Thread: Any ideas what this is?

Long time reader...first time to post. I ran across this strange outlet in a house today. Any ideas what it is?

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Did it have power?

Never seen one like that myself.

Maybe its one of the fake receptacles to hide your stash in or jewels.

While on the subject of "what is it", does anyone know what this is?

It is about the size of a what we used to call a slug, and it has the letters CO stamped in to it. I find them just periodically and they'll be on the front of the structure in the same location each time.

I thought maybe it was where the water Cut Off was located but found out it wasn't.

Anyone have a clue?

rick

That looks like a 1970's attempt to increase the total number of devices that can be plugged in to a single gang box from two to four. That was before Smokey told us that only you could prevent forest fires....but then again, you just may find Aunti Eula's jewlry in there afterall.

Rick, this is also another stab in the dark (and probably not correct), but some masons in the Richmond, VA area used to mark thier work with similar looking monagramed spikes. Several houses in my old neighborhood had them all from the same builder....OR....its an espionage device placed there by big brother that transmitts all of our dirty little secrets to some satalite...watch out!

Is it just me?
Why does the picture make the outlet appear to face you dead on while the wall angles away at 30*?

In the plumbing world it is called a Clean Out or CO, what did the area at or just below grade look like??

Originally Posted by Patrick Martinez

In the plumbing world it is called a Clean Out or CO,

Patrick,

That was my first thought too, but then I remembered that Rick said "It is about the size of a what we used to call a slug", which is about the size of a quarter (that's what 'slugs' were attempted to be used for), and that's too small for a clean out.

Anyway, that was my reasoning for it not being a cleanout. Plus the fact that it looked to be 'on' the surface of the brick and not 'through' the brick.

Did this device have any wire attached?
If so, did they appear to be low or a higher voltage?
If low, this could be a dual phone outlet from years past.

Hey Jerry, good point. The only reason I mention clean out was that perhaps it signifies the installation of a cleanout at or below grade in the vicinity of the slug. Though not normally marked in any way, cleanouts are sometimes well hidden as you surely know.

Just a thought....

Take care,

Pat

Originally Posted by Patrick Martinez

Hey Jerry, good point. The only reason I mention clean out was that perhaps it signifies the installation of a cleanout at or below grade in the vicinity of the slug.

Hadn't thought of that ... could be.

4 plug 2 prong outlet

Howdy while were at it, A week or so ago I asked if anybody had seen anything like this before. There are 17 breakers in this panel and no main breaker. This is in a 2 year old townhome. The consensus is that the main is in another location. Thanks, Curt

I agree with Glen, this looks like an early duplex phone jack.
Dan

I've seen many of these in CT. They are just an early quad box for 110v
outlets allowing four 2 prong (usually lamp) plugs to be plugged in.

Originally Posted by Rick Hurst

While on the subject of "what is it", does anyone know what this is?

It is about the size of a what we used to call a slug, and it has the letters CO stamped in to it. I find them just periodically and they'll be on the front of the structure in the same location each time.

I thought maybe it was where the water Cut Off was located but found out it wasn't.

Anyone have a clue?

rick

Rick,

A few years ago when I was riding along with an inspector friend in your neck of the woods, he pointed a few of those out to me on different houses. I cannot remember if he said it located the clean-out or cut-off for the plumbing but I do know it was one or the other. I thought he said it was for the disconnect. Either way he said it was under grade at the area. I don't see any of them on houses here in the Austin area.

Eric

Rick,

The CO tag is a hillbilly/redneck/Grove Rat

Certificate of Occupancy

Hey Rick, I found one of those CO tags today out in Flower Mound. Right above the sewer clean out.

Thats it Jim.

I was thinking maybe it was for sewer cleanouts originally but the home I was at the cleanouts were not visible. Probably covered over with the soil.

After probing the ground with a piece of re-bar I never found the cleanouts as you have posted in your picture.

The quad outlet shown on the angled wall is not part of the phone system. Check the box for a wire fill problem.

Thanks everyone for your insite. The outlet box was bent out giving the angled look. My recommendation was to replace it with a standard outlet.