# Cannot locate outside sewer cleanout



## D'Brie (Dec 20, 2009)

You have a cleanout in the photo, about four feet up from the floor on your PVC stack. Look for the square nut, it will unthread. _Careful_, if you have a mainline backup, there will be some pressure and nasty material in those pipes.


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## dkl (May 27, 2010)

I recently had a main sewer clog, but the plumber snaked it through the basement toilet hole (to toilet off). I wonder why he didn't do it from the indoor cleanout.

So does that mean there's no cleanout outside? I thought every house needed one outside so county sewer can have easy access?


thanks


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## Alan (Apr 12, 2006)

There should be one somewhere on the sewer lateral, but you may not have your own outside. Normally we install them ~ 2 feet from the perimeter of the house.


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## majakdragon (Sep 16, 2006)

Clean-outs have not always been included in the Plumbing Codes in all areas. In the past few years they were added in. Also possible that there is one, and it got buried. People don't consider the future need when doing landscaping.


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## dkl (May 27, 2010)

Thanks guys. 

I see that some of the neighbors have it but others don't. I'm assuming there is one but buried somewhere. house on the block is ~13 years old so I would think builders would put one in for all houses and not selected few.

I been using a thin steel rod and sticking it into the ground hoping to hit it (front of house along the foundation), but no success yet.

Any tips (method, location, etc...) on locating the it?

DKL


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## majakdragon (Sep 16, 2006)

Take some measurements from inside the house to the outside walls and make note of where the line goes into the basement floor. Use the measurements outside , on the street side, and probe in a 3' wide swath from the foundation outwards. This can be a real pain. Good luck.


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## The Engineer (May 4, 2010)

If you really need to find the outside cleanout, the quickest way is to hire a guy to do a camera inspection. The guy will send a camera down the drain line from inside your house and look for the location where the cleanout connects into the main drain line from the top of the pipe. Then with the camera sitting directly below that wye fitting, the guy can pinpoint exactly where the cleanout is from above the ground based on the camera head location in the pipe.


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## dkl (May 27, 2010)

Thanks,

When I had the clogged sewer line cleared the plumber did use a camera to check the main line (through the toilet pipe). Plumber was the one asking where is the clearout and we looked for it outside but could not find. He didn't even try to look for it with the camera ;-(


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## PaliBob (Jun 11, 2008)

dkl said:


> He didn't even try to look for it with the camera ;-(


 Sewer Cameras come in two breeds; those with and those without Locators. Your plumber did not have the more expensive camera with a Sewer Camera Locator.
.


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