I need help identifying a mystery pipe...

[AnMarie]

We bought a 1940’s cape cod and found this capped mystery pipe sticking out of the basement wall. It’s 34” up from the floor in the front of the house, 15’ to the right of our water main. Any ideas?

 

[Reach4]

It could have been the water supply coming in through the old galvanized, and now you have a new line? Do you have a water meter?

 

[Sponsor]

 

[AnMarie]

No meter. We’re in Chicago and the meter installations have been paused. We still have the original water main pipes. One of the first things we had to do was abate the asbestos on the pipes.

 

[Reach4]

Then I would be thinking gas pipe that used to go to the indoor meter.

 

[AnMarie]

...I believe it’s 1.75” diameter; maybe 2”.

 

[Reach4]

Nominal Size (IPS) Diameter External
1" 1.315
1-1/4" 1.660
1-1/2" 1.900

1-1/4" is popular inside, but the pipe from the street could have been 1-1/2".

 

[wwhitney]

Fuel oil? An old fill port in the yard, and piping going to a now removed oil tank in the basement?

Cheers, Wayne

 

[WorthFlorida]

Definitely not a gas pipe, very possible it was a fuel oil pipe, as stated above, but it is pointing up?

 

[Reach4]

Definitely not a gas pip

Because why?

I am sticking with gas pipe as most probable. Gas meters used to be in the basement.

 

[WorthFlorida]

It's too big and it doesn't look like a iron pipe cap. Why would it come in up an angle. If anything, it could have been a coal fired building and would have converted over to gas and it would still be used.

 

[Reach4]

It's too big and it doesn't look like a iron pipe cap. Why would it come in up an angle.

Gas wouldn't care if it goes uphill, although I am not sure that pipe is actually going uphill. It could just look that way in the photo.

Back in the old days, the gas mains were low pressure and big pipes were needed to the house. Gas meters in the basement were the norm. Then the systems were converted.

I am not rejecting other possibilities.