Do you need a sewer cleanout on your drian system? You actually need multiple cleanouts inside and outside of your home. Every part of your drain system and every plumbing fixture is designed to have a way to clean it out if it gets clogged or for an inspection. When the water tap of a sink is opened, the water that flows through the drain will go through various parts of your system, each needs to have an access via a cleanout. In some cases the cleanout plugs need to be replaced or uncovered.
If a clog is discovered in the main line, you will eventually need a sewer cleaning completed at the professional level. In most cases, however, a cleanout enables for hoemowners to clear their own clogs, or clean out trap stoppages.
Every plumbing system is designed to have a cleanout for every fixture, drain stack, change in direction greater than 45 degrees, and for both sanitary and storm lines. Sewer pipe cleanouts are installed at strategic locations throughout your sewer and drain system, or should be if they are not already present. The main cleanout on most drain systems is the house trap.
What is a Sewer Cleanout?
While sewer cleanouts may not be a topic that is always discussed, however the cleanout can quickly become a hot topic if you begin to notice issues with your home sewer system. A cleanout is a threaded cap or a plug that affixes on your drain lines and sewer line at predetermined points.
The cleanout acts as a point through which you can insert a variety of sewer cleaning tools to get access to drain pipe needing attention. It also serves as a way to help inspect and diagnose proplems inide your piping system. Frequently that is done by performoing a camera inspection.
A series of cleanouts will provide access to your entire home’s drain and sewer system. The various locations of this access point acts as a key asset to your home’s plumbing system and disposal system. Together, they also take the guesswork out of where a clog is located.
When your sewer system is buried in a hidden area, the sewer cleanout will play a critical role in diagnosing the problem. If you discover a clog in your home and your sewer cleanouts, will allow drain technicians to use a variety of tools, and in some cases hydro jetting tool, to clear the clog and have your waste system running smoothly again.
If you do not have a sewer or drain cleanouts present where required, the experienced technicians at Balkan can complete the installation process for you.
Why Do I Need Cleanouts on My Drain System?
Generally, blockages in your sewer line are formed by compacted waste matter, grease, or by pipes without proper pitch. However, other issues such as tree roots inside pipes, septic system issues, and poor venting can all play a role in sewer line blockages.
The majority of the unclogging tools are motorized and can be used to unclog a significant amount of debris. However, these motorized tools should not typically be inserted into the sewer line through a fixture drain or toilet. A motorized tool, like a sewer auger, will be too big and can damage a fixture drain or toilet’s porcelein finish. This is why cleanout plugs or caps are needed.
There are several benefits of having a sewer cleanouts installed, including the following:
- They can prevent frequent drain problems because a professional can tell you what is causing the issue and correct it before it reoccurs (such as a backpitched pipe).
- A sewer cleanout will ensure any issues will be detected before they result in a major problem
- Sewer cleanouts will make it easier to fix clogged pipes by easier access
- You will experience a reduction in maintenance and repair costs
- A sewer cleanout can prevent flooding by also providing relief points in your drain system
Where Can Sewer Cleanouts Be Found?
Sewer cleanouts are not all located in the same areas. There should be several sewer cleanouts for one property. Generally, sewer cleanouts will be found inside every home. Older homes and newer homes typically have the same amount of these cleanout access points as both must abide by the same plumbing code.
All horizontal drian lines (drain stack) will be connected to the house drain (laterial drain) of your home and a sewer or septic tank, and the lateral waste line generally has more than one cleanout. Generally, there is one main house drain, which all stacks connect to.
Each drain stack is supposed to have a clean out just above the floor or before where the stack turns to connect to the house drain. Sewer cleanouts can also be found before the house drain exits your house, and typcailly on the main house trap.
The most notable way to clean out your sewer and house drain is through your sewer trap. A sewer trap is also technically a clean out. As stated already, other clean outs are located at the base of every drain stack. A drain stack is the vertical drain pipe where your branch lines on highler levels of your home connect to.
