Pro tip: Always manually check for pipes before cutting into a wall

I was patching a hole in my bathroom drywall. My stud finder gave a clear signal, so I went ahead with the cut. Ended up slicing right through a copper water line. Now I'm dealing with a flooded floor and a plumber bill. Take this with a grain of salt, but in my experience, knocking on the wall or using a magnet can save you big trouble.

3 comments

3 Comments

daniel_king861mo agoMost Upvoted

Honestly, the magnet trick only helps find studs, not pipes. It just picks up the nails or screws in the wood. You'd still need something else to actually check for plumbing.

mason.julia1mo ago

Yeah, you're totally right. Could grab a stud finder that also checks for pipes and wires. Some of the nicer ones do all three, which saves a lot of worry.

the_parker1mo ago

A pipe locator with a listening mode is what you need. You turn it on, run the water from the sink or shower, and it picks up the sound through the wall. It's the only reliable way to find those pipes without guessing.