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In recent flooding I started excavating our (cracked, failing) concrete basement floor. (it's just a thin layer over a dirt floor--old house)

I stopped when I found a 1/4" copper line buried in the concrete. It's heading toward the heating system. But that was upgraded to gas some time ago, and I can clearly find the gas lines (they're overhead). Doesn't seem like electrical conduit. Doesn't seem like water pipe, but...who knows.

Any idea what this might be? Why would a tiny water line be heading to the heater? For now I've marked it so I don't disturb it.

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More than likely it was an oil fuel line. It was very common to encase oil lines in the floor until recently. Gas would have been in black iron pipe. Maybe water, but 1/4 inch too small for anything but an ice maker in a fridge.

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  • So...what to do with it? Drain it and yank it?
    – Alex Feinman
    Commented Apr 15, 2011 at 18:41
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    is it in your way? Is there any fluid still in it? where does it protrude from the floor?
    – shirlock homes
    Commented Apr 15, 2011 at 19:06
  • It's in my way if I want to pour a new floor or even fix the cracks that are letting in water. (It's below of the surface of the floor...by about 1/16".) I haven't found either end yet, and I didn't want to pierce it for obvious reasons, so I'm not sure if it contains fluid.
    – Alex Feinman
    Commented Apr 22, 2011 at 18:58

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