What is it? Where is it? How to clean it out!
What is a sewer cleanout?
A sewer cleanout is a capped pipe which gives access to a sewer line, allowing experts to wipe out blockages obstructing the sewer. Not all plumbing systems have cleanouts. Most newer plumbing systems do have at least one cleanout and many older systems can and are retrofitted with a sewer cleanout.
Where is the sewer cleanout?
A sewer line connects a home’s pipes the municipal plumbing. You can find sewer clean outs along the lateral sewer line. The sewer clean out and lateral clogs are the responsibility of the property proprietor.
Bigger sewer clean outs are situated at intervals along the municipal sewer line, so as to enable water and sewer workers to clear blockages in the part of the sewer system which is the city’s duty.
Why does it get clogged or need cleaning out?
A clogged drain can disappoint at times. This often happens when different types of garbage get into the plumbing system. A clogged drain can also be a residence to several virus and bacteria, which may cause common diseases and infections.
The entire plumbing system requires constant protection and maintenance. That is the where a plumbing company fit in. Such organizations deal with all your plumbing needs from repair to leak detection unto repair and then to drain cleaning services.
We advise homeowners to always clean out their drainage pipes. This would keep your tub, sink, and toilet free from any type of clogs and odors. Damaged drainage pipes can lead to a much more serious problem and it is always preferable to be safe than sorry. Consider it like congestion that causes problems in your body after some time and should be treated rapidly before the problem develops.
Your drainage system can become clogged in so many different ways. Objects like block water, hair and objects can restrict its movement. For this reason your sink, tube and toilet can get clogged. Once your drainage system is blocked, the sink or the tube would remain filled with water or it would drain gradually until the tube or the sink gets totally backed up.
How to clean out a sewer cleanout
When you realize that a clogged drain needs to be tidied up, you may clear the clog from the outside in as much as you have already cleared the pipes on the inside of the home. There is typically a drain clean outs on the external structure. These clean outs are found or should be found outside of the area or room where the clog is occurring which is on the exterior wall. Check out your structure and you should observe piping at ground level or it might be just underneath the grade line, which implies that you may have to dig further away to have access the clean out. The drain clean out is usually a 2″ pipe and will have an attachment or cap on it that should be evacuated in order to utilize an auger for clearing.
Regularly, a simple plunger can take out some of the reoccurring or common clogs depending on where the backup is. Remember that there are different styles available for hand plungers. Some of which are throat-ed (for areas that are not flat or for toilets) or flat (sinks, tubes, etc.).
A snake like auger can be utilized for a deeper approach. There are various kinds of augers available today. Some augers have a snake like end that allows one run into the drain pipe. In a snake auger, the tip of the snake is the part that performs the action. They possess a hand crank style with non-removable tip and are sold at most retail outlets.
Some augers are powered tool which can be attached to a drill motor.
The big augers are mainly for professional usage. These types of augers can be purchased or rented and they come in various sizes to suit different pipe situations. The tips are replaceable / removable.
What tools or equipment are used to unclog or clean out a sewer cleanout?
A wrench may be used to uncap the cleanout and in most cases a plumber’s Auger will be used for the clean out. A power washer with a sewer Jetter Nozzle may also be required.
Clean out service costs
In 2016 the average cost to have a sewer cleanout cleaned by a plumber is around $300 dollars.
How long does it take to clean out a system via the sewer cleanout?
The clean out and or repairs of the sewer system via the cleanout can take as little as half an hour or as long as several hours depending on the obstruction, where it is located in the system, and if it has caused any damage to the pipes.
