Drain pipe Identification help
#1
04-14-18, 03:48 PM
Drain pipe Identification help
I thought the drain pipe for my gutter was clogged and wound up finding that the 4-inch 'drain' ended quickly and was just crushed on top of what you see in the photo. Its a 2-ish inch cast iron(?) pipe with a bar across it. The crossbar is anchored to smaller sized metal pipes that are secured well in the ground.
So, what is this? I have googled and tried to find something similar on the internet but I am clearly not using the correct search terms.
For context, this is on the back side of a small wood-framed brick house built in Florida in 1940. The last owner never paid attention to the gutters, drains, crawl-space vents, etc and the result has been standing water in the crawl space. I am trying to get the water and moisture under control before I get professional help with the wood rot.
Thanks for any ideas and help!
So, what is this? I have googled and tried to find something similar on the internet but I am clearly not using the correct search terms.
For context, this is on the back side of a small wood-framed brick house built in Florida in 1940. The last owner never paid attention to the gutters, drains, crawl-space vents, etc and the result has been standing water in the crawl space. I am trying to get the water and moisture under control before I get professional help with the wood rot.
Thanks for any ideas and help!
Last edited by PJmax; 04-14-18 at 03:57 PM. Reason: enlarged picture
#3
04-14-18, 03:54 PM
Group Moderator
Can't tell what it is from the small pic... maybe if you dug deeper and could expose more of it and take a closer picture???
#4
04-14-18, 03:59 PM
Group Moderator
I enlarged the picture and still can't tell what I'm looking at. 
Looks like two pieces of reinforcing rod with some type of strap.
Looks like two pieces of reinforcing rod with some type of strap.
#5
04-14-18, 04:39 PM
��, I made the photo smaller for the forum but it looks like I overdid it. Sorry!
Here is a link to the full-size photo: oh, links not allowed, ok-standby, I'll take a closer photo tomorrow.
That strap is heavy-duty. and is about 2 inches tall, 1 inch wide, and 5 inches long. Exploring in that mud, the rods and pipe feel like they go straight down for another two inches at least. I'll try to grab my shovel and dig more out tomorrow if it does not rain too much.
Here is a link to the full-size photo: oh, links not allowed, ok-standby, I'll take a closer photo tomorrow.
That strap is heavy-duty. and is about 2 inches tall, 1 inch wide, and 5 inches long. Exploring in that mud, the rods and pipe feel like they go straight down for another two inches at least. I'll try to grab my shovel and dig more out tomorrow if it does not rain too much.
Last edited by snthomas; 04-14-18 at 04:41 PM. Reason: took the link off
#7
04-15-18, 08:29 AM
A lot of older houses started using weep systems (gravel with a pipe draining). This may have been sufficient for drainage around the foundation, but definitely not once the gutters were tied into it. When you figure how much water drains off the roof, it's a lot for those old pipes and gravel.
My experience with older (30+ year old houses) is to either confirm that the gutter drainage is good - or just simply run new pipes. Especially if you're doing some landscaping anyway, it's easy to dig down and run new pipes just for the gutters.
Of course, some houses will need more work - digging down along the foundation for new waterproofing, gravel, and drains, but that's a much bigger project, and can often be avoided with smart gutter drainage.
My experience with older (30+ year old houses) is to either confirm that the gutter drainage is good - or just simply run new pipes. Especially if you're doing some landscaping anyway, it's easy to dig down and run new pipes just for the gutters.
Of course, some houses will need more work - digging down along the foundation for new waterproofing, gravel, and drains, but that's a much bigger project, and can often be avoided with smart gutter drainage.
