How to Find a Sewer Cleanout?

Sewer cleanouts are capped pipes that give plumbers an easy way to access sewers when removing clogs. Many home sewer systems come equipped with one or more cleanouts. They are relatively easy to locate, although the exact positioning varies depending on how your home was built. Most of the time, the cleanout will be right outside your front door, but it could also be near a septic tank or even indoors. Some homes may not even have one! If you need help, call a plumber to confirm the location of the cleanout.

Where Is My Sewer Line Cleanout Located?

Sewer lines are critical pieces of plumbing infrastructure that help move water and waste away from your home. While the city takes care of the municipal sewer pipes, it's the homeowner's responsibility to maintain those sewer pipes that fall within his or her property lines. If there's a low section in the pipe, water and waste can accumulate there and develop a clog over time. It's important to know where your sewer line cleanout access port is so you can quickly remove any obstructions within the sewer pipe and restore flow in the sewer system.

1. Look at Your Plot Plans

One of the best ways to find the location of your sewer Cleanout Location access port is to look at the engineered plot plan for the home. Sewer service lines will be shown on these documents, and can lead you to the cleanout point. These maps will be essential tools to help professionals avoid the lines when digging is required.

2. Search in Likely Places

If you don't have plot plans or can't identify the cleanout access on the map, start looking in the places where the sewer line cleanout is most likely to be. The cleanout is usually a 4-inch-diameter pipe with a screw cap that has a square knob or indentation on the top. It's most likely going to be popping up from the ground outside your home between the foundation and the street. The cleanout might also be on the side of the home, closest to the bathroom.

Cleanout access ports might also be located in the basement or covered by drywall, but these aren't typical for most homes. If it's within the wall, you'll need to cut out parts of the drywall to look for it, but this can get messy quickly. Make sure to carefully avoid wires and other pipes.

3. Call a Professional

When all else fails, look to a plumbing expert to locate your sewer line cleanout access. These professionals have the skills and tools necessary to quickly find your cleanout access port and remove any clogs that exist. If it's within the wall, plumbers can often identify where it is and get to it with as little destruction and disturbance to your home as possible. This will be crucial to avoiding additional repair costs and ensuring that the issue is fixed the first time. If your home is not equipped with a cleanout access port, it’s well worth the money to have a plumber install one for you to make future sewer cleanings a much simpler process.

A clogged sewer line can result in damages and unpleasant odors. Knowing where your sewer cleanout is can help you remove any obstructions and get your lines back into working order. Contact a Roto-Rooter professional today to locate your sewer line cleanout and address the situation.

How Do I Find My Sewer Clean Out?

A tiny capped pipe protruding above the ground serves as the sewer clean-out. Unfortunately, finding it is not always straightforward. To make matters even more difficult, many homes have several cleanouts and, in rare circumstances, the clean-out may be placed within the house. The procedures below should make it easier for you to locate the clean-out.

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