If you follow us on Facebook or Instagram, chances are you’ve seen one of our sewer line projects before. Whether it be a minor repair or complete replacement, these are always bigger jobs and generally require the use of an excavator as well. On this week’s blog, we’re going to discuss one of the key components behind a sewer line installation and that is the sewer clean-out. When looking around the exterior at your own house, you may see the cap to the clean-out and today, we’ll discuss why it is such an important piece.
For all new visitors to our plumbing blog, welcome to Stine-Nichols Plumbing. Having opened up our shop back in 2014, we’ve been honored to have had the opportunity to serve thousands of Kansas City homeowners and businesses with their plumbing needs. We understand plumbing issues, especially sewer line ones, can be a major headache for our clients and strive to get them resolved as quickly as possible. Having said that, let’s take a look at the sewer clean-out and discuss why they are an important part of your overall plumbing system.
What is a sewer clean-out?
To kick off this blog, I wanted to first go over what exactly a sewer clean-out. It’s a term that isn’t mentioned all that often and most homeowners either don’t know where to locate it or what it even looks like. As I’m sure you’re well aware, houses have plumbing pipes running all throughout the house. Where they come together is referred to as the plumbing stack. We actually covered plumbing stacks in greater detail on a recent blog HERE. Essentially, you can divide the stack up into three parts: vent stack, drain stack and soil stack. It is an essential piece to your plumbing system and actually a component that we’ve replaced on multiple occasions as people are transitioning from cast iron to PVC. For the purposes of this blog though, the stack is what allows the sewage to leave the house and enter the public sewage system.
Now that you understand the purpose of a stack, let’s continue on with the sewer clean-out. Given how many pipes encompass a household plumbing system, clogs can occur for a number of reasons. We could likely fill an entire blog post with all of the various possibilities. When these blockages arise, it’s important for a plumber to have easy access to clear it. Simple enough, right? Well, the sewer clean-out is a vertical pipe that runs vertically from just above ground level to the sewer line with a cap on top of it. (If you’ve ever watched one of our sewer line videos on social media or seen photos of one, this is the vertical PVC pipe you’ll see that comes out of the ditch.) This provides a plumber with easy access if they wanted to use a plumbing snake, auger or hydrojetting tool in the instance of a blockage occurring.
Where is my sewer clean-out?
You would think this would be a straightforward question, but not all sewer clean-outs are in the exact same place. In most newer homes or ones that have had the sewer clean-out replaced, you’ll see the cap to the clean-out in your yard. It shouldn’t be located more than a few feet from the foundation. If you don’t see it right away, make sure that there’s no dirt or landscaping covering it up. On the flip side, some older homes actually have the clean-out just inside the home’s basement. It may look a little different, but it still serves the same purpose.
Still can’t find it? While all homes should have a clean-out installed, the truth is some don’t have one. Furthermore, there are instances where homes don’t have enough clean-outs either. If you’re worried that your home doesn’t have one or are interested in having one installed, don’t hesitate to give our team a call at (816) 348-3481. We can help confirm whether or not you currently have one, as well as provide recommendations on having them installed!
Why is it important to act quickly?
While not all plumbing problems are technically considered to be emergencies, it is generally in your best interest to get them fixed sooner rather than later. That even goes for something as small as a dripping faucet or running toilet. However, a sewage issue is a little more serious and complicated than those plumbing issues mentioned in the previous sentence. In short, a sewer line blockage could be a health risk, as well as something that could lead to a leak in your line. So…if you would like to avoid having a terrible sewage smell and deal with the potential harmful consequences with that, we recommend acting quickly with a sewer line blockage!
I think I might have a sewer line blockage. What now?
Knowing that a sewer line clog is nothing to mess around with, it’s important to have a basic understanding of what some of the warning signs are behind a sewer line clog. As we briefly alluded to above, a sewer line blockage simply means there is wastewater trying to leave the house, but it has nowhere to go. Not hard to see how this could start wreaking havoc within your plumbing system! A common sign that something is wrong will revolve around one fixture affecting a completely separate fixture. For example, you flush the toilet and water starts randomly backing up in the bathtub. You flip on a faucet and your toilet starts making gurgling sounds. These are obviously situations that don’t regularly happen and should instantly signal to you that something isn’t right.
If this is you and you’re starting to think that you might have a sewer line blockage, it’s time to call in a professional, licensed plumber. Because of the potential severity when working with sewer lines, we never recommend turning these types of projects into DIY jobs. There are simply too many potential repercussions if everything isn’t completed correctly. For instance, professional plumbers will have all of the tools and experience to navigate these types of scenarios. They’ll be able to run an inspection camera through your pipes to see exactly what is going on. This can reveal if there is a blockage, where it is, if there are any cracks in the sewer pipe and ultimately decide what the best plan of action is moving forward.
As a side note, if you start noticing some of the signs of a sewage problem, don’t forget to turn your water off first and stop using any fixtures! This is an important first step as it can help mitigate the damage and is also why we always urge homeowners to know where their water main shut-off valve is. It is an invaluable piece of knowledge that could save you greatly in the instance of a plumbing emergency!
Sewer Line Repair, Replacement and Inspections in Kansas City!
As I mentioned at the beginning of this blog, sewer line projects are certainly something that our service technicians deal with every week. Some of the time that may just mean running the inspection cameras to see exactly what you’re dealing with, while other times we bring the backhoe out to make a repair or replacement. In either case, Stine-Nichols Plumbing has you covered for any sewer line problems. If you would like to speak with a member of our team about a potential sewer line issue, don’t hesitate to call our office at (816) 348-3481 or fill out the form HERE. Just remember, try to avoid letting any sewer line issue sit for too long. Chances are it will only lead to a bigger headache!