What would this pipe be for?

[McGaz]

I moved into a new house about 3 months ago and there was a strong chemical spillage on the carpet in the room at the front of the house.

I disposed of the carpet but could still smell something but couldn't work out what. Recently I thought it was a bit wet cementy/rubbly and I felt I could almost taste it! There were holes in the floorboards which was allowing the smell to come up - however, nobody else could smell it! To prove I wasn't going mad I took up one of the floorboards and have seen what looks like the problem.

There's a pipe running underneath the house towards the front. It then dips into a hole which looks about a few inches deep at least and it appears to be full of water. I haven't got close enough to tell how fresh/stagnant the water is, but my first question is what might this be for?

There's nothing at the front of the house. The only thing I can think of is that its the water source to the house as the water meter is on the street at the front of the house. I don't think I've got an obvious leak and the water pressure is very good, although one of my sinks will gurgle for seemingly no reason a while after using it.

I've attached the image, what are your thoughts on what it might be and/or how to fix it?

Untitled

• McGaz
• 18 Dec 2014
• 1

Untitled

• McGaz
• 18 Dec 2014
• 1

Thanks in advance.

 

[Dan Robinson]

From those rather dire photos I would say it was the water main.

Can you post a better picture?

 

[McGaz]

Not yet unfortunately, the floorboard I removed was one that was lifted before and it's near the corner of the room, but the hole is 6 to 7ft away. The picture is from recording a video on an iPad and aiming a torch towards the hole - these were the best I got!

Do you think it could just be ground water seeping in? The rest of the floor that I can see looks dry.

 

[Dan Robinson]

Could be, but I wouldn't like to say for certain without seeing it.

 

[stardanny]

You need to look closer, lift a few floorboards and check it out.

It look like water main pipe, going down under house to the water meter and possible somewhere there is leaking outside and running along pipe to into house via and leak from hole. By the look of the pipe insulation, the water level has been higher before.

Daniel.

 

[Rampage77]

what did you take the photo with, a potato?

But it does look like a water main as mentioned above.