If you own a home in Woodstock in Georgia then you probably have only ever thought about your plumbing when it becomes a problem. Then, all of a sudden, you are standing there listening to a toilet making a weird noise when you try to flush it or a shower that will not drain the water out properly. Maybe there is a faint sewer smell accompanying these problems.
A lot of sewer and main drain problems like these can come down to one boring detail that is way more than it probably should be, specifically whether someone can access the pipes or the cleanout section. If your home has an accessible sewer cleanout, and where it is located, is a key concern.
When someone tells you that the cleanout is missing it can sound a bit dramatic, almost as though a piece of your plumbing system has wandered off, but most of the time this simply means that we cannot find it or reach it. Alternatively, it might be that the cleanout cannot be used to service the sewer line for various reasons.
What is a cleanout?
Now you might ask, what even is a sewer cleanout? This is an access point to your home's main sewer line. It is usually a pipe with a threaded cap that allows a plumber to open up the wider system and run professional drain-cleaning equipment directly into the main line. This drain cleaning process is vital because the main line of the sewer is the most important one for your entire property. Everything inside the house eventually flows through this main line, be it the toilets, the showers, the laundry or the kitchen sink. If the main line starts to clog or gets invaded by local tree roots you do not just have a problem with one sink or shower inside the house; everything is impacted.
In a perfect world, your cleanout will be easy to get to, as it will be located in a spot that a plumber can access unhindered. That's not always how it works, though, in the real world, as the cleanout might be buried, painted over, broken or located in a really annoying place, especially if the house was built years ago and trees have grown up around the cleanout since.
Why access to the cleanout is more important than most homeowners realize
When a plumber has good access to the cleanout, diagnosing and fixing a sewer issue is usually a lot faster and cleaner. You can, for instance, run a camera into the line quickly and you can clear blockages more effectively. You can also usually confirm more easily what kind of problem you are dealing with, be it grease, encroaching roots, a gap in the pipes, a collapsed pipe or just an erroneous object stuck in there.
When a plumber does not have proper access to the cleanout everything is harder to do, as the plumbing system is closed elsewhere and it is hard for the plumber to find a way into the pipes. Sometimes in order to solve this it will mean having to remove a toilet to access the line there. Alternatively, you could have to open a vent or even excavate a section of pipe. None of these are good options. A long-term provision might be to install a proper cleanout so this does not keep happening.
Access to the cleanout (or the lack thereof) also impacts on the kind of equipment we are able to use. Most notably, a hydro-jetter and a sewer camera will both require entry to the pipes somewhere to be effective. These tools require a safe and direct entry point. Without a cleanout available, the work is impeded and becomes less effective.
And there is a mess factor too. Clearing out a main sewer line through an interior fixture can increase the chance of water spilling over, especially if there is a big clog and a lot of dirty water has backed up. A cleanout usually means that the dirty work is occurring outside of the house, where it should be.
The difference between a main cleanout and other “caps” around the house
Homeowners often find a pipe with a cap on it and assume it is the cleanout. On occasion they are right, though more often that not this is an old irrigation stub, or a cleanout for a different branch line, or even a broken fitting that somebody put a cap on years ago.
A true main sewer cleanout is typically of a size that it fits over the building drain. In many homes that is about 4 inches wide. It should also be lying over a section of the main sewer line, not just a smaller branch of it, and it should be installed in a way that allows for equipment to be run through it towards the street or the septic tank.
There can be multiple cleanouts on a property. For example, you might have one near the house and another one again closer to the edge of the property. In some cases there might even be a few smaller cleanouts for specific sections of the house such as the kitchen and the bathroom. Those are useful to have, but they do not replace having access to a proper main line cleanout.
What a “missing cleanout” usually means in the Woodstock area
When it comes to plumbing in Woodstock, “missing” almost never means that the cleanout never existed at all. Virtually no builder would construct a house without including an access point to the pipes. Instead “missing” means that the cleanout is buried somewhere under mulch, soil, pine straw, or some other debris. Alternatively, it is under a bush that has been there since for years and now nobody remembers what is underneath it.
