Mystery pipe with 'G' on cap coming out of basement floor

[tyalkin]

We're currently trying to figure out what a pipe coming out of the floor of our 1905 house is.

We are located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

The pipe is about an inch in diameter and capped. The cap has a 'G' on it. It looks very old, as there is significant corrosion on it. I can't get it open without heating it, and I haven't yet tried that.

I thought it might be the pipe leading to an undeground oil resevoir, but I don't think this is the case for two reasons. First, it is very rare that oil resevoirs would be underground in such an old house. Second, I already can see where the oil line ran from outside the house to the inside.

If anyone had any guesses on what this might be, or just a general direction, I'd be very grateful.

 

[Caduceus]

That pipe appears to be much larger than an inch in diameter. Anyways, the "G" may just be a stamp by a manufacturer indicating their name. The size and appearance of the fittings could be anything. If you suspect that there is even a 1 in a million chance that there could be an explosive fuel inside the piping, do not mess with it. A local plumber might be more familiar with what is found in older homes of your area and I would call him/her if you need to know what it is.

 

[havasu]

I'm thinking a fuel oil resevoir, which if you use heat to open, could be disasterous. Take it from the experts (not me, I'm just a moderator) and get a real opinion by local experts in your area as Cad has mentioned.

 

[tyalkin]

Thanks so much, guys. We're having a plumber open it tomorrow.

 

[tyalkin]

My biggest fear is that it is an oil tank buried in the basement floor. Seems ludicrous that a builder would do such a thing, but who knows in 1905.

Is it relevant that the pipe is so close to the wall? Would that mean that it is unlikely to be an oil tank?

 

[havasu]

I have very limited knowledge with them but what I learned in my history books ))is they were usually placed close to the basement wall so access for filling could be completed with as little mess as possible.