Air brick, solid wall goes 33cm into the house, ground floor, concrete floor, ideas why?

[finlaand]

Hi all, see photo

Solid wall, 1780 house, this side of house is c33cm deep, solid of course, then inside battons and plasterboard.

After uncovering this air brick which was covered with earth for at least 17 years! (the only one in property as fyi), which goes below DPC, and its two courses deep the brick (goes about 6+ cm below the photo), it goes when I use the technical tool (a chopstick ) all the way through, so at least 30cm in. (33cm in fact after i then used a coat hanger)

Any ideas, seems to make no sense whatsoever. No suspended floor other side (screed with pipes for rad within). Ill be pulling off the internal plasterboard . Maybe many years ago it was timber floor, but someone removed it and left the air brick? NO signs of any damp whatsoever or anything actually. Not felt the cold on the inside as its below a window, and a rad on the inside.
(also see LEFT in photo, two old pipes coming out of the wall, no idea what they are or were for)

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

Do you have suspended floors elsewhere? It could be ducted through.

It's below the DPC so should be below the floor, so won't be behind plasterboard in the room.

You can buy cheapo endoscope cameras for very little on ebay or aliexpress etc, plug into your phone and have a look. I used one on a mystery pipe once, did the job.

 

[finlaand]

Hi there, cant surely be suspended floor on the ground, just not possible.... the internal garage we converted was 160mm below this level, and met solid walls internal facing walls.

endoscope might be fun actually if has a torch...

Only left of field thing i can think of is going back say 200 years might of been a basement, but who would remove al traces to it... damn shame rad is the other side or I'd have the multi tool out to see.

Any ideas on the two pipes?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

(also see LEFT in photo, two old pipes coming out of the wall, no idea what they are or were for)

Are the pipes copper, or plastic? First half of 20th would have maybe been lead.

 

[finlaand]

metal, no plastic pipes in this house, pass if lead or copper those pipes are before 2000 easily... i guess could scratch them to see material... no plumbing anywhere at all near this on inside (not drain offs makes no sense either).. as reminder by coincidence one rad other side of the wall, but might be just that..i have a heat loss camera, and can see where those pipes inside run in the poured floor, an not outwards... weird...

just browsing also second hand endoscope... off to scratch the pipe to see material

 

[finlaand]

Those two pipes -> scratched and are copper, and calipers measure 14.9mm if helps.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Those two pipes -> scratched and are copper, and calipers measure 14.9mm if helps.

Modern metric 15mm copper then.. Imperial 1/2" is 15.14mm diameter.

 

[finlaand]

ok, any idea why anyone would put those pipes at ground level?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

ok, any idea why anyone would put those pipes at ground level?

Central heating drains, would be my best guess..

 

[finlaand]

my drain offs for the system are elsewhere... there was in 1970 an oil based boiler c7 metres away from there, maybe legacy noone bothered to remove

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

Can't see any pipes in your photo.

Honestly I'm confused by your descriptions of what is/was where. Keep it simple!

 

[Notch7]

Can't see any pipes in your photo

Just to the left of the airbrick

 

[Notch7]

The 9” square airbrick looks like modern clay type to me, post war at a guess.

damn shame rad is the other side or I'd have the multi tool out to see

The airbrick is below DPC level, how does that equate to the internal floor level?


Also do you have a fireplace in the room? If so is there an air vent in it?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Can't see any pipes in your photo.

Honestly I'm confused by your descriptions of what is/was where. Keep it simple!

Look to the left of the air brick, there are two pipes, side by side, poking out by the side of the brick.

 

[finlaand]

No fireplace in that room, the air brick you see is 2metres to the left of the front door