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Author:
rita310767 (PA)
House was built in 1951. In basement floor is this pipe. It has a screw off cap. There is water in the pipe, and if I fill the pipe water drains to its constant level. My plumber nor I have any clue what it is for or to where it drains. It is in a place in the basement away from any sewer or water pipes. The diameter is 1 1/2”.
Suggested was, it might be a pipe to draw water up from ground water with an old fashioned hand pump to save from paying for water. But would they really put a pipe in for that in 1951?
Can anyone identify what the purpose would be?
I tried to add a picture but couldn’t.
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Author:
steve (CA)
Do you have basement plumbing fixtures? If yes, take the cap off and run water from the fixtures and see if the water held in the fitting shows any movement. It could be a running trap for a laundry sink?
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Author:
rita310767 (PA)
There are no water pipes nearby that would service a sink.
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Author:
DaveMill (CA)
>There is water in the pipe, and if I fill the pipe water drains to its constant level.
Many people would advise you to screw the cap back on and ignore it...
But if you pour water into the pipe and the water level remains the same, the pipe is either connected to a trap or to a tank/water reservoir filled to that level. The latter seems unlikely.
Follow Steve's suggestion. Open a window in or near the basement so that opening a door does not affect the water level in the pipe. Have one person watch the water in the pipe very carefully, but do not touch the pipe or even breath on the water. Another person walks around the house flushing every toilet and pouring water into every drain (washer drain, sink drains, shower drains). If the water level in the pipe moves up and down even a hair, you have a drain pipe. If not, you have a mystery.
Regarding the pump theory, it is not uncommon for a house to be built on the site of an older house that may have had a pump standpipe inside or nearby. But most pump pipes wouldn't have standing water visible. The water table would need to be very high...
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Author:
Palm329 (VA)
Dehumidifier drain added later?
Can you see the concrete floor, does it look like it was opened up and patched at some point?
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Author:
m & m (MD)
Using a tape measure, see how far into the pipe the tape will pass.
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Author:
PlumberManDan (IA)
Sounds like it is an OLD trap under the floor for a washer or other drain from above. Especially since you fill with water and it drains to the same level as before.
 PlumbCat TM 2003
Plumbermandan
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Author:
rita310767 (PA)
House was new built on virgin land in 1951. Pipe was built with house.
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Author:
rita310767 (PA)
Except it was built with the house.
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Author:
rita310767 (PA)
Nope. Installed when the house was built.
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Author:
DaveMill (CA)
Rita, what did you learn when you did the drain tests Steve and I recommended?
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