Mysterious piping

[hjalfi]

I've been doing some CH work under the floorboards of a 1900-era terrace. That's mostly been going well, although I hope to all gods both small and large that it's going to be watertight.

However, while I was under there, I discovered something rather interesting; some black metal pipework, about 12mm in diameter, that's soft and bendy. I think it's lead. What I can see is a T where two ends disappear through joists and the other is neatly crimped off.

Any idea what this might be? I can't tell what it's connected to without lifting more floorboards, which I'd rather not do.

(It's a beautiful joint, smooth and seamless. I don't know how it was done.)

 

[HARALIAN]

old town gas pipes?

 

[wilhelm]

.....yeh, i know its old hat, but hey.....

 

[brumylad]

maybe old electrical cable/conduit ?

 

[ChrisR]

Or gas lighting supplies.

I no longer fill systems hoping they'll hold water. Do an air test then you know it'll be OK. A few quids worth of full flow ball valves lets you test and isolate subsections.

 

[TexMex]

A willow divining rod would fit the description more accurately. This shows how it was originally used.

 

[kevplumb]

some git nicked my pic

 

[hjalfi]

It could be gas, I suppose. Given that it's lead, it would probably have to have pretty thick walls, which would mean lousy flow rates for anything liquid... and it's quite likely that this house had town gas heaters at each fireplace (which the pipe runs quite close to).

I'm sure --- I hope --- it's been disconnected, but I'm not touching it anyway!

 

[kevplumb]

old compo lead lights i would think

you know when the old gits come in handy

 

[Panjandrum]

Under my floors (1896) I found two kinds of strange metal tubing. There was a lot of black non-lead stuff that was electrical conduit that held old cotton&rubber wires - still being used until I rewired in 1987.
And there was a lot of lead-wrapped stuff that was connected to an old wet-cell battery. From the location of this stuff (it ran from the fireplace in each room) I assumed it was for the call-buttons in each of the rooms, linked to the servants' quarters.
Maybe I should ask Igor when he comes in later.......