Big hole in kitchen floor with water supply pipe

[sjw64]

Hi

Im ripping out all of my kitchen and amongst many odd things Im discovering, this is one of them. A big hole in the floor directly under the kitchen sink unit.

Coming out of it is the water supply pipe that bends out the top and appears to be made of a tough hard plastic. Its then joins onto a copper pipe somehow just below the stop cock.

Can I fill the hole up? If so, what with? Sand? The cap it off with cement?

Is the plastic pipe okay to leave where it is, although I do want to fix it down somehow so it doesn't move (it hardly moves anyway). Everything above the stopcock Im happy to sort out but Im a little concerned with everything below it.

The drain tap thingy above the stop cock to me seems pointless as the cold water tap is not far further along the pipe, so I can drain the system if I wanted to that way.

Any help appreciated to tidy this up.

Thanks

PS ...Ive no idea what is down that hole - I aint sticking my hand down either

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• sjw64
• 12 Apr 2014
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• sjw64
• 12 Apr 2014
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• sjw64
• 12 Apr 2014
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• sjw64
• 12 Apr 2014
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[Burnerman]

It just looks like copper pipe sheathed with something to prevent it becoming in direct contact with concrete, I think......have you considered using spray foam to fill the hole?
John

 

[sjw64]

It just looks like copper pipe sheathed with something to prevent it becoming in direct contact with concrete, I think......have you considered using spray foam to fill the hole?
John

Thanks John

Thats a relief, looking at it, it now looks like a sheath ( i was worried it was a plastic pipe just simply pushed onto the copper pipe)

I can use anything that is best to use. Is spray foam that expandable foam?

 

[Burnerman]

Yep, thats the stuff, and bloomin' awful to use it can be, too!
Whatever you use, cement etc mustn't come into contact with any exposed copper pipe for fear of corrosion.
Is it dry down the hole? Go on - stick yer 'and down
John

 

[denso13]

Use whatever you have to hand. Sand/cement for me - never had much success with expanding foam. The hole is probably the duct which the service pipe should be in.

 

[Burnerman]

Is there any draught coming up the hole......just concerned about access for our furry friends, etc.
Sand and cement will give excellent support to the pipe, of course - much better than foam (which certainly has its uses - but never goes where I want it to )
John

 

[sjw64]

No, no draught whatsover. Ive been here for 10yrs and didnt even know there was a hole there.

Although on the other side of the wall its against is the drain for sink/washing machine etc, so the hole must be at the back of that

 

[sjw64]

Also there is no chance on this earth Im sticking my hand down there - there'll be snakes, huge spiders with claws, & everything down there

 

[sjw64]

Couple more pics of the hole cleaned up. Im thinking of filling with sand then capping it with an inch of cement on top just in case access is needed in the future.

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• sjw64
• 12 Apr 2014
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• 12 Apr 2014
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• sjw64
• 12 Apr 2014
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[footprints]

I would put a bit of felt insulation over it before cementing in case you ever need to cut it out the cement will not be stuck to the pipe. Is that an 1/2" old gas supply next to it? I looks a bit corroded to me, is it still live?

 

[jeff the gasman]

DO NOT PUT YOUR HAND IN THAT HOLE. Google Rat spider and take care!!!

 

[sjw64]

I would put a bit of felt insulation over it before cementing in case you ever need to cut it out the cement will not be stuck to the pipe. Is that an 1/2" old gas supply next to it? I looks a bit corroded to me, is it still live?

Thanks. Yes those pipes are old gas pipes that are capped at each end. The other dissappears towards the gas meter. I dont know if they are live or dead, I only discovered them when I was taken out my kitchen.

 

[Fordy81]

I've got a similar problem. But haven't sorted it yet.

//www.diynot.com/forums/plumbing/big-hole-under-sink.393214/

I plan to break away some of the top cement so I get down to damp proof membrane level, then perhaps put a wider pipe around my waste pipe as thr waste pipe connection is lower than floor level, then fill with sand/pebbles and cement. Secure new DPM to the current one, then cement over that. The additional pipe will mean I haven't cemented the waste pipe. My only concern is cementing the water main pipe in place.

 

[sjw64]

Thanks everyone.

Those gas pipes are on my mind now as I have no idea if they are live or have been chopped at the meter. I cant actually tell at the meter because the pipes (if any) are under a cement floor. (I only have one pipe coming out the ground into the meter and this must be the gas fire - but cant tell if there is a T joint underneath somewhere and disappearing into the kitchen.

Im going to give a gas man a call tomorrow to see how much it will cost to look at it and chop it if its live.

 

[footprints]

Wise move in particular if you intend to cover the area again.

If it is a concrete floor all through chances are that it is the old carcass 3/4" or 1" from the meter branching out for fires water heaters cooker and fridge/wash boiler points along the way.

Yes we were still putting in fridge points into the 70's

Certainly worth getting a gasfitter (opps sorry, Gas safe engineer everybody likes to be called an engineer these days ) to look at it.