Nobody Knew What It Was. I Found Out.
July 10, 2025
Source: Reddit
I was walking through the side yard of this place in the suburbs of Los Angeles thinking about how to make an offer when I saw it – a big stone circle with a plastic looking ring in the middle and two metal bars sticking out. The owner smiled and said, “That’s the old BBQ.”
I have seen BBQs. This was not a BBQ.
The BBQ That Never Cooked a Thing
There were no char marks, no soot, no grate – nothing to lead me to believe it ever saw fire. The ring in the center looked like plastic or something like resin. Not fire safe.
I began to poke around. Then I noticed something else.
A Pump, A Pipe, and a Hunch
A couple of feet away was a cast iron hand pump, fully plumbed into the ground. The seller called it “decorative” but it had an active water line going down.
That’s when it hit me: there’s a good chance this setup was a capped well in the backyard.
Seriously, Who Caps a Well In the First Place?
Houses were being built before full city plumbing was available. Older homes used to had specific wells for water. After the city water supply was available, homeowners capped old wells to reduce the likelihood of an accident, and prevent contamination.
Is a Capped Well Bad News?
If it has been capped correctly, there is no harm. However, it may matter for:
- Safety – improperly capped wells can fall in.
- Resale – you must disclose it.
- Permits – some capped wells may not have had permits when it was capped.
Here Is What I Am Doing (and what I suggest you do too)
I called my inspector to see if he could confirm what it was, and if it was capped appropriately. If it was not capped properly, I will ring a contractor to make arrangements.
If you happen to purchase a house that has a strange stone feature that looks like a BBQ, make sure you get it checked! It may either be some historical significance, or something that needs attention.
Final Thoughts
Old houses can hide things such as capped wells. What appears to be a backyard BBQ could actually be a stone cold piece of the original water supply system for the property.
If you find a capped well on your property have it checked out. Assuming all is safe, then you can redeploy your BBQ for a garden feature, planter, or even real fire pit – just not one with plastic.