The sewer cleanout is one of the most vital features of your home’s drain system. Alotta Management advises that knowing where this important fixture is can save you thousands of dollars in repair costs during plumbing emergencies, such as when you have a sewer backup.
What is a sewer cleanout? What is the purpose of the sewer cleanout? Where can you find it on your property? Why should you know where this plumbing feature is located? This short post will explain everything you need to know about sewer cleanouts.
What is a sewer cleanout?
You might have seen a vertical pipe sticking out of the ground in your yard. In many homes, the line is about 12-18” from the house’s foundation wall. You can quickly identify the sewer cleanout by its cap; it has a removable screw top.
The cleanout is a vertical pipe that goes into the ground to connect to a horizontal pipe (your home’s main sewer line) which then goes out to the city sewer line in the street or your septic tank.
Why do you need to know where the sewer cleanout is?
What does the sewer cleanout do, and why do you need to know where it is?
The sewer cleanout gives quick and easy access to your home’s drain systems, either for your plumber or anyone trying to repair issues with the sewer lines. You can easily find and remove clogs in the sewer line by accessing your drainpipes through the sewer cleanout.
Without a sewer cleanout, you would have to find a harder and often more expensive way to access your drains. Without a sewer cleanout, you may be forced to dig up your landscaping to diagnose and solve issues with your home’s drain lines.
There is always a chance that sewer lines could get clogged, and the sewage backing up into the house. There are several reasons why this would happen; pipes may be obstructed by grease buildup, or tree roots can intrude into the pipes.
Knowing the location of your sewer cleanout is crucial during such emergencies. The difference between knowing and not knowing where to find the sewer cleanout can mean a few hundred dollars to remove a clog versus thousands of dollars to fix a sewer backup.
To quickly solve sewer line emergencies, your plumber needs easy access to the sewer lines to:
- Quickly and effectively remove clogs by hydro-jetting the sewer lines. The hydro-jetting hose enters the sewer line via the sewer cleanout.
- Conduct a sewer camera inspection of the line to find the cause of clogs inside the pipes. The camera enters the sewer line through the cleanout.
- Inspect your home’s sewer lines to anticipate and solve problems with the drain lines.
The sewer cleanout offers the quickest and easiest route to your sewer lines.
Where can you find your cleanout?
Some homes have more than one cleanout plug, one on the inside of the house and the other one in the yard. When dealing with a sewer backup, you do not want to open the cleanout inside your home, as that would spill sewage into your home.
The second thing to know is whether your home is connected to the city sewer or a septic tank. If you have a septic tank, it will often be 10-15 feet from the home’s perimeter. Your sewer line should be in the front of your home if you are connected to the city sewer.
The sewer cleanout is generally located between the home and the septic tank if your home has a septic system. The cleanout should be between the house and the street if the home is connected to the city’s sewer. Cleanouts are typically located 2-3 feet from the home.
Sometimes it is hard to pinpoint the exact location of a cleanout because it is hidden from view by the landscaping. The cleanout may also be buried below the ground surface. But it should not be hard to find once you know its general location.
If the cleanout is not 2-3 feet from your home, look for it on the easement. This is the grass strip on the edge of your property, between the street and your home. Whether the cleanout is close to your home or on the easement, you want easy access.
Due to the unattractiveness of an ugly pipe sticking out in the yard or because the cleanout gets in their way when mowing the lawn or it trips up the kids, some homeowners think it is a good idea to bury the sewer cleanout.
Never bury your cleanout!
There is a reason why the sewer cleanout sticks up from the ground. It is to give you quick and easy access during emergencies. Burying your cleanout defeats that purpose. Do not make that mistake; it could cost you a lot of money.