be unscrewed out and plugged If their copper they will have to be cut and capped. You
will have to open the wall in order to do either. Do that first so you can see what you need and if not sure take a nice
clear picture and send it. Then you can turn off the main water and do the work and then turn it back on.

 

[JCGuitarDad]

Ok, thanks much. Working on opening the wall first.

 

[JCGuitarDad]

If their threaded they will have to be unscrewed out and plugged If their copper they will have to be cut and capped. You
will have to open the wall in order to do either. Do that first so you can see what you need and if not sure take a nice
clear picture and send it. Then you can turn off the main water and do the work and then turn it back on.

Got the wall open. I was lucky and didn’t damage anything. I also found two valves in the basement that look to be closed and follow the line up these same walls. I couldn’t turn those either way but hoping they’re off. Guess I could cut the copper pipes in the wall and cap with SharkBites? But that drain line doesn’t move — feels like cast iron. Not sure what to do with that, as it’s sticking too far out. Thanks for all the help so far!

 

[TomFOhio]

The water lines are not copper pipes. You will have to back up those elbows coming up the wall. Those
nipples unscrew out of those 90's. Those unscrew out counterclockwise. If the drain won't unscrew
out you can cut it in the wall with a sawzall and then put a fernco cap on or a mission coupling cap.
If you cut the drain pipe nipple leave yourself a couple inches from the tee to put your cap on. Be
positive that the water is off before taking anything loose. Can you open the chrome valves to check there.

 

[Jeff Handy]

Don’t mess with the supply nipples until you have the main water off.

Then run a faucet downstairs to drain some water from upstairs.

As advised, you need two wrenches or pliers, one to hold the elbow steady and one to crank out the nipple.
A vice grip or channel lock should turn the nipple.

And if the valves you found in the basement are stuck, they might be stuck open or closed, you can put a handle on your closet valves to test that, or used a pliers to turn the stem.

Attach a 3/8 compression flex supply to guide any water into a bowl.

You can replace the nipples with threaded male plugs.

 

[JCGuitarDad]

Thanks very much, both. I’ll check the closet “valves” first before cutting anything. And if cutting occurs, I’ll be sure to shut off the main water first and drain the faucets before I cut and cap.

 

[JCGuitarDad]

Update. I attached flex lines as instructed and turned the stems on to -- surprise -- find water freely flowing! But I guess it was all for the best because when I lubricated the supply valves in the basement a second time and got the cold water one to finally turn off, it turns out that they control the ENTIRE upstairs water. So that controls the flow to the 2nd floor bathroom. Guess when the former occupants added that basin in the "closet" they simply branched it off the main 2nd fl line somewhere outside of the closet (the bathroom is further down the hall). So I guess I can't avoid live water lines in that closet wall after all. I can turn off the house main and cap those lines, which is good, but can't remove them.