In these cases, where you do not know the exact location of the cleanout, it can be invisible until you probe around for it. In other situations, the cap might even have been broken off and the opening is packed with dirt, so it does not look like a pipe at all anymore.
Another common problem that is seen is where the cleanout is still in place, but it is not usable, as the cap has seized up and is glued or it is cracked. I have also seen cleanouts installed in a way that makes them basically decorative, e.g. they are too close to a wall to be able to move them or they are oriented in a direction that will not allow for equipment to be used inside them properly.
And in certain rare instances, especially with older homes, there really is no exterior cleanout at all; the only access to the wider system is inside the house by pulling off the toilet. This isn't the end of the world, it is just not ideal.
Why cleanouts get buried and damaged over time
Cleanouts frequently end up being buried or damaged for a variety of reasons. If some landscaping was carried out to improve the yard or add garden beds, the cleanout might have literally been buried under the new mud or when new concrete was poured out. The cleanout wasn't moved, it was just buried. When this kind of work is being carried out the cleanout pipe can also be exposed and bumped against, leading to the cap being broken.
There is also a DIY factor here: if a person clears a clog and they cannot get the cap back on afterwards, they might have decided to improvise by gluing on the cap because it was leaking and they wanted it to stop. That is a solution of a kind, at least until the next time the line needs to be serviced, at which time the earlier fix becomes the whole problem, as the cleanout cannot be removed anymore because of the glue.
Signs that you might have a problem with the main line of your sewer
You do not need to wait for your system to become clogged in order to start taking this seriously. There are a few clues that often indicate that the main sewer line could fail completely. If it does, you will need access to the cleanout.
A big one is if the main drains in the house are draining slowly. For instance, if the shower is draining slowly or the toilet is not flushing correctly then there may be a problem that is not isolated to a single fixture. Odors coming out of your sewer is another indication, especially if a drain line is partially blocked.
Similarly, after heavy rain, or after doing a lot of laundry, there may be a problem if the drains are backing u. If you are seeing these signs of problems in your drains and you also have no idea where your cleanout is, it is worth addressing this before you make an emergency call to a plumber.
What a plumber can do when the cleanout can be located
If the cleanout can be located, life is much easier for the plumber. He or she can inspect the pipes using a camera. They will be able to tell if roots are the source of the problem or grease, or if there is a belly or groove in the pipe, which is a different thing from a break in the system.
Access to a cleanout also means that the drain can be cleaned more effectively. If you are clearing a main line, for instance, you want the cable to be able to run in the direction that the water flows. You also want enough room to work comfortably and you want to reduce the risk of causing a mess inside the house itself.
If it turns out that some excavation of the pipes is needed, a camera inspection from a cleanout can help pinpoint the location of any damage inside the pipes more accurately. That can reduce unnecessary digging, which is good, because nobody wants a yard that gets torn up based on people guessing as to where the problem is in the pipe system.
When installing a cleanout is a good move
If your home does not have an accessible exterior cleanout, installing one can be a very practical upgrade for your property. It also tends to pay for itself the very first time that you need some major drain work done.
This is especially true if you have recurring clogs happening or a history of roots intruding into the pipes. It's also beneficial if the property has older clay pipes. This is especially the case in the Woodstock area, where a lot of old homes have pipes made from lots of different materials, so it is not a one size fits all situation.
A properly installed cleanout should be positioned in such a way so as to facilitate future work . The goal isn't just to add a pipe with a cap. We are aiming to make the sewer accessible in future situations.
A quick note on using chemicals
If you are dealing with a blockage in your sewer's main line, chemical drain cleaners are usually not the answer. They can damage certain piping and they rarely solve the real cause of the problem. They can also create a safety issue if they remain lying in the water.
