I have a mystery 1-3/4" cast iron pipe (outside diameter) in my basement. It's ugly and rusting, and I want to remove it. I want to know what's in there before I start opening it up, but I'm out of ideas as to what it could be.
It has a black, rubbery (and oily in some places) coating along most of it. It comes in through the foundation in the basement below the outside grade, goes up to the basement ceiling, then runs along the wall for about 12 feet. Then it reduces into short 1-1/4" pipe that's capped off. The house is in Oregon as was built in 1930.
It's too big to be a water line or gas line (and the local gas co says there has never been gas at the house), and too small to be drain, waste, or vent.
I also don't believe it's an oil fill pipe. There used to be an oil tank in the opposite side of the basement. The old oil tank had a copper fuel line running to the old oil furnace. It has had oil since at least 1959, and was probably coal before that. I removed both the tank and furnace. There aren't any other (buried) tanks on the property either.
That leaves ... ? I don't know what. I'm certain it's not fuel oil related, which is probably the worst thing it could be (followed closely by a 1-3/4" water line under full city pressure). Is there a safe way to open up this unknown pipe so I can get rid of it?
