Leak Squad PlumbingWhat is a Clean Out
A Clean Out is a part of the sewer plumbing line that people use in order to conduct plumbing tests and clean out blockages in the sewer system. The Clean Out is a piece of pipe that sticks out of the ground generally 3-4 inches, and is usually located near the front of the house, often in the flower bed. On occasion, a house may have an additional clean out located in another area, but the most commonly used is the one in front of the house. Today, it is city code to have a clean out visible when building the house; prior to 1980 though, a house may or may not have one as it was not required at that time.
Locating a Clean Out
As mentioned before, not all houses were always built with a clean out, and some of those that were do not have a visible clean out. If this is the case, the plumber will have to begin the process of locating the Clean out. In order to do this, the plumber will have to run their camera through a line, often through the shower or the toilet, in order to find the existing Clean Out. After finding the general area where the Clean Out is, the plumber then excavates the small area to find the Clean Out and begins to perform a hydrostatic test.
Installing a Clean Out
In the event that there is no Clean Out on the property, the plumber will have to install one in order to properly complete the needed tests and/or repairs. The process of installing a Clean out is much the same of locating one, involving running a camera in order to find a suitable place to install the Clean Out. After finding where the pipe is in the front yard to reduce the amount of excavation of the area. Once the pipe is uncovered, the plumbers will install a new piece of piping to match the existing plumbing and recover the area once installation is complete.