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Raymond Fries
06-28-2014, 4:32 PM
I just removed all of the landscaping from the front of our home to start over with a different look. Behind one of the large bushes was this PVC pipe; it is maybe 6" in diameter. I have no clue what it is or where it goes. PVC1 is looking at the front of the house which runs parallel to the street. PVC2 is just looking across the front of the house. Can anyone help me understand what it is and where it goes?

292091292090

Depending on what it is and where it goes may determine what and where we can plant anything.

Thanks

Bruce Volden
06-28-2014, 4:35 PM
Looks like a septic clean out to me. Only thing is I've never seen a male to female before--around here they are female to male.

Bruce

Raymond Fries
06-28-2014, 4:50 PM
Hmmm...

Good thought but we are connected to the city sewage system.

Von Bickley
06-28-2014, 4:55 PM
That is a clean out for your drain line going to the sewer. They are required and there should be one every 50 feet.

Rich Enders
06-28-2014, 5:50 PM
Raymond,

I agree with Von. Code here is that these cleanouts come in pairs. Under the upstream one will be a San Tee which will direct the snake toward the sewer source. Under the downstream one will be a San Tee which will direct the snake toward the street. The sewer line will be probably at least one foot deep at these points if not more.

Wade Lippman
06-28-2014, 6:06 PM
I have things like that. Guy I bought the house from said they were cleanouts for the downspout drains. He built the house but is a moron; do you think they are for the sewer instead?

Ted Calver
06-28-2014, 6:26 PM
I have things like that. Guy I bought the house from said they were cleanouts for the downspout drains. He built the house but is a moron; do you think they are for the sewer instead?
Unscrew the cap and breathe deeply grasshopper, then you will know the truth:) :)

Dan Hintz
06-28-2014, 8:59 PM
292091292090

Is that an exposed (and WAY overlong) 120V cable? Scary!

Raymond Fries
06-28-2014, 10:16 PM
Will open it up tomorrow and post a pic.

Dan - What is scary about the wire? I just uncovered this and not even sure if it is live but will check it out tomorrow.

Dan Hintz
06-29-2014, 8:01 AM
Dan - What is scary about the wire? I just uncovered this and not even sure if it is live but will check it out tomorrow.

If it's live, you have a serious hazard on your hands. It's not tacked down (within 6" of the box, I believe the rules are), it's too long (there should be no zig-zag slack like that as it is a fire hazard), and you should verify it's outdoors-rated wire... and some protection would be best (though not required, I believe). All if would take is for that wire to get pulled out from under there (weedwacker, etc.) and cut to present a shock and/or fire hazard.

It's a side note to your original question, but I would take care of it while you're there. You could solve two of the problem I just mentioned with shortening the wire, and a third by putting it in some appropriate conduit. If it's not outdoor-rated, well, the only way to solve that is to re-run it.

Matt Meiser
06-29-2014, 8:04 AM
We looked at a house with similar cleanouts--owner, who seemed to know a lot about the house, said cleanouts for the downspout lines which ran to the storm sewers.

And yeah...that electrical is a little scary.

Dan Hintz
06-29-2014, 8:32 AM
We looked at a house with similar cleanouts--owner, who seemed to know a lot about the house, said cleanouts for the downspout lines which ran to the storm sewers.

This is what I was thinking... french drain cleanouts. Close to the house, reverse PVC (someone else said it seem odd), etc. If your downspouts drain underground rather than on top of it, this would be my vote.

David G Baker
06-29-2014, 10:11 AM
I agree that the PVC is probably a clean-out for your downspouts. If your downspouts go into a PVC pipe or do not drain on to the surface of your lawn/etc then more than likely it is a clean-out for them.
The wire looks like underground wire but it looks dangerous by being so exposed.

ray hampton
06-29-2014, 4:20 PM
I just removed all of the landscaping from the front of our home to start over with a different look. Behind one of the large bushes was this PVC pipe; it is maybe 6" in diameter. I have no clue what it is or where it goes. PVC1 is looking at the front of the house which runs parallel to the street. PVC2 is just looking across the front of the house. Can anyone help me understand what it is and where it goes?

292091292090

Depending on what it is and where it goes may determine what and where we can plant anything.

Thanks

I not sure about the cable being safe BUT I will guess that cable and weather-covered outlet are for your plumber to plug his snake machine into

Matt Meiser
06-29-2014, 5:17 PM
If its used so often that a dedicated outlet is needed...

Robert LaPlaca
06-29-2014, 6:22 PM
That is a clean out for your drain line going to the sewer. They are required and there should be one every 50 feet.

I would agree that this PVC is a sewer clean out.. Our last home two homes had such clean outs just a few feet outside the foundation wall, generally I have seen them slightly higher than grade level.

I would agree that wiring to that exterior outlet looks very scary.. The Romex isn't secured properly near the box, way too much unprotected Romex and i will go out on a limb and say there probably is no Romex clamp connector screwed in the box either..

Von Bickley
06-29-2014, 9:39 PM
Unscrew the cap and breathe deeply grasshopper, then you will know the truth:) :)

I agree with Ted......
I have been around a lot of residential construction and I have never seen clean-outs like that on a downspout. If you look under your house, you should see clean-outs at the beginning of each drain line going to the main drain. You should also see a clean-out anywhere the drain line changes direction. They are also required to put a clean-out where the drain line leaves the house. If you look under the house, you should see a 3 or 4 inch PVC drain line going out where that clean-out is located.

Raymond Fries
06-29-2014, 9:46 PM
Well it must be a clean out for the sewer because all of our downspouts drain above ground. I opened it today and it looks like it goes straight down three or four feet and connects to a pipe that runs toward the street.

The wire is indeed scary. I finally found what the mystery switch in our foyer is for. It turns that outlet on. The wire must be outdoor rated because it has sun resistant on it. It was manufactured by B. Morgan. 14 ga and the type looks like UF but not sure about the F.

The wire is poked through the OSB next to the foundation. Then, it goes to the left to the coiled up mess which I estimate to be at least 25' and then up to the box mounted on the house.

Would it it be safe to just shorten the wire so it is secured to the OSB for about the five feet where it would go up into the box? Or does the wire really need to be run internally in the house and then into the box? Does it have to be in conduit?

Thanks

Dan Hintz
06-30-2014, 7:17 AM
Would it it be safe to just shorten the wire so it is secured to the OSB for about the five feet where it would go up into the box? Or does the wire really need to be run internally in the house and then into the box? Does it have to be in conduit?

Local code will determine if it needs to be in conduit, but generally not if it's UF. If it's easy to do, I'd put some conduit on the outside leg until it hits the house, just to be safe, but that's just me. Pull all of the extra wire out from under the house, trim it to length, reinstall the socket. Make sure the box's wire clamp is installed, make sure ground is connected to the box, best to check on the rubber seals while you're down there, and use a wire staple within a handful of inches of the box.