mjanovitz

Hi,

We have an unfinished basement which has a basic plastic sink that was put in when the house was built. The hot / cold pipes drop down from the basement ceiling to the sink. Joined in to the tap fitting there is a narrow clear plastic pipe that comes up from the basement floor. When you turn a tap on it seems to draw water or something up through this clear plastic pipe. Anyone know what it's for?

Thanks

Mark

JaffaMafia

Is there anything on the other end of the plastic pipe?

Many, many years ago when I worked for a certain fast-food company we used to have a system where there was a plastic pipe fitted into the nozzle of one of the taps in the kitchen sink and when you turned the tap on it drew washing up liquid up the pipe from a container under the sink.

It could be something like that.

mjanovitz

No, it goes directly in to the concrete floor of the basement so it can't be anything that you can refill. It appears to draw water out of the ground for some reason.

Steve_P

It is the drain for a washing machine, washing machines usually drain through a hose which is placed in this pipe. As you have already noticed there are a set of taps close by.

You will probably notice a 220volt outlet close by, that will be for the dryer and most likely there will also be a vent reasonably high up on the outside wall big enough to put a 3 or 4 inch pipe on for the dryer exhaust.

mjanovitz

No I dont think it is that, the laundry room is up stairs, with the electrical outlet and vent u mentioned. This is just a clear plastic pipe that is fixed in to the concrete floor and one end and in to the tap fixture at the other. When you turn the tap on it appears that the effect of running water through the tap syphons water up from the ground and I can see the point of it really.

I'm guessing water from the tap probably wouldn't be safe to drink!

Mark

Steve_P

So much for my theory then.

Sorry I have no clue.

mjanovitz

lol, that's ok was worth a try

Judy in Calgary

I'm wondering if it's designed to ensure that the pipe to the sewer line doesn't dry out and cause sewer gas.

In our house we have a water softener next to a sink in the basement, and the water softener has a hose that empties into a drain next to the sink. But Calgary has hard water, and water softeners are quite common here. They are less common in some other parts of Canada.

Atlantic Xpat

Water softener was one thought, another might be a drain from an air exchanger. Pictures would help solve the puzzle though!

bobbiel

All water line connections are made above ground, I think this may be a crude (and against code) way of adding water to the "P" trap.
P traps in a sink thats not used often will dry out, and provide a direct path to the main sewer. now when you open the tap, you may have a syphonic action happening that is sucking waste water from the trap.
Is the sink used often? if not run water to refill the trap, and get this looked at,,,you have a chance of cross contamination of sewer, and drinking water, and the possibility of sewer gas buid up.

mjanovitz

The sink is not used often. I have looked at it again today and I think i was mistaken as now when i turned either the hot or cold taps on i can see water going along the pipe from the tap fixture in to the ground. I will take some photos and posted them, that male help. Not liking the sound of the sewer gas build up!!!! Thanks for the advice though!

I also have a small plastic box on the living room wall near the floor with DSC on it but no other markings. I have no idea what that is either, but thats for another time!

Mark

Dorothy

Did you not think to ask the real estate agent when you looked at the house? Or the person who did your pre-purchase home inspection?

mjanovitz

Didn't bother with an inspection and didn't really noticed it until we had been here a couple of months. I think the house is about 4 years old. I'm assume it must be the same in the other houses on the estate, maybe I will ask a neighbour.

wiggs1034

Or a drain from a humidifier?

mjanovitz

No, there is no humidifier there. It's must be for something though, I will find out eventually, not losing any sleep though in the mean time!