Thanks to the folks who helped me with a question on a leaky basement, I have decided to dig a french drain. The ground slopes gently down from the back of the property towards the house.
Have begun the digging, about 4 foot from the basement wall, (with a sidewalk and small strip of dirt between where the exterior wall of the duplex and the drain will be). However, I ran into a problem. This is a duplex, built in about 1954. Lining up with about where the bathroom is in each duplex, in the path where we are digging we found avertical pig iron pipe, about 4-5 inches in diameter. The top of the pipes were about 3 inches below the ground. One had a circular flat cover that lifted off (well tipped off when the shovel hit it. The other did not have a cover. Both have a bunch of dirt in them. I don’t yet know how far down they go into the soil (we are about 2 foot below yard level at this point) or to what they were connected. However, we obviously will not be able to lay the pipes with holes down this trench. So i guess we will move out another foot…any thoughts? I would like to know what these pipes are–( I have fixed up about 5 older houses and have not run into anything like this before) and whether there is any reason not to move the trench out further. Hurry–my digging crew is at work. And thanks again. Manda
Replies
Just a thought, but could they be the stand pipes for the outside water shutoffs. It could be that they have not been used for so long that they have filled with soil. They are used to access the shutoff valve located on the main water lines. Usually there would be a key about 6 '-8' long that would reach down to the valve to turn the water on or off.
Turns out they were where the oil tanks were filled. I have a certificate for the tanks having been taken out--done before I bought the place. I thought that the fill pipes would also have been taken out? So do I build my french drain around them, using the flexible tubing?
Can you cut/break them off below your trench line, plug with a plumbers test plug, pour in a little grout, and then run the drain line as planned? Were they capped off outside the house when the tanks were removed, or do they still penetrate the basement wall?
Cast iron breaks very easy with a sledge hammer.. may be the easiest way to deal with them if they are capped off where they won't cause water to run into the house. If not, break'em off below where you need them and stuff some concrete into them to seal 'em.
Yup, what Frenchy said.
The only worry here, that I can figure out, is that because you are laying french drain over them... if you don't know that the other end is capped and sealed for leaks, you'll want to cap them at this end.
Dig down around them, break them off, and if you want to seal them, spray in some expanding foam. Let that set up, then cap them with half a bag each of readi-mix.
Hey Luka! Give credit where it's due. I made the same suggesstion 1 hr 59 min before Frenchy.
And we all three are giving the same caution: be sure the other end of the pipe is accounted for, or there will be a new message in a few months asking how to stop a mysterious leak into the basement.
ROFLMFAO
Ok, ok !!!!
Hey, everybody, ELCID said it before me or Frenchy did !!!
There, is that better ?
I'm glad that we agree so well on this.
: )
Quittin' Time
Edited 7/14/2002 7:18:04 PM ET by Luka
A thousand thanks! My day is now complete!
Luka (and Froggy), I hope you realize the previous post was in jest. I don't always need the recognition, and in fact sometimes it would be nice to be ignored. Right guys? Hey guys...right? Anybody there? Hello...?
LOL
Yup.
Noticed my "ROFLMFAO", didn't you ?
: )Quittin' Time
OK
I'll give you full credit for that one. I see you did post before me and said to break it off. I just thought that I'd elaborate so the orginal poster would feel free to give it a big wack with a sledge hammer.