Moroever, if the blockage is caused by grease, roots, wipes or a sag in the pipes, chemicals alone will not fix it. They just add another potential problem.
How Plumb N Plumber approaches accessing sewer cleanouts in Woodstock
At Plumb N Plumber, our whole approach is pretty simple: we offer open and honest neighborhood plumbing services. You get a clear explanation of what the job will involve and a transparent price. We have been serving the North Atlanta suburbs since 2014, having started as one guy and a truck, and now being three teams operating daily across Cherokee County and nearby areas.
When it comes to sewer cleanouts, we know that the first step is usually figuring out what access you already have and whether the cleanout is usable. If it is buried then there is a different conversation to be had. If it is damaged that's a separate story again. These details matter, but we can figure it out whatever the situation.
From there, it becomes a decision based on the actual condition of the sewer line and the history of the home. Sometimes the pipes just need a thorough clearing and a camera inspection to confirm everything is intact. Alternatively you will need to install or repair a cleanout.
Plumb N Plumber's team includes experienced and licensed professionals and actively progressing apprentices. Matthew LoPiccolo is the Master Plumber (MP210628), with Andrew Bridges as a Journeyman Plumber (JP507671), along with J.T. O'Neill, Taylor Melton, Parker Bonchonsky, and Ben McCullough supporting the field work. If you need to talk to a plumber in the Woodstock area, contact Plumb N Plumber, who are based right here at 2449 E Cherokee Dr, Woodstock, GA 30188. You can reach them by phone or email and they are typically available from Monday through Friday from 08:00 AM to 08:00 PM.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
What is a sewer cleanout and why is it important for my home in Woodstock?
A sewer cleanout is an access point to your home's main sewer line. It is usually a pipe with a threaded cap on top of it that allows a plumber to access the main sewer and use professional drain-cleaning equipment inside in the system. It's vital because all the wastewater from toilets, showers, etc. in the house flows through this main line. Having an accessible cleanout makes it much easier to diagnose and fix whatever sewer issues are being experienced on your property.
Why is having good access to a sewer cleanout important?
Having good access to a sewer cleanout allows plumbers to insert cameras and cleaning equipment into the main sewer line, ultimately making it easier to identify and fix the source of a blockage, such as one caused by grease or roots. Without proper access to the cleanout, a plumber might have to resort to more invasive methods to access the main sewage system, like removing the toilet or excavating a piece of the main sewer line.
How can I tell if the pipe with a cap on it outside my house is actually the main sewer cleanout?
Not all capped pipes are main sewer cleanouts. The main sewer cleanout in the house is typically of a similar size to the building's drain size (often 4 inches) and is located on the main line of the sewer system rather than a branch of it. It is installed so that equipment can be run through the system towards the septic tank. Other caps might be things like irrigation stubs or radon components.
What does it mean if my plumber says my home's cleanout is “missing”?
For homes in Woodstock a “missing” cleanout usually means it is buried under material like mulch or soil, or hidden beneath bushes or grass. Alternatively, the cap has been broken or is not working properly. It can even have been installed in a way that prevents proper use. Finally, old homes often do not have an exterior cleanout at all, in which cases plumbers will have to acquire access to the sewage system through the toilet inside.
How do sewer cleanouts end up buried?
If landscaping work has been carried out on a property, such as adding beds to the garden, or working on retaining walls and patios, then changes in the level of the soil often cause sewer cleanouts to end up buried or obscured. This construction and landscaping work doesn't involve moving the cleanout itself but can inadvertently lead to it being covered up.
What are the risks of not having an accessible main sewer cleanout on my property?
If the main sewer cleanout is not accessible plumbing repairs become much more difficult. In these cases, plumbers may need to remove fixtures like the toilets or excavate a pipe to access a blockage. This increases the time that it takes to repair the pipes and the cost while raising the risk of messes being created inside the house due to spillover from the pipes during the plumbing work. Lack of access also limits the effectiveness of professional equipment like hydro-jetters and cameras.
