# Mystery plumbing in Basement???



## pkovo (Mar 5, 2009)

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??????


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## mrivers (Apr 18, 2009)

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?


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## Nestor_Kelebay (Apr 19, 2009)

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.


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## glennjanie (Apr 19, 2009)

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


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## Quattro (Apr 20, 2009)

Looks like a good place to trip!


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## CraigFL (Apr 20, 2009)

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....


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## inspectorD (Apr 20, 2009)

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.


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## pkovo (Mar 26, 2017)

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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## slownsteady (Mar 27, 2017)

Welcome back, pkovo. Why such a long delay?


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