A cleanout is a 3- or 4-inch pipe fitted with a screw cleanout cap, and it is easily identifiable. Therefore, looking around the compound is one way to determine its location. In most homes, the cleanout is located close to the bathroom, either inside or outside the house.
Finding an Indoor Drain Cleanout
The cleanout is located after where the drainage lines meet the main sewer line. It is usually in the form of a T- or Y-shaped pipe fitting, topped by a threaded plug and square nut possibly covered by a plastic cap.
Plumbing code also requires that the cleanout has to extend up above the ground level, but in some older homes, the cleanouts may be buried just under the surface. In extremely cold climates, the cleanout is instead usually located inside to prevent the sewer line from possibly freezing.
A sewer cleanout is generally, but not always located outside a bathroom. You'll recognize it as a black or white, three- to four-inch capped pipe. Since cleanouts aren't needed often, yours may be covered by bushes, underbrush, or grass.
A lot of people think they don't have sewer cleanouts. But as I said, pretty much all homes do these days. It's more likely that your sewer cleanout is buried, often in a flower bed area. People cover up the cleanout because they think it's an eyesore.
Apply rust penetrant and vibration
Then soak the cleanout plug threads with rust penetrant. Next, smack opposite sides of the tee or wye fitting at the same time using two hammers. Rotate the double blows around the entire fitting. Then try using a pipe wrench again.
If you don't have drain cleanouts, backups can still be removed but it can sometimes be more challenging. The plumber has two options in this situation: access the sewer line from the roof or from the toilet. Unfortunately, neither option is as effective as going in through a cleanout.
The sewer cleanout is capped off with a cleanout cap where the pipe is open above ground. Whether your sewer line is 8' deep or 3' deep it doesn't matter. The section of pipe that is extending the sewer opening above ground will give access to your sewer line without having to dig up your sewer line.
On average sewer cleanout installation cost runs between $1,850- 3,500. This cost depends on several factors such as depths, or whether or not landscape or concrete will be removed, to create a proper workspace to access the sewer line.
For instance, residential sewer line depth ranges from 18 to 30 inches. However, city sewer line depths are different. Your city's sewer lines must always be deeper than the deepest residential pipe to allow waste to flow downhill. As such, these lines can go as deep as needed.
Double cleanouts is common in longer runs. But having a third might indicate someone didn't find the original and went to install a two way cleanout setup and found it once they finished digging to put in the two way.
A cleanout drain allows the homeowner an access point to the main sewer line. Most drain cleanouts are located outside of your home in the back or front yard, they look like capped pipes sticking up from the ground 3-6 inches they look like plumbing fixtures.
A cleanout is a 3- or 4-inch pipe fitted with a screw cleanout cap, and it is easily identifiable. Therefore, looking around the compound is one way to determine its location. In most homes, the cleanout is located close to the bathroom, either inside or outside the house.
Expert Recommendations for Sewer Line Cleaning
We recommend homeowners schedule sewer line cleaning every 18 to 24 months to prevent buildup and clogs. Regular cleanings help avoid costly repairs and extend the life of your plumbing system.
Indoor cleanouts are often located near a bathroom, utility room, or garage floor drain. If this is the case, it should be easy to spot, as it's usually positioned directly next to the drain or just a few feet beside it. However, some cleanouts may be harder to spot and require access to your home's crawl space.
Find a clean-out plug located on a large drainpipe in areas such as your basement, crawlspace, garage or near the foundation of your house. Remove the plug with an adjustable wrench. Wastewater may drain out when you open the clean-out and when you break the clog.
It often looks like a metal, white, black or gray PVC pipe sticking out of the ground, either in your yard or along an outside wall and capped with a threaded end.
With a clogged basement drain, pouring Drano or similar products down your sewer drain can actually damage your pipes or the glue holding them together, causing more sewer system problems in the future.
You will likely pay around $350 to $650 to have a plumber unclog a main sewer line unless you have complications like serious damage to the line.
Homeowners insurance may cover sewer line damage if it stems from something already included in your policy, like a fire or windstorm. Sewer line damage that is the result of wear and tear is excluded from home insurance coverage.
Depending on the job's difficulty, cleanout installation will cost the average homeowner between $650 – $2,000, with the highest cost reserved for those that require extensive digging and retrofitting.
The first is an old-fashioned steel chisel and a ball peen hammer on the face of the clean-out at a 45-degree pointing in the desired turning direction (counter-clockwise). Once there's a little divot in the clean-out, turn the chisel on a sharper angle to provide more turning force.
Sewer cleanouts are typically 6 inches to 3 feet deep.