Check out some similar questions!

natash · Jul 13, 2007, 03:06 PM

I just purchased a home built in 1967. The main line is clogged. Two pumbers have told me it will cost money to install a cleanout because they did not see one on the property. The front and back yard is completely covered in small rocks. Where would I look for a cleanout. There is one outside the kitchen window but they refuse to use. Why is that?

letmetellu · Jul 13, 2007, 06:03 PM

The clean out that is outside the kitchen window is probably a two inch line and to unstop the sewer line they need to get into a bigger line.
To help you find the main sewer line I will need some information. First where does the city sewer line run? That is if you are in the city. Do you have an alley way that could have all the city service lines running down it? It the city sewer is in the alley and you have a bathroom near the back of the house I would look on the roof and see where the vent for the commode is and then I would either dig or probe in an area in line with the vent pipe, about 3 feet outside the foundation of the house.

A good plumber would have ran his cable down one of the vents or through the clean out at the kitchen window and then listened at different areas around the house to see if he could hear the sound of the cable in the sewer line. Of course this takes two people and possibly a probe rod to hear the noise.

Fr_Chuck · Jul 14, 2007, 06:08 PM

It is very possible there is not a clean out, some companies have removed the toilet and ran snakes and smaller units to clean out a line, and others use the roof vent to run a line. ( but all of those can cause damage to the home ( a lot of issues in bathroom) and the roof is harder to do.

And of course it will cost money to have someone dig a home, tap into the sewer line and install pipe. I had it done last year and it cost me @ 200 dollars. *** When the sewer is backed up into your shower and you can not use the toilet, 200 starts sounding a lot cheaper.

But a lot of homes in that time frame did not have them put in because they were not required by code then in many areas

natash · Jul 15, 2007, 12:26 AM

Thanks for the feedback. I found another cleanout located in the garage, near a sink and washer. Could this possibly be a larger cleanout. I am connected to the city sewer. The sewer line is on the street in front of my house. Just out of curiosity, is the reason I am being told to install a cleanout near the main line to (1) for the plumbers to earn more money or (2) am I just contacting lazy plumbers who do not want to do the old fashioned work of going through the toilet or roof vent. Also, I have lost of questions:) , would removing the toilet be effective at clearing a main line clog? If the cleanout in my garage is large enough to clear a clog, would I still need to install a cleanout near the mainline, 3" from the home foundation? Thank you very much for your input!

letmetellu · Jul 15, 2007, 01:09 PM

Originally Posted by natash

thanks for the feedback. I found another cleanout located in the garage, near a sink and washer. Could this possibly be a larger cleanout. I am connected to the city sewer. The sewer line is on the street in front of my house. Just out of curiosity, is the reason I am being told to install a cleanout near the main line to (1) for the plumbers to earn more money or (2) am I just contacting lazy plumbers who do not want to do the old fashioned work of going through the toilet or roof vent. Also, I have lost of questions:) , would removing the toilet be effective at clearing a main line clog? If the cleanout in my garage is large enough to clear a clog, would I still need to install a cleanout near the mainline, 3" from the home foundation? Thank you very much for your input!

It is very possible that you already have a cleanout, it is just the fact that you can not find it. Most cities require a cleanout to be installed when the house is built.

Installing a cleanout in the main line is just for the convenance, and of course the plumber would charge you and he would make more money but installing the cleanout would be a one time charge and if you don't have one you are going to be charged extra for cleaning out the line because of having to take up a commode or some other expense.

The other cleanout that you found is probably still a small Two inch line, you can determine that by the size of the plug in the cleanout. If it is about 1-1/2 inch or maybe 2 inch it is a small line, if it is 2-1/2 to 3 inches then it is probably a 3 inch line and would be big enough. The problem might be that it is so far from the stoppage that a plumbers cable might not be long enough.

You might even get the line unstopped through a small cleanout, it just would not be as good o9f a job as you would get with larger blades on the cable.

Taking up a commode to clean out the line can be a very dirty job, with the machine turning and the cable slinging dirty water everywhere, not to mention the $100 or so extra charge just for taking up and resetting the commode.

Let me know how things turn out.

Turbopro25 · Jul 15, 2007, 07:31 PM

A cleanout is the best way to try and clean your main line simply because it is more quick, which saves you money and cleaner, so your bathroom doesn't get destroyed. You can clean it out from the toilet flange just as easy, its just messier and your toilet has to be removed. More time = more money. If the cleanout you found is 3 inch or bigger then it can be used to clean your lines. Sometimes the clog can be before the cleanout however and the plumber would have to run his cable back up the line towards the toilet. If the cleanout has a sweep on it, it will be difficult to do so.

natash · Jul 16, 2007, 09:59 PM

How would I go about locating the main line. I have a crawl space and the plumbing pipes apparently go into the ground, but where do they go from there. Sounds like a silly question, but I am really curious which direction would they be going. The city water thing is in the front of my home. The plumber is coming back tomorrow because he apparently "overlooked" the two available cleanouts plus the obvious toilet :)

Turbopro25 · Jul 18, 2007, 06:17 PM

Your main line should run toward city sewer. Did the plumber come today? Let me know if your problem is fixed. Maybe I can help some more.

jayden05 · Nov 7, 2011, 04:55 AM

MY home was bulit in 1967. We can't find the cleanout line. MY brother has digged out a pipe in the back yard in line with the vent on the roof. However,the pipe is dry. I flushed the one good toilet in my bedroom, the pipe still remain dry, tried to flushed the clog toilet but once again water rose up over flooded and start coming out of my toilet. I can flush my bedroom toilet. But, the pipe remains dry. My brother the plumber, thinks that the pipe line was rerouted, but where? There is a alley in the back where all the lines run.