Mystery plumbing in Basement???

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pkovo

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My house is a amall ranch with a full basement built around 1950. I have a small plug in the floor. I can't figure out what it is.

I was thinking perhaps at one point it was a sump pit that was sealed over. The cement has obviously been patched around the pipe about the diameter of a sump pit. Perhaps the basement was always dry so someone decided to seal it, and leave a plug in case they ever needed to drain the basement?? Maybe it connects to a perimeter drain sytem?? Someone suggested perhaps it was an old drywell which seemed odd to me but who knows. There are old water hookups in that area, and I believe at one point there was probably a washer and dryer there. Can't connect to a storm sewer as we don't have any. My sanitary sewer line runs out about 4' above the floor so it can't connect to that. It's about 4-5' from the end basement wall, and about 2-3' from the back wall (roughly).

I started to chip away at the concrete at one point but decided that might not be a good idea. Of course I've tried to remove the plug without success as well.

Pics below. Any Ideas??????

Ella42-44wks032.jpg


Ella42-44wks031.jpg
 
Hi pkovo,
If I had to take a guess, I would say it used to be a shallow well, or a supply line from a well located somewhere outside the home.

Is your home currently on a city/rural water system?
If so do you know when it was connected to that system?
 
Pkovo:

Where I live, if a drain pipe under your concrete basement floor changes direction, then the plumbing code requires that a clean out be installed at that change in direction so that each straight section of pipe can be cleared separately.

I really don't know the reason for this rule.

So, it's purely a guess, but it might be that there's a change in direction of a 1 1/2 inch drain pipe under the concrete at that spot.

I'd be inclined to use an electric impact wrench to remove that plug and put in a new one with antiseize compound on the threads. That way you'll stand a better chance of getting it out if and when you need to.
 
Last edited:
Hello PKovo:
It could very well be a washer drain that used to drain into a sump where a pump would take it out.
Glenn
 
Personally, I wouldn't touch it. What if it's a sanitary sewer line and the pipe breaks off? Remember what they said about curiousity....
 
Do you have a steam heat system? If you do this could also be the return condensate line back to the boiler.

Other than that it is most likely a clean out plug to an abandonded sink line from a washtub in the basement to the outside drywell. We find them all the time.
 
I never figured thisnout, and managed to leave it alone. Guessing inspectorD's thought of it being a cleanout for an old wash sink is probably likely. Laundry area used to be around that spot.
 
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