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Someone suggested that an expert here might have some idea of what this NYC pre-war building object could be.
I live in a 1920s constructed building.
I'm assuming that these weird basins that I see in the basement are part of the original construction. Nobody around here knows what they are and what they were used for.
There are a whole bunch of them lining the walls every 30 feet or so down there. They stand waist high. The drain hole in the sinks have all been sealed.
There are defunct dumbwaiters in this building too, for what it's worth.
It's a drain waste vent. Since it's sealed, then there's a newer version somewhere else now. Photo should look familiar by it's design and not currently in use in your home.
It's a drain waste vent. Since it's sealed, then there's a newer version somewhere else now. Photo should look familiar by it's design and not currently in use in your home.
No, it's not a vent... There is a trap below it which suggests it's just a drain, some kind of specialty sink... For what, Im not sure. Looks like the spit bowl on the side of a dentist chair.
No, it's not a vent... There is a trap below it which suggests it's just a drain, some kind of specialty sink... For what, Im not sure. Looks like the spit bowl on the side of a dentist chair.
ok then, it's a wash basin and the water supply was behind the cemented area behind it.
No, it's not a vent... There is a trap below it which suggests it's just a drain, some kind of specialty sink... For what, Im not sure. Looks like the spit bowl on the side of a dentist chair.
This.
The trap indicates that it was used as a drain of some type rather than a vent for gas.
I've seen a similar set-up for draining air conditioning equipment into the building's drain system, but given the age of the building that's most likely not going to be the case here.
If there was ever a Restaurant, Deli or Bar located on the first floor. The objects would be indirect drains for the condensate from the refrigeration cooling coils.
Some bar sinks also used this arrangement as a direct piped drain would put any sewer backup into the sink, this way it spilled into the basement. Still a mess but better than contaminating the refrigerators and sinks that were in contact with food and drink glasses
Thanks for your ideas, guys, you're making this way more interesting.
The drain theory is interesting, because the apartments were built beside a reservoir. Perhaps they have something to do with a flooding risk? It would help if I could figure out where the pipes were sending or retrieving water from. It's odd that they go into the basement floor.
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