Removing the water pipes

• Step 1

  You always should start by shutting off the main tap. If a main tap has handles, you should rotate one of these handles about a quarter turn. If the handle is positioned perpendicular to the water pipe, then it is properly shut off. You should always check if the water supply has really been shut off completely by turning on one of the water taps inside the house.

  In older houses, the main tap is usually in the basement or in the crawl space. In more modern houses, the main tap will be inside the meter cupboard. While you’re in there, it would be smart to cut the electric power to the bathroom at the same time.

• Step 2

  Now it’s time to drain the water pipes. This can be done in two different ways. The first way is leaving the tap in the bathroom open until no more water comes out. While you are sawing off the pipes, a little bit of water may still drip out. The second way is to drain the main tap. Usually there is a little black drain tap connected to the main tap. You should let this tap empty entirely, so you can be completely sure that the whole system is empty and you won’t have any water leaking out anywhere. In older houses, the drain tap could be made of copper.

• Step 3

  As soon as the water pressure has dropped, you’ll be able to shorten (cut down) the pipe. Make sure to always leave about 10 cm in extra space, so there will be enough room left to work. Even if there isn’t enough extra space, the pipe still has to be cut off. Instead of using a hacksaw to shorten the pipe, please use a pipe cutter instead. A pipe cutter makes a straight cut, which prevents leaks.

• Step 4

  Place an end cap on the pipes. Use a compression fitting. First you’ll have to sand down any burrs left from sawing off the pipe. Then slide the nut onto the pipe and apply the compression fitting. Now slide the end cap onto the pipe until it reaches the bumper. Now you’ll have to manually tighten the couplings. Use two wrenches or one adjustable pipe wrench to tighten everything firmly. Grip the coupling firmly with one hand tighten the nut as firmly as you can with the other. Once the pipes are properly sealed, you may reopen the main tap.