Why am I here?

[Jesse]

It's a ~1955 ranch in Villa Park with a full basement. Immediately outside the kitchen, there's about 18" of 1.5" PVC sticking up from the driveway. The top end of the pipe has a plug. Open the plug and look down the pipe, about 4-5" below grade the pipe turns away from the house, then it's out of sight. There are no openings in the driveway, which is not original.

So, the question is: What is the pipe for?

My only guess is that it goes down to a catch basin with a grease trap, because it's right outside the kitchen. If that's the case, why run this PVC up?

Any and all ideas welcome, especially from you local guys. Hope this picture thing works.

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[Richard Moore]

What were the downspouts draining to? If they were also new PVC, I'd guess a clean-out or possibly a drain that never got used by a corresponding downspout.

As for your heading question..."Why am I here?"...that's a little metaphysical for me, but, everyone has to be somewhere!

[fqp25]

I'd think it'll be a clean out for something, possibly a drainage system of some kind. However, since it's right outside the kitchen, and when they installed the newer driveway they might of broken the old kitchen line to the catch basin and repaired or replaced it with PVC, and added the clean out.

Is Villa Park on the Combined Sewer, or do they have to separate storm & sanitary sewer? All I remember it's a great place to buy gas.

[Jesse]

The gutters and downspouts are routed far from this thing, and terminate at grade. I don't see how 1.5" PVC makes sense for a clean out.

Villa Park has a separated sewer system.

[Richard Moore]

Must be an optical illusion, but it sure looks bigger than 1½" when compared to the bricks. Anyway...I'd still guess a clean-out, but for what, I don't know.

[Terence McCann]

You would never bury a grease trap (they need to be taken apart and cleaned). I've seen a ton of grease traps but only in commercial applications.

It's a clean-out of some sort. Did they waterproof this (or any side) of the basement? What's the thing to the left of the PVC? The driveway looks newer - they most likely put this in at the time they got the new driveway. Should have cut it flush at the time of the pour.

[Jesse]

Originally posted by Terence McCann

You would never bury a grease trap (they need to be taken apart and cleaned). I've seen a ton of grease traps but only in commercial applications.

It's a clean-out of some sort. Did they waterproof this (or any side) of the basement? What's the thing to the left of the PVC? The driveway looks newer - they most likely put this in at the time they got the new driveway. Should have cut it flush at the time of the pour.

Older homes around Chicago have traps for the kitchen waste, to trap grease before it went to the sewer. Often the traps are broken off by now, but the catch basin is still in service. As long as the catch basin is in good condition, they require minimal, if any, maintenance. Sometimes they're bypassed altogether by now.

The basement wall in this area is totally visible and in great shape. No work has been on it. To the left of the PVC is a grate over a window well. I agree, it's a newer driveway, and the PVC line was put in with the driveway.

[Terence McCann]

Originally posted by Jesse

Older homes around Chicago have traps for the kitchen waste, to trap grease before it went to the sewer. Often the traps are broken off by now, but the catch basin is still in service. As long as the catch basin is in good condition, they require minimal, if any, maintenance. Sometimes they're bypassed altogether by now.

Another good example of regional differences.

[Jesse]

I'm sure you all have been sitting at your computers anxiously awaiting the dramatic conclusion to the debate.

Currently the sump pump, in the basement just inside the wall, discharges into the main sewer coming out of the house. The homeowner knew the city wanted the sump to discharge to the yard. When he poured the driveway a few years back, he buried a PVC line to carry the sump discharge under the driveway out to the front yard. Catch is, he never re-routed the sump discharge to the new pipe.

Have a great weekend.