Can anybody identify these 1.5" 'buried' pipes? Photo.

[nv_london]

Hi, I was recently digging in my front garden and discovered these pipes an inch under the top of my lawn.

Near the front of the house they disappear under a front patio so I can't see where they go or what the service, but my gas meter is in close proximity so could they be gas pipes?

They're buried in the lawn (which is 4 metres long) and go off away from the house towards the pavement (I can't actually see them from the pavement which is about a 18" below the level of my front lawn - so the pipes disappear to below this level in about 4 metres) - assuming they've not been cut and just terminate under my lawn somewhere?

Also, why are there two of them? They look identical and even though they're in 'my' land, they are very close to the boundary with my neighbour (could one be their gas/water pipe?).

Can anybody identify them from the photo?

Pipes 1.5"

• nv_london
• 22 Apr 2014
• 1

Are they more likely to be gas/water is there anyway of knowing if they're live (without digging into them!).

We have 1930's houses.

Thanks.

[/url][/img]

 

[joe-90]

Are you sure they aren't just old scaffold tubes that got buried?

 

[nv_london]

Hi Joe-90,

to be honest, I hadn't thought of that! I 'doubt' they're scaffolding poles as they're only ~ 1.5" in diameter (i.e. too small for scaffolding?), having said that...maybe they are supporting the patio wall and terminate somewhere underneath my front lawn - I suppose I'll have to completely dig around them next weekend and expose where they go.

Having said that, does anybody else know if they 'look' like water/gas pipes or is there no way to tell as different pipes from different ages could look different (if they are service pipes, is there any safe way to know if they're 'live').

Thanks,

 

[noseall]

The obvious thing to do is look at where any services rise in your property, then look at say the road stop-cock and see if any of them line up.

They look like old metal water service pipes although they could also be old iron gas service pipes.

I doubt that they are anything to do with electric.

Iron gas service pipes are very robust and are joined every 2 or 3 metres with a union. All connections are made with threaded joints and denso tape.

Steel water service is a lot more fragile especially if it has been in the ground a while and will not take kindly to you knocking it about - so dig carefully.

 

[nv_london]

Hi noseall,

thanks for the reply.

My gas service meter is indeed directly in line with the pipes shown in this photo, however, the pipe actually feeding my meter comes at a right angle to the meter from my neighbour's land?! (see attached photo - white pipe in photo). I have no idea where my gas 'stock cock'/mains/junction box is - nothing obvious on the road.

I have no idea where my water comes in from, but the stop cock on the pavement is in front of my neighbour's property rather than my own property (see photo) - and the exposed pipes are not in line with the stop cock.

Hopefully, you can make out my annotations!

Untitled

• nv_london
• 22 Apr 2014
• 1

Untitled

• nv_london
• 22 Apr 2014
• 1

Good to know about the different types of pipes and metal used. Suppose I'll have to dig them out and see if there are any unions/connections. (If it is water, I can't believe it's survived years of being so close to the surface and not freezing/bursting).

 

[loply]

Just a random thought but if you have a multi meter you could always check the resistance between these pipes and your internal gas/water pipes.

Obviously if there's little or no resistance you know what they are.

If there's a high resistance that wouldn't disprove they're gas/water pipes though.

 

[alan333]

They look remarkably similar to the lead water supply pipe that supplied my previous 4-in-a-block flat, built in the 30's. Can you tell what they're made of?

 

[conny]

If they are lead it will be easy to scrape the surface with a coin and see shiny metal below. When you scrape you may see a small burr of metal rolling up under the coin if its lead.

 

[Bodgeitandleggit]

It could be lead...look at the photo of the top pipe where the leaf is lying over it , it looks a tad flattened which lead will do when compressed also the end near the right of it looks as though it has been scraped... it is really hard to say

 

[joe-90]

If they disappear over night then they were lead.

 

[nv_london]

Hi loply,

at the weekend I will indeed try to 'extend' my multimeter and check resistance between these pipes and 1. the feed/inlet to my gas meter and 2. my internal water supply.

With regards to what are the pipes made of (lead etc)...I don't think they're lead as they look slightly corroded/rusted where they meet the wall (and I assume lead doesn't corrode - hence, one of the reasons it's used for water pipes?!).

Anyway, I'll try 'scratching' the pipes to see if they're shiny underneath the surface and I'll also take a better close up photo of the rusted/corroded part.

Thanks all.

 

[nv_london]

Hi,

just an update about these mysterious pipes....they are NOT lead - they're not shiny underneath after scrathing the surface and one of them is somewhat coroded (see photo). Can I therefore assume these are NOT water pipes? (Could they still be gas/electric? Excuse my naivety on these matters).

Untitled

• nv_london
• 23 Apr 2014
• 1

Looks like I'll be carefully digging them up/around them, this weekend.

Any other ideas/suggestions are more than welcome.

Thanks.

 

[noseall]

Can I therefore assume these are NOT water pipes?

No. They are more likely to be steel water pipes than anything else. Old water pipes display a greater degree of corrosion than iron gas pipes of similar age. Some are so badly pitted that just digging around them can cause pin-holes to appear.

We replaced some last year with plastic. The bore of the water pipe was so crusted up with rust that it was barely bigger than yer little finger tip.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

If they are water would he be able to hear the water through a sounding stick if it was running?

 

[nv_london]

Hi noseall,

thanks yet again for your input. If these are indeed 'live' and given the choice between them being water or gas I'd much rather they be water as I'd at least be able to turn of the mains stopcock and re-route them as appropriate. (I'm just really hoping they're not gas!)

(Hi, Ban-all-sheds, unfortunately, I don't have a 'sounding stick' but thanks for the idea).

Thanks again for the advice - I will dig these out at the weekend and try to get to the bottom of what they are!