Where is the plumbing cleanout

If this is the case, make sure you contact your local West Hills plumber to locate it or have one installed. Professional local plumbing companies can run a camera through the pipeline to locate the specific point of the cleanout. Email address:. Mon-Fri 8am-6pm Sat 9am-4pm Sun- Closed. Request a Free Quote. Call us for a FREE estimate What is Sewer Cleanout? How to locate it? Twitter LinkedIn Google Facebook.

The Licensed specialists at Augerpros Plumbing can provide the installation of extra clean-outs if needed, and in the recommended locations. Its location within a home will vary depending on the house style and the geographic climate where you live. Some will have 2 pipes extending upward and some will have one. Here are some tips for locating your main clean out if you live in Texas. In the DFW area, homes built on a slab foundation or pier and beam foundation, newer homes, and homes with newer lawn sewer lines typically have a cleanout, as they are now required by Building Codes since Unless the lawn sewer lines have been replaced, many older homes do not have a sewer cleanout in the lawn.

If the home does not have a cleanout in the lawn, access to the sewer is through a plumbing vent pipe on the roof. In the rare chance you happen to be in a home without one, your plumbing system is probably cast iron. If the drain cleanout isn't in the bathrooms, it's a good idea to check the utility room or the garage. In some cases, current or previous owners may have had renovations completed that hid the main drain cleanout. If you suspect that this is the case, it's advised to contact a plumber to help locate the drain cleanout without causing excess damage to the home.

After finding the drain cleanout, it's a good idea to test the plug to help ensure that the plug doesn't become seized from disuse. Put on a pair of disposable gloves and use a pipe wrench or a large pair of channel locks to grip the square nut on the drain cleanout plug.

Gradually begin to turn the nut with the wrench, loosening it off fully. Clean away any accumulated grime from the threads, then replace the plug. In rare cases, the cleanout may be covered by an expandable plug that is loosened by turning a screw in the center of the plug. Even more rarely, the cleanout fitting may be covered by a rubber bonnet and secured with pipe clamps. When you start to open the plug and you see water or feel the pressure under the plug, it's time to call a professional.

This means the stoppage in the line has filled up the piping that travels outside the house. Once you pull the plug, your drainage pit, yard, or house may fill with backed up raw sewage in that localized area. To find an outdoor drain cleanout, first, you will need to walk to either the septic tank, for properties on a septic system, or to the municipal sewer line.

The sewer line is indicated by the nearest manhole or a curb with a large S stamped into the concrete. Septic systems will generally have the drain cleanout located close to the home, in line with the septic tank. Simply walk back from the tank towards the home, looking for a plastic pipe sticking up from the lawn or garden. Similarly, the drain cleanout on a municipal wastewater system will typically be close to the home.

It should be in line with the municipal sewer system, but because the actual drainage line is not visible, you will need to trace a broad path through the yard to find the drain cleanout pipe. The pipe is usually black or white in color and it's sealed with a threaded plug that has a square nut and may be labeled S, C.

Though, in some instances, this plug is covered with a plastic cap or a metal lid. With this in mind, search for any objects that could cover or house a 3-, 4-, or 6-inch pipe.

If you still cannot locate the drain cleanout, then it may be accidentally covered or purposely hidden from sight. The drain cleanout should be close to the home in an area along the main sewer or septic line, which can be indicated by drain pipe clusters in full or partial bathrooms.

Start moving any lawn decorations that are obscuring the yard outside of bathrooms, expanding the search area as you go. Keep in mind that the cleanout could be buried in a garden or obscured by foliage. Overgrown grass can also be a problem, so you may want to mow the lawn to help make the search easier. In some circumstances, the sewer cleanout is completely buried in the yard, in which case you will need to estimate where the drainage line is coming in and use a long screwdriver to penetrate about 1 inch into the ground, probing for the top of the pipe.