What Is Septic Tank Cleanout?

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.
A sewer line is a large pipe that connects every sink, shower, and toilet in your house to the municipal sewer line in the city.

If one toilet, sink, or other facility causes a block on the septic line, all other facilities are affected, which calls for immediate action. Unblocking the sewer system is easy if you have a sewer cleanout in the house or the compound. Note that the service fee for unblocking the waste disposal system will partly depend on how easily a plumber can access it; you pay higher if there is no cleanout or don’t know its location.

What is my sewer Cleanout Location?

A homeowner has various options when they need to find the cleanout. A sewer cleanout is a safety feature among the utilities. One should always know their location from the day they move into a house. However, it is easy to identify the cleanout, and sometimes you do not need professional help. That is not always the case since there are times when the cleanout is buried in the compound. Here are the various ways to locate a sewer drain cleanout.

1. Examine the likely locations

The first way involves looking around in the house and the compound in places where you would expect the facility to be installed. 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. However, this is not always the case, and your neighborhood may be different. Therefore, you should not panic if you do not find it anywhere near the bathroom.

2. Grab the House Plan

Sometimes the eyes may not be enough to tell where the lateral sewer line cleanout is located. In such a case and where the house plan is readily accessible, it is plausible to get it and try finding the facility from there. The advantage of using the plot plan is that all other features and facilities are documented in it, making it easy. Identifying your house’s sewer line is the first step to locating the sewer drain cleanout.

3. Professional Services

In some cases, observing the compound and looking at the plot plan does not yield any results. This could be the case for old houses or those whose plans are poorly done or the case of a buried sewer cleanout. Therefore, calling a professional service may be the only option. You can quickly locate the outdoor cleanout access with expert help regardless of whether it is inside the house, sticking out, or buried in the compound. Plumbers have the tools and expertise to trace, replace, and repair parts of a drainage plumbing system.

How the Sewer Line Cleanout Works?

Typically, a sewer drain cleanout is a sizeable threaded pipe ending with a plug. The tube can either be metallic or plastic depending on factors like the area of residence and the weather. Moreover, its house or compound location is also influenced by factors like the weather and the house’s materials. For instance, homes in localities that experience cold weather often have sewer cleanouts near the bathroom, toilet, or garage.

Conclusion

Knowing the location of the sewer cleanout in your compound is of great importance. Besides helping you reduce the cost of sewer line repairs and maintenance; it can help you keep the drain clean through DIY activities and regular inspections. Most houses have the sewer drain cleanout on the inside near the bathroom. If you cannot find the sewer cleanout by observing the house and the compound, then looking at the house plan or calling a professional plumbing service could be the salvation.

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