Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2020 July 13

= July 13 =

Dripping water
Why might a house have a small pipe attached to the outside of it that occasionally drips water? From my observation, the pipe was intentionally placed there, and it seems to drip small drops of water about once a second when it is doing so.

Any help would be appreciated, Heyoostorm (talk) 01:22, 13 July 2020 (UTC)


 * Condensation from an air conditioner? Bus stop (talk) 01:26, 13 July 2020 (UTC)


 * A minor follow-up question: If it is from condensation from an air conditioner, is the water clean? Heyoostorm (talk) 01:30, 13 July 2020 (UTC)


 * I personally wouldn't drink it. But I speak out of an abundance of ignorance. Bus stop (talk) 01:45, 13 July 2020 (UTC)


 * In older houses that would typically be an overflow pipe from a cistern.--Shantavira|feed me 09:26, 13 July 2020 (UTC)
 * Seconded. In 60 years in the UK, I've never not lived in (or visited) a house with just such an overflow pipe from the toilet cistern(s), which typically contain a ballcock valve on the water inlet that, if it goes out of adjustment, allows the water level to rise sufficiently as to spill into the overflow pipe.
 * Note that in the linked articles, the diagrams show typical US systems where the overflow is fed back into the flush pipe, but in the UK the flush pipe is usually sealed (at its base rather than its top) until the flush is operated, so instead the overflow pipe goes through the wall to the exterior of the building, as Heyoostorm describes. The visibility of the drip serves as an indication that the cistern valve needs adjustment.
 * I live in the UK, and my toilet (and the one it replaced) both have an overflow that feeds into the flush pipe, but I also have a (disconnected) overflow pipe on the outside of the house, presumably from an older cistern that used that system, so maybe more modern toilets use the American design. Iapetus (talk) 09:16, 14 July 2020 (UTC)
 * Of course, in the UK very few domestic houses have Aircon, and in commercial buildings that do any outlet pipes would not normally be visible to casual onlookers. The relevance or not of all the foregoing rather depends on where in the world Heyoostorm is making their observations. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 90.200.41.197 (talk) 15:55, 13 July 2020 (UTC)
 * Bus stop is probably right, (assuming the house has central HVAC system) if it drips mostly in the summer. It would also increase with higher humidity.   107.15.157.44 (talk) 09:59, 13 July 2020 (UTC)
 * I know that my house has such a pipe for exactly that reason. --Khajidha (talk) 10:25, 13 July 2020 (UTC)
 * Of course, if you're at this house, you don't have to worry. Bus stop (talk) 11:39, 13 July 2020 (UTC)


 * Standard central air conditioning has a drain from the condenser. It is usually on the side of the house near the outside unit. Separately, there is an emergency overflow catch with drain. That drain is usually a straight line. If the AC is in an attic, the drain will be at attic height. So, if you have two pipes and the high one is dripping, you likely have a clog in your main drain. It is rather easy to fix. I blow air up into the lower pipe to clear it. You don't want to depend on the emergency pipe. 97.82.165.112 (talk) 15:51, 13 July 2020 (UTC)


 * See also Overflow pipes should really be called warning pipes. Alansplodge (talk) 16:02, 13 July 2020 (UTC)
 * Another possibility that noone has mentioned is a boiler. My condensing boiler has an outflow pipe similar to a toilet overflow. Iapetus (talk) 09:16, 14 July 2020 (UTC)

Use of fireworks as a weapon
Hi, I was wondering if fireworks were banned for use as weapons in wartime scenarios. Tommy has a great username (talk) 17:54, 13 July 2020 (UTC)
 * Fireworks would be rather ineffective weapons. There would be about as much point in banning fireworks as there would in banning sticks. However most countries have safety regulations regarding fireworks, so it would probably be illegal to hurl a banger at your enemy.--Shantavira|feed me 19:24, 13 July 2020 (UTC)
 * I imagine the British would think hurling a banger at your enemy would be rather ineffective too. J I P  &#124; Talk 19:54, 13 July 2020 (UTC)
 * And the French?--Shantavira|feed me 07:37, 14 July 2020 (UTC)
 * Given that bombs and rockets and explosive shells are legal for use in war, I can't imagine either that fireworks would be banned, or that there would be any point or benefit in doing so. Iapetus (talk) 09:09, 15 July 2020 (UTC)


 * Star shells have long been a (military) thing, and could be considered a form of firework. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 90.200.41.197 (talk) 13:31, 15 July 2020 (UTC)
 * The Le Prieur rocket was not much more than a firework: "a cardboard tube filled with 200 grams of black powder" and was designed for popping observation balloons and non-rigid airships. The much earlier Congreve rocket was a bit more lethal (often to the operator), having a cast iron head, but the threat was generally more psychological than real, viz "the rocket's red glare" Alansplodge (talk) 16:59, 15 July 2020 (UTC)
 * See also: Flare gun. Alansplodge (talk) 19:52, 17 July 2020 (UTC)