# What is this white tube in my backyard?



## limitdiy

It used to have a covering over it, but I ran it over on accident with the lawnmower and it broke off. What is it and do I need to cover it back up? 
If so, what could I use to cover it back up? It seems to be made of plastic or pvc pipe.


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## Adamdy25

Not 100% sure but it could be the pressure/overflow tube for your drain in your house. So let say your toilet gets clogged, instead of blowing up your other ones or sink drains it will blow the cap off that pvc pipe in your backyard. My other guess is a drain for your backyard going from your backyard to the city drain on your street. Hope this helps.


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## gregzoll

It is a sewer clean out for your house. You need to dig down around and cut even to repair, then place a cap back on it.


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## Maintenance 6

It is either a clean out or a vent. If you can find what used to be on top you can get a clue as to which it was. If it was a vent then you need to put a vent cap back on it. If it was a clean out, then a female fitting with a threaded plug. Dig around it. Cut it off square and replace the missing parts. Extend it high enough to be above the ground, same as it was before. You need to do this before dirt, tennis balls, toys and debris get dropped into the line or tank and find their way to someplace that will cause you nightmares later on.


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## Petric

It seems like overflow tube. You can expand the length to ground height. And cover it with round shape with a valve to use it.


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## AllanJ

If it is a vent then it needs to be above the ground surface so rain water does not go into it.


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## burnt03

Likely a cleanout. Should be capped as in picture below:


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## WirelessG

Do you have city sewer or a septic system?


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## Limeybstrd

WOuld like to know what these are aswell. I have two in my yard. In between the perimeter of my yard and neighbors, mine isnt broken.

I have city sewage.


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## Red Squirrel

Looks like hole 18 of a mini putt course.



Yeah probably a cleanout or vent, odd location to have it outside, but actually not a bad idea. You could maybe have someone flush the toilet while you put your ear to it. If it's connected to the drain system you should hear something.


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## VIPlumber

Limey,

If they have caps, then they're clean outs for your sewage. In order to be certain, use a 15" adjustable crescent to remove the cap and look inside. If it curves towards the city sewer hook-up, then it's a clean out.

Use the excellent pic Burnt03 provide above for reference.


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## Limeybstrd

VIPlumber said:


> Limey,
> 
> If they have caps, then they're clean outs for your sewage. In order to be certain, use a 15" adjustable crescent to remove the cap and look inside. If it curves towards the city sewer hook-up, then it's a clean out.
> 
> Use the excellent pic Burnt03 provide above for reference.


There is no lid or cover on mine. Doesnt look to have ever had one. I tried sniffing it last night but it emitted no smells :laughing:

My sewage clean out pipes are similar to the ones posted above, they are located close to the house and are capped off.

Im wondering if mine is water well related?


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## Gbm

Too small for well casing and too big for discharge. Wrong grass for putting green <grin>. Possibly air vent for bomb shelter?

From the type of grass it reminds me of living in Florida. Where I lived they allowed roof drains to be piped into the storm water systems as drainage was an issue and thin wall PVC was used. So if not a cleanout for sewer or septic then possibly a cleanout for that.


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## Kenlguy

If you want to spend some money on it, a sewer service can scope it out with a mini cam and find out where it goes.


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## studders3

I have the same thing in my yard and I am not sure what it is for. I have a septic tank system. I have been wondering for some time as to where my leech field is but this may give me a clue. I thought it was in the back of my house.


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## md2lgyk

I had four of those things in my yard, as do most of my neighbors who haven't yet cut them off. There are, according to my septic installer, inspection ports at the end of each lateral. Also have one near the distribution box. Something required here but nowhere else I've ever lived. Two of mine are gone, victims of tractor hit-and-runs. Haven't gotten around to cutting off the others. Even the installer said they aren't really necessary.


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## Mort

It could also be a riser for a water shutoff. Take a flashlight to it and see if there is a valve down there.


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## BigJim

studders3 said:


> I have the same thing in my yard and I am not sure what it is for. I have a septic tank system. I have been wondering for some time as to where my leech field is but this may give me a clue. I thought it was in the back of my house.
> View attachment 96170


I would suggest starting a thread separate from this older thread, you may get more response.


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## lenaitch

Another option might be a dry well for eavestrough. I've only see one up here at a neighbour's house that had no slope to get drainage away from house but it looked similar to photo and was in middle of his lawn. I don't know if it was a container or just a pile of stone covered in earth. Not sure what the purpose of the pipe was - vent perhaps.


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## jogr

Mort said:


> It could also be a riser for a water shutoff. Take a flashlight to it and see if there is a valve down there.


 
Bingo! I have a well and have the same tube. 

It contains a shut off valve at the bottom for my well water. Turn it with a long rod. My well was set up with a buried pressure tank at the well head so this valve lets the water to the house be shut off while still having water supplied to the frostproof spigots by the outbuildings.


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## MT Stringer

gregzoll said:


> It is a sewer clean out for your house. You need to dig down around and cut even to repair, then place a cap back on it.


Mine looks just like it. 
I have a concrete block covering it. It has been damaged several times through the years.


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## Hick

Limeybstrd said:


> WOuld like to know what these are aswell. I have two in my yard. In between the perimeter of my yard and neighbors, mine isnt broken.
> 
> I have city sewage.


If you have city sewage (and by that token, city water) call the water department. Tell them a pipe has broken in your yard. Let them fix it. No work or time or money for you.


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## bilug

You could always pull a copy of the as-builts from the city to see what they show.


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## MT Stringer

bilug said:


> You could always pull a copy of the as-builts from the city to see what they show.


Since it is in his back yard, I figured it was like mine. It is a clean out plug for the sewer line leading to the main line which runs parallel to our back fence. You can look down in it and see water as it flows past.


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## buckbundy

It looks like it could be a connection to the sewer. All the homes in my neighborhood have the same thing, usually located near the house. It is used to drain pools into the sewer system. just draining the pool water into the street is not allowed. It could maybe also be used as a clean out. I drain my pool water into mine every couple years, when replacing pool water.


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## Jamesdrc

limitdiy said:


> It used to have a covering over it, but I ran it over on accident with the lawnmower and it broke off. What is it and do I need to cover it back up?
> If so, what couls I use to cover it back up? It seems to be made of plastic or pvc pipe.


I have what looks to be the same exact pipe doing the same thing. Did you find out the cause and solution by chance? Would love to know what i'm in for.


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## GCTony

Jamesdrc said:


> I have what looks to be the same exact pipe doing the same thing. Did you find out the cause and solution by chance? Would love to know what i'm in for.


It's a clean out something, we see in just about every newer home with city sewer. It belongs to you so the city isn't going to do anything. You'll sometimes see a double clean out, one that can be used to snake toward the street and one to snake toward the house. The are left high so they can be found easily but most people dig down a few inches, cut them off and install a new threaded cap so they don't get broken by the mower. Easy work, PVC can be cut with a hand saw.


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## Jamesdrc

GCTony said:


> It's a clean out something, we see in just about every newer home with city sewer. It belongs to you so the city isn't going to do anything. You'll sometimes see a double clean out, one that can be used to snake toward the street and one to snake toward the house. The are left high so they can be found easily but most people dig down a few inches, cut them off and install a new threaded cap so they don't get broken by the mower. Easy work, PVC can be cut with a hand saw.


Thank you sir. Thats exactly the answer i was hoping for. Have a great day man!


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