These steps should help you locate the sewer cleanout more easily:
- Perform a search near your foundation (The sewer cleanout plugs or caps can often be found within 3 feet of your home’s inside foundation wall). For more tips read about how to find your sewer trap location.
- Check your sidewalk, insome jurisdictions there are outside access plugs to the drain system (the cleanout can be painted or stamped with the letter “S”).
- Check your attic, basement, and crawl spaces(sewer cleanouts will appear to be a “T” shaped or “Y” shaped intersection, and one side will be capped). A clean out is usually located just above the floor and at the base of any main vertical drain line. A sewer cleanout pipe is typcially required to have 18″ of clearance in order to insert a drain cleaning machine.
Does Every Home Need A Cleanout?
Since all of your sewer pipes are running under the foundation of your home, you may not always know when there is a problem. When problems like leaks, breaks, stoppages, and the presence of tree roots occur, they will often go undetected until you start experiencing major problems like clogged and slow drains, or water bublling out of low-lying drains such as basement sinks or toilets.
This is where the importance of sewer cleanouts comes into play. A cleanout can be used for a significant amount of testing. When homes have cleanout points, sewer cameras can be placed into the cleanout to investigate.
Sometimes the sewer cleanouts can be used to clear a blockage using a sewer machine. In some cases, there will not be a need to use tools to determine if there is an issue. Our answer would be ”yes”. All homes do need a sewer cleanout and they are required by code and integral to how many plumbing parts are manufactured.
Sewer Line Cleanout Installation
As we mentioned previously, most homes already have a series of sewer cleanouts. However, we do know that many older homes may not have enough sewer cleanouts, or they may have been covered over. This is especially true if one has not been required by any state or local plumbing codes. In these cases, it is recommended to have one professionally installed.
At Balkan Sewer And Water Main Service, we have been in business for over 70 years and have installed hundreds of cleanouts. To determine what type of sewer cleanout is right for your home, you must understand what each cleanout is and what they do. Type of sewer cleanout installations include the following:
- City/trap cleanout is generally installed closer to the side of the street or even near the sidewalk
- Branch line cleanout is installed at the end of a horizointal branch line drain. This could service a kitchen sink, washing machine, or bathroomgroup of fixtures
- The main sewer line cleanout is installed near the insdei of your foundation wall, and insdie your home to prevent freezing and provide easy access (never cover it over with flooring or cement).
- Rain conductors (leader lines) and drain stacks.
- The sewer line cleanout cost varies greatly depending on the location you need to have it installed. A simple installation inside your home and above the floor should cost a few hundred dollars, while an installation below ground out sid esof your home could cost a few thousand dollars.
How Can A Sewer Cleanout Impact Your Home?
One of the goals and missions of Balkan Sewer and Water Main Service is to give you the peace of mind you need. We understand how critical a sewer cleanout installation is to prevent future problems, and in most cases how inexpensive it is to accomplish. Sewer and plumbing issues can lead to many worst-case scenarios, including unecessary flooding and property damage.
A sewer cleanout that is functioning will be very important for your home and your family. Wastewater can pose a significant health risk to your family. If wastewater begins to seep into your floors and baseboards before someone can clean it up, the wastewater can remain there.
Dangerous sewer gases can also build up, and without proper sewer and drain traps present, the gasses can easily get into the air inside your home.
Many homeowners are not aware of the impact of a sewer cleanout or how often a sewer cleanout needs to be unclogged. Eventually and inevitably, you will need to know a bit about your drain cleanout location and purpose, and where yours is located. Hopefully, this article provied to be of help to you.
If you have questions about your sewer cleanout or if you are not sure that you have a sewer cleanout, please do not hesitate to reach out to the professionals at Team Balkan.
Sewer cleanouts are necessary for unclogging, and it makes it easier to identify problems in your drain line. It is also easier with hiring our team and letting us locate or install a sewer cleanout if one is required. Do not hesitate to contact Balkan Sewer and Water Main Service for a consultation at (718) 849-0900. We are available 24/7 for all your needs.
