WHAT IS THIS?????

[jack nimble]

saw this in the back yard of a home we recently looked to purchase. it was in a cinder blocked little squared hole about 2 feet deep and had gravel on the bottom of the hole. i could not tell how big this thing was and it appeared to be partially buried. although it was covered it had water standing on its top and dripping down the side. any help??

 

[Diehard]

It kind of looks like a prefabricated sump for a sump pump. The larger looking line would be the discharge since it has a check valve in it.
Don't see any power wire unless they're in one of those smaller looking pipes.
The other pipe is likely a gravity drain from somewhere. Being relatively small, it's probably a clear water drain.
Did those 2 pipes look like they were coming from the house?

 

[jack nimble]

the two smaller lines were coming from the direction of the house. the larger was parallel to the house....of course it could have had a bend in it beyond the wall ...hard to tell.

 

[Diehard]

the two smaller lines were coming from the direction of the house. the larger was parallel to the house....of course it could have had a bend in it beyond the wall ...hard to tell.

Well if you ever go back there, just ask the owner.
Possibly coming from a sump in the basement.

 

[jack nimble]

ok..silly question...does the mere presence of a sump pump indicate water drainage problems?

 

[Diehard]

ok..silly question...does the mere presence of a sump pump indicate water drainage problems?

Quite possible but who knows, anything is possible. One cannot assume anything.
In my state it's the law that when asked about water in the basement, the seller must disclose this information.
Look and ask questions.

 

[Geofd]

can you have your real estate agent ask the other agent to find the awnsers you need to know if its a clear water sump pit or the drain or drains coming from your plumbing fixtures how old the system is how serviceable the system is.....the reason I mention real estate agents is I don't know if you can contact the seller…...

 

[fixitron]

that looks a lot like a 55 gal. drum and not a pre-fab sump. There appears to be a hole in the top just below the check valve. The pipe that appears to be a discharge line appears to go DOWN further into the ground.
It would be helpful if we know what part of the country this is. I am guessing the south, where it is unlikely to see freezing weather.

 

[Diehard]

Yes it definitely looks like it could have been made up from a steel drum. Many of the older prefab sump covers included removeable access cover for pump removal as well as observation ports. Similar to what we see here. Very possible some one made it themselves from a 55 gal drum and put in those removeable access plates.

 

[Mr_David]

Looks like toilet paper on the lid.
Also looks like a manufactured sump.
Plastic sump with a metal lid. look close and you can see a lip on the sump with bolts around perimeter.
short line with 90 has a seal flange similar to discharge line. You can barely see it protruding from edge of longer parallel pipe.
I'm guessing the longer one has wires and the go into lid at the open hole where the paper came out when it backed up.
Unless you really like the house, RUN and don't look back.

 

[jack nimble]

ok guys, thanks for the answers. and yeah geofd...i would have had to ask the real estate agent cause we cant talk to the owners. someone asked what part of the county...we are in north carolina.

 

[anticlmatic]

Any chance this is just a home made dry well for like a kitchen sink or back porch fish cleaning station?

 

[Diehard]

It could be a lot of things but I'd say what it is, is an unsolved mystery and the end of the story.