# Anyone know what this outdoor pipe is **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 1, 2018, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-what-this-outdoor-pipe-is/805663 "2018-01-01T00:05:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2018, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-what-this-outdoor-pipe-is/805663/21 "2018-01-01T15:43:19Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > When you say that you can’t see anything down it, have you tried using a flash light or are you just looking down there in the middle of the day? > Also, you could try sticking something (preferably non-conductive) in it to see how deep it is and what you feel at the bottom. If it just goes a foot or so below grade and you feel dirt or gravel, then it probably is just to hold something up. If you can’t feel the bottom, then if it were me, just out of curiosity, I’d either get a cheap scope to drop in or dig around it and see which way to bends and look into what might be in that direction. Oh, come on! It’s obviously a support of some type. Pool plumbing is not made of metal - it’s PVC. And, this pipe is thin-walled, so it’s probably not even re-purposed iron water pipe. There are no flanges or threads to make a connection, so it’s not for plumbing, it’s too big for electrical conduit, so ergo, it must be a base for a net or umbrella or something. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2018, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-what-this-outdoor-pipe-is/805663/22 "2018-01-01T16:19:14Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Oh, come on! > It’s obviously a support of some type. > Pool plumbing is not made of metal - it’s PVC. And, this pipe is thin-walled, so it’s probably not even re-purposed iron water pipe. > There are no flanges or threads to make a connection, so it’s not for plumbing, it’s too big for electrical conduit, so ergo, it must be a base for a net or umbrella or something. I think you’re absolutely right in that it’s a stand for something, probably a satellite like someone (op?) said. But homeowners, especially unknown previous homeowners hack together odd stuff. Hate to go rooting around in there with a metal rod or just rip it out only to find out the last guy buried an extension under the gravel and brought it up right there for something. Sounds stupid and it’s probably not the case, but why not just grab a flashlight and check? Doing something because it’s obvious is a good way to find out the last guy didn’t. PS, why would you rule that out as being too big to be electrical conduit? You can go to Home Depot and buy it from 1/2" inch up to 2" I think. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2018, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-what-this-outdoor-pipe-is/805663/23 "2018-01-01T16:33:15Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > I think you’re absolutely right in that it’s a stand for something, probably a satellite like someone (op?) said. > But homeowners, especially unknown previous homeowners hack together odd stuff. Hate to go rooting around in there with a metal rod or just rip it out only to find out the last guy buried an extension under the gravel and brought it up right there for something. > Sounds stupid and it’s probably not the case, but why not just grab a flashlight and check? > Doing something because it’s obvious is a good way to find out the last guy didn’t. > > PS, why would you rule that out as being too big to be electrical conduit? You can go to Home Depot and buy it from 1/2" inch up to 2" I think. Because big conduit is expensive, and only needed for small-gauge wires, which would have no purpose out in the yard. Sure, the pipe itself could be made from conduit, but it seems exceedingly unlikely that it is actually designed to carry huge-current cables. ---
**Author:** ![chulio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e5b9ba/32.png) [@chulio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chulio)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2018, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-what-this-outdoor-pipe-is/805663/24 "2018-01-02T04:02:38Z")
That is a cleanout for the kanuttin. If the system was put in before to 2015 you can just bypass it. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2018, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-what-this-outdoor-pipe-is/805663/25 "2018-01-02T05:14:24Z")
Weird, it’s exactly the same colour as the support post for my patio umbrella and all the rest of the metal for a patio deck set - table, chairs, umbrella The umbrella central post - same colour - drops into a pipe like that, except my umbrella stand ends in a heavy metal wide base. probably the same moderately thin metal - too thin for a pipe that holds pressure, nicely finished. I think it’s for a second umbrella. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2018, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-what-this-outdoor-pipe-is/805663/26 "2018-01-02T05:36:03Z")
> [@md2000](#): > > Weird, it’s exactly the same colour as the support post for my patio umbrella and all the rest of the metal for a patio deck set - table, chairs, umbrella The umbrella central post - same colour - drops into a pipe like that, except my umbrella stand ends in a heavy metal wide base. probably the same moderately thin metal - too thin for a pipe that holds pressure, nicely finished. I think it’s for a second umbrella. I figured it was spray painted to match the surroundings. If it is for an umbrella, the base could simply be buried a few inches down. The only reason I like the satellite idea more is because that seems like an odd place for an umbrella, but it could still be an umbrella stand. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2018, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-what-this-outdoor-pipe-is/805663/27 "2018-01-02T22:20:23Z")
> [@chulio](#): > > That is a cleanout for the kanuttin. If the system was put in before to 2015 you can just bypass it. I hate it when that happens. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-what-this-outdoor-pipe-is/805663.md?page=1)