# Civic Matters > Ask Anything About OKC >  Yellow PVC pipe in middle of yard?

## TheTravellers

Googled, couldn't really find anything, so thought I'd ask here.  Found a yellow plastic pipe in the middle of the backyard, goes down about a foot or so, white valve or switch type of thing at the bottom (debris was partially covering it up, didn't have anything long enough to get the stuff out).  Almost literally in the middle of the backyard, not in line/in between our gas meter and our neighbor's, no sprinkler system, and not part of some other lot that got absorbed into this one (houses were built in the Venice neighborhood in the 1950s, so these lots have always been the same).  Pic attached, wondering if anybody has any idea what it might be?

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## OkiePoke

Fall out bunker exhaust vent? Honestly, no idea.

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## pw405

When was PVC common in household applications? I thought it started being widely used around the late 70's/early 80's?  Dead sprinkler system would be my most likely guess but I'm not sure.  I have a big PVC in my backyard that is part of sewer cleanout, but it appears to be added after the house was built (1960).

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## Brett

I'm no expert but I thought yellow denotes natural gas at least with the current building standards. Could it have been plumbing for a gas lamp that were popular back in the day?

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## Uptowner

Yellow is gas but it’s not allowed in rigid pipe except iron. To my knowledge is never has been. Copper would have been used decades ago above ground and iron below. Anything above 1/2” would be way outside the norm unles it’s for a multi tenant commercial structure or a really big apartment building since 2lb pressure (much higher than a standard home) in a 1/2” supply can deliver over 2 million btu’s.

Can’t tell the size but my thoughts are it’s a clean out if it’s 2-3” and only sticking up 3-6”. My suggestion a: put a rubber cap on it and call it a day. Or b: if you’re just dying to dig it out, cut it, and bury it, is call okie dig and tell them you’re going to set posts for a swing set or something, they will come identify all the utilities buried in your yard. It costs nothing. Or rather the utility companies and taxes pay the bill.

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## TheTravellers

Thanks for the answers.  Not gas as that's done with flex-type-yellow piping, can't remember what it's called, but our house has some and it had to be grounded properly as part of the sale.  Thought it was a clean-out vent, but since there's something else mechanical at the bottom, can't really be that.  I'll have to get the debris out of there somehow and actually see what it is.  And we're replacing part of our fence, so Okie Dig was going to be called for that shortly, so I'll ask them when they're out if I haven't figured it out by then.

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## Urbanized

I'd agree that it is likely to be access to the shutoff valve for something that used to be in the yard such as a gas lamp, gas grill or fireplace.

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## TheTravellers

Utility locater came out today, and yep, it's a gas shutoff valve.  Our gas meter is up against the house, and all our neighbors' are out near the backs of their yards.  Our theory is thatour gas meter used to be out there too, but got relocated at some point and they put a shutoff valve close to where it used to be because if the house were on fire, the firemen could shut the gas off without having to get close to the house to use the valve on the meter.  Need to put a yellow cap on it at ground level since it's been broken off for some time before we bought it.

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## OKCRT

> Utility locater came out today, and yep, it's a gas shutoff valve.  Our gas meter is up against the house, and all our neighbors' are out near the backs of their yards.  Our theory is thatour gas meter used to be out there too, but got relocated at some point and they put a shutoff valve close to where it used to be because if the house were on fire, the firemen could shut the gas off without having to get close to the house to use the valve on the meter.  Need to put a yellow cap on it at ground level since it's been broken off for some time before we bought it.


If the meter has been moved up to the house from the back there's also a good possibility that your sewage lines have been replaced from the house to the main. Usually the sewage line runs right along with the gas line. I had my sewage line replaced and the gas co. came out and did the gas line also and put the meter against the back of the house.

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## TheTravellers

> If the meter has been moved up to the house from the back there's also a good possibility that your sewage lines have been replaced from the house to the main. Usually the sewage line runs right along with the gas line. I had my sewage line replaced and the gas co. came out and did the gas line also and put the meter against the back of the house.


Interesting, should've asked the locater guy about that, since we bought the house only about 2 years ago, so no clue as to what's been done underground before that.  There is a white PVC cleanout a few feet to the side of the gas meter, though, now that I think about it.

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## OKCRT

> Interesting, should've asked the locater guy about that, since we bought the house only about 2 years ago, so no clue as to what's been done underground before that.  There is a white PVC cleanout a few feet to the side of the gas meter, though, now that I think about it.


If the house was built before 70 it prob. had orangeberg or cast drain lines to the main. Tree roots can destroy these and the cast rots out. If you have a pvc clean out then it's prob. been replaced. When mine was replaced they put in a couple cleanouts. Hopefully it has been replaced because that can be a pretty expensive.

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## TheTravellers

> If the house was built before 70 it prob. had orangeberg or cast drain lines to the main. Tree roots can destroy these and the cast rots out. If you have a pvc clean out then it's prob. been replaced. When mine was replaced they put in a couple cleanouts. Hopefully it has been replaced because that can be a pretty expensive.


Yep, house built in 1950, and renovated about 12 years ago (we bought about 2 years ago) and the renovation replaced the inside plumbing, HVAC unit, ductwork, some electrical, and most likely the sewer.  There is a vertical cast iron pipe way out in the corner of the yard, filled with bugs and stuff, haven't been brave enough to pull all the stuff out of it yet, but I suspect that was the old sewer cleanout.

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## rtz

Read this thread when originally posted and thought the yellow pipe in the yard was odd.  Imagine my surprise when at a friends house over by Penn Square mall and look what's in their front yard?  Guess OGE likes it to fill up with water all the time?  Not very mower friendly.  



This is what's in the neighbors yard:

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## TheTravellers

Funny, bet their gas meter is next to their house...  My yellow pipe doesn't stick up too far, someone already mowed it down.  :Smile:   It doesn't fill with water, so it must have some kind of drainage at the bottom (haven't gotten all the debris out to see exactly what the bottom looks like), but I still need to cap it.

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## rtz

Both meters are next to the houses.

Spot before it was relocated(notice all the "plumbing" stuff nearby)?  House was built in 1940.



Current location closer to the front of the house:



Neighbors house:

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## OKCbyTRANSFER

^^ My folks house on the east coast has the meter right outside the front door by the bay window, but the shrubbery hides it from the street. House was also built late 40's/early 50's. I never saw these growing up in our homes, although they were somewhat newer construction and not single.

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## Mel

Loudon Wainwright III could make a song about this.

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