How di I find my sewer cleanout in a older house?

Look for the 3" cast or Pvc pipe that all the sewer goes into. It should either go in the floor by a wall somewhere or through the foundation wall. It should look like a Tee fitting with a cap on it or a Y fitting with a cap. Flush the toilet and listen to where the water goes. The main line hopefully has on one.

Do you have cast iron pipe or PVC?

Is it a row home?

There could also be one in the yard right outside where the main line goes out of house

Describe the house layout and is there a basement.

So look for the last drainage point in the house and it should be on or at that main line if one is there


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If you live in a house opposed to an Apt, look on the roof just above the bathroom. You may see two or three pipes sticking through the roof, one will be bigger than the others.

Now remember where the pipe is located and go into the bathroom, does it seem like that the pipe would be right behind the bathroom. If it does you sewer pipe might come out of the house in a straight line from the pipe on the roof. This applies if the city sewer line runs in the back of your house, if the city runs in front of your house it may be in about the same location in front of the house.

Older home, how old? Not every old house has a clean out but they all need them. If you don't find one inisde on the verticle drain pipe coming into the basement there could be a clean out cap on the floor. Like others have said maybe outside 18" from the foundation but they could be buried by years of gardening.

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Originally Posted by Woody46

How di I find my sewer cleanout in a older house?

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First look under house to find where a 3 or 4 inch PVC, Cast iron, or galvanized pipe comes out of the house. Hint all other lines will tie into this one. When you find this remember where it is and go outside and locate where it is coming out. We use a ground probe at work whish is basically a big "T" shaped rod with a pointed tip which you insert into the ground until you hit pipe. Be careful if PVC you can punch a hole in it! If you don't find one within 10ft of the house, I would recommend cutting the pipe and putting one in close to the house.

Our Code mandates clean outs within 24"of exterior foundations for many years. As mentioned previously, Yes, it can be buried few inches bellow the ground.

As far as approximate location of your sewer line is: Look on the roof to see how your plumbing vents line up. Also, if you have downstairs bathroom on front wall of the house, than, toilet will tell you which way the sewer exits the house.