Mystery (to me) pipe

Daz H · Post by **Daz H** » Sun Jun 28, 2020 2:34 pm

Hi...

I am getting rid of some lead waste pipe in my bathroom and have one that I am not 100% sure if its purpose. My guess is that it’s either a breather pipe or an overflow.

The set up looks like this...

The pipe at the bottom of the picture is from the bath trap. It splits just before the trap to the waste pipe coming from my sink. Just after that 1st split is another leading to the pipe at the top of the picture snaking it’s way back to the left. I stay in a tenement flat and the main bath/sink waste you see goes out the wall to a stack (separate from the soil pipe) and the mystery pipe just leads to a hole in the wall next to it.

Any ideas as to this pipes purpose and, if it’s required as a vent etc, if there’s a more discreet way to plumb in a replacement so I can reclaim the wall space?

I should add, I do have a combi system in the flat but some of the bathroom is still serviced from a water tank if that helps in identifying. Had a plumber in previously who had no idea what it could be.

Thanks!

Someone-Else · Post by **Someone-Else** » Sun Jun 28, 2020 2:52 pm

The only way to know for sure is to follow it back to where it comes from. (Even if that means chopping out plaster etc)

If a person said, oh, yes that is the fumblepipe*, how will you know they are right?

As you said yourself

Daz H" wrote:Had a plumber in previously who had no idea what it could be.

* I just made that name up, there is no such pipe.

dewaltdisney · Post by **dewaltdisney** » Sun Jun 28, 2020 3:13 pm

It looks to me like some form of air admittance to stop the bath pulling the water out the sink u bend when creating suction when draining. The sweep up in the pipe shown appears to take the head above the waste pipes suggesting this to me. Nowadays you would fit a Durgo valve in the sink waste instead.

DWD

Bob225 · Post by **Bob225** » Sun Jun 28, 2020 7:10 pm

The waste drops down under the floor the pipe with a loop looks like air admittance to me aka a vent loop - you may find it reconnect's further down the waste

Daz H · Post by **Daz H** » Mon Jun 29, 2020 11:05 am

dewaltdisney wrote: ↑Sun Jun 28, 2020 3:13 pm It looks to me like some form of air admittance ... Nowadays you would fit a Durgo valve in the sink waste instead.

DWD

I think that may well be my solution. Looked up AAV’s and they should do the trick! A nice little improvement that’s only taken 100+ years, haha.

I’ll post my results back in this thread.

Thanks!

Bob225 · Post by **Bob225** » Mon Jun 29, 2020 3:00 pm

that lead scrap maybe worth a few quid too

Someone-Else · Post by **Someone-Else** » Mon Jun 29, 2020 3:45 pm

Currently, its around 90p / kg

Daz H · Post by **Daz H** » Mon Jun 29, 2020 4:33 pm

Bob225 wrote: ↑Mon Jun 29, 2020 3:00 pm that lead scrap maybe worth a few quid too

Yeah. Even if it’s peanuts, I’ll take them!

dewaltdisney · Post by **dewaltdisney** » Mon Jun 29, 2020 4:46 pm

Take ID and your bank card, scrap yards only credit a payment these days, no cash, and the minimum is £10 most places. I took a load of iron in and it came to £8. He said he would hold the credit until I had another load which I knew would be ages for me to get together. So, I gave him £2 to take my credit to £10 and he did the transfer.

DWD

Daz H · Post by **Daz H** » Mon Jun 29, 2020 5:13 pm

dewaltdisney wrote: ↑Mon Jun 29, 2020 4:46 pm Take ID and your bank card, scrap yards only credit a payment these days, no cash, and the minimum is £10 most places.

Ah, that’s good to know. I’m sure I’ll uncover more vintage metals as I go

Thanks!

Bob225 · Post by **Bob225** » Mon Jun 29, 2020 6:35 pm

If its got lead waste it should have the gas mantels run in lead, if the electrics are vintage as well the could be lead sleeved too

fin · Post by **fin** » Mon Jun 29, 2020 10:11 pm

ive got a canny bit scrap copper and brass in my lock up. anyone been in lately and what ya get for it? i normally seperate it out so take all the brass off and that like

Bob225 · Post by **Bob225** » Wed Jul 01, 2020 12:25 pm

Per Kg

Copper £3.25
Brass £2.65

Lead £1.29

Daz H · Post by **Daz H** » Fri Jan 29, 2021 4:52 pm

Just to tie this up... Once I ripped up some boards and moved my bath out the way, this pipe was indeed just for air admittance as far as I can tell. I removed all the old lead waste pipe, leaving about a foot coming from the stack so I could connect to. Used McAlpine traps on the adjoining basin and bath and all is peachy. The bottle trap I used for the basin has an air valve incorporated and drainage is fast and silent. Plus, got about £30 for all the old lead!

Razor · Post by **Razor** » Fri Jan 29, 2021 6:58 pm

I sent the picture to some Weegie mates. Here's what they said

"It a secondary vent, (anti syphon) for waste and the loop is to stop a blockage down stream pushing water over loop as probably
above sink overspill level. Pipe should go outside and into stack."