Capped off pipes in kitchen ceiling

[slipstream86]

Hi

I'm DIY decorating a kitchen from a 1950s UK semi-detached ex-council house that was badly in need of a refresh.

There's a pipe box in one corner of the room that has two capped off ends coming down through the kitchen ceiling. Can someone tell me what they're likely to be? And why they have been capped here rather than done out of sight between the ceiling and upstairs floor boards? Ideally I would like to cut the pipes back and remove the box if they're not connected to anything.

In the adjacent living room, there was an old standard issue council house gas fire and behind that a back boiler, that has now been safely disconnected by a plumber. The boiler had already been replaced to a more modern combi system.

Thanks

 

[gas112]

possibility they are still connected and just capped off
Remove the box and loosen them off a bit see if they weep if not loosen a bit more at a time

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

I would suspect the are the old Gravity Primaries, (1" pipes that took water from the Back Boiler up to the Hot Water Cylinder and back again to heat the contents of said Cylinder.) I would suspect they were capped there as easier at the time that trying to do it upstairs under the floor.

If you've now got a Combi there is a fair chance they'll be redundant, but as already advised, loosen them off in case! If there's some black, sludgy water still in them it will stain anything it touches.