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Our basement was clearly plumbed for a wet bar. Several homes around us have them, but our previous owners never put one in. We will never put one in either, and don't really care to have it as an "option" later down the road when we decide to sell the home.
That being said - how do I get rid of these things on the wall? Looks to be two water lines, drain, and a flush out port. Would much prefer it all be covered up by drywall instead if possible. I'm not sure if the water lines are active or not (I'm assuming not as they're loose and haven't leaked in 17 years since being installed like this). Can I just cut the drywall area, cut back each of these into the studs, and patch up the drywall?
The electrical outlet in one of the photos says "20 Amp Fridge" on it.
Why don't you just leave it for a new owner, if you ever sell? It might make the difference in somebody buying your place. You never know.
For now, just cover them up with a cabinet with holes drilled out so the pipes can fit into it from the back. Make it a storage cabinet that would be handy to you. Maybe a food pantry cabinet? Or perhaps a book shelf with a shelf sitting right on top of the pipes so you can't see them when walking by, or something like that.
I do see point to post #2 yet, same time, I see how those long pipes will be getting in the way or stealing possible useful space. I'd leave, as Mike suggested, most of the reasonably flat pieces as is but, pipes need to be uncapped, about 1 1/2 inch sticking out left, tapped, and recapped. So then later, if someone wants to go with wet bar, it is very easy to reconnected a long pipe again with adapter.
otherwise, you will need to cut drywall, shorten everything to recess it, recap/replug and drywall/paint over.
Of course, with water supply turned off.
Our basement was clearly plumbed for a wet bar. Several homes around us have them, but our previous owners never put one in.
We will never put one in either, and don't really care to have it as an "option" later down the road when we decide to sell the home.
Suffer with the problem.
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That being said - how do I get rid of these things on the wall?
You don't. You just hide them.
How have they been hidden up to now?
Open the wall from the large cleanout to the other side of the stub outs. From there you can either eliminate or turn the cleanouts to the interior of the wall. The stub outs can be cutoff and re-capped so they too are inside the wall (yes; they will surely be connected to the water supply system- requiring the water to be turned off and drained to do the work).
Then, before closing the wall backup with a new piece of drywall carefully map the supplies, drain, and cleanouts from a wall corner horizontally and vertically from the floor. Put said map in a safe place for keeping- information can be passed on to the next owner.
The receptacle is a dedicated 20amp circuit- or, at least that is the way I would interpret the writing.
The pipes may be shut off someplace, but you would definitely want a plumber to do this work to know that and make sure they're sealed up correctly and permanently.
I wouldn't. I would leave it. Build a bench or cabinet to cover the pipes and leave it there. It IS a good feature to have the option to add later.
As you are asking the questions on how to accomplish what you want, I can save you money. Hire a plumber. By the time you play around trying to figure it out, buy the tools, make the mess, and then have to hire someone to come in a redo the work, you are much better just hiring a plumber and giving instructions on what you want.
The advice given above is all good. I might just make a jog in the wall to cover the stubs, but shelving and cabinetry are easy good solutions.
I do most of my own plumbing, and there is a distinct lack of joy working with sewer lines, be they stacks or cleanouts or sink drains.
If you want them gone do as KB suggested, soldering copper is something I usually suggest people learn to do but this is not the job to do it since they will be in the wall. A) You want a good solder joint so you know they won't leak inside the wall in the future and B)when you are working inside a wall like that there is always a potential fire hazard.
Quick tip if you need to solder near combustibles, you can use a scrap piece of drywall behind your work so it will take most of the heat from the torch.
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and there is a distinct lack of joy working with sewer lines
That's the easy part here, cut it with sawzall, glue and cap. It's literally about 3 minute fix for that pipe.
Thanks all! The option to keep it for future home buyers really isn't worth it for this house for a couple of reasons (I can tell why the previous owners never did anything with these either). The ceiling height is too low. The area is basically at the landing for the basement stairs, meaning you'll walk down into the bar, and a wet bar would basically take up space that is far more valuable for other family activities (like air hockey, or Ping-Pong, etc).
BUT, to the suggestions of just cutting them back to about an inch from the wall and recap, that makes a lot of sense as well, and could be livable for us and, if by some small chance, a buyer actually wants to put in a bar someday, would be helpful for the sale.
We simply can't live with the way it is now. It's just a matter of time before one of those pipes gets hit by one of the kids or their friends and causing a lot of water damage to the basement. We've had a small bookcase turned backwards placed over them since we moved in to protect them. But now that we're into renovating the basement, it's time for these to either go, or at least put into a situation where they're not lightening rods for Murphy's Law. In about a month, we're going to recarpet the entire basement, and don't want this risk present after we've spent that money.
Any cool design ideals on how to maybe hide these things better? Make them look less obnoxious to the area?
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