So I was hanging a TV that was intended to cover a break box. There was a metal stud 18" off the left side of the breaker and what appeared to be another 16" apart from the first and 2" off from the break box. Knowing steel studs can be a bit tough to get through I set the drill to hammer and gradually increased the size of the hole of the true stud at the same rate as the possible stud. At a 1/2" I just couldn't get the bit through and it slipped off to the right side of what turned out to be a black pipe measuring about 3" wide. It is very close to the breaker which makes me think it is most likely a left over pipe or over kill for electrical wire. The pipe is in a second story office and the wall is both for an office and a bathroom. It could obviously be a plumbing pipe but I had no water leakage and why would a water pipe by right against a breaker box? Want to know what the thoughts are in regards to this mysterious pipes intent.

So now you open the wall up and find out what damage you have done and to what?

Vent for bathroom? You don't say what's above. Have you looked on the roof.

As Chuck said, you open the wall to start... see if this is a cast iron pipe (vent/drain), or a black iron pipe (steam heat pipe). You can Google images of cast iron VS black iron pipe to confirm which pipe type.

If this is a vent pipe we may have a couple options for a quick fix.

If the builing is heated by a steam system and this is a steam heat pipe then you have a bit of a problem, 'cause steam pipes can't be patched and expect to have the patch last... just doesn't work.

Back to you...

Mark

A "black pipe" could be no hub Cast iron or worse a gas line

It could also be steam or hydronic heating or a supply for HVAC cooling and or heating supply / return


Rather then guess I would expose more of the piping to see if the connection (joint) is a no hub or screwed .

Is it Plastic or Metal pipe ?

Milo