Knowledge Builders

can you use a cleanout as a drain

by Mr. Enid Baumbach III Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
image

Full Answer

What are cleanouts in a drainage system?

Every drainage system must incorporate cleanout fittings at various points to allow for rodding and or snaking the entire system. Cleanouts are simply pipe fittings that can be opened and closed, allowing an entrance point into the drainage system for drain cleaning, clearing blockages or camera inspections. Where Are Cleanouts Required?

Where should a building drain cleanout be located?

A cleanout must be located as close as possible to the wall, where a building drain leaves the building. In the past, a building drain clean-out had to be inside the building, but is now permitted to be outside, as long as it is accessible.

Can you use a house’s sewer clean-out for dumping?

It is possible to use a house’s sewer clean-out for dumping. Here is how. Remember that scene in the Christmas Vacation movie where Cousin Eddie emptied the black tanks of his Class A wreck of an RV into the city sewer outside Clark Griswald’s house? Well, it’s possible. Sort of.

Can I use my house’s sewer clean out to empty my tank?

It is possible to use a house’s sewer clean-out for dumping. Here is how. 1 Visiting family but need to empty your RV black tank? It is possible to use a house’s sewer clean-out for dumping. Here is how.

Where is the 3" cleanout in a house?

How far above flood level should I run a dry vent?

What would a sanitary tee do?

Which direction does a sanitary tee direct?

Can you tie in above the toilet?

Can you skip studor vent?

See 1 more

image

Can a drain cleanout be used as a drain?

0:261:43What Are Drain Cleanouts? - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipClean outs are a direct access to your main line or sewer. System of your home if you have a sewerMoreClean outs are a direct access to your main line or sewer. System of your home if you have a sewer back up in your home clean outs will allow us to access the problem and remove the blockage.

Can you tap into a cleanout?

The cleanout on your home or building's main sewer line can't be used as a drain. In general, you should keep the sewer cleanout sealed up and only open it if you need to clear a clog in the main sewer line.

What are Cleanouts used for?

What is a drain cleanout? A drain cleanout provides access to your main sewer line and is located outside of your home in the front or back yard. Cleanouts typically go unnoticed until there is a problem. They look like capped pipes sticking a few inches above the ground.

Should there be water in cleanout?

It features a circular or rectangular cap that's often labeled “sewage” or “cleanout.” It sometimes has a little hole in the cap. If you see any sewage or water around the outside of that cap, you definitely have a blocked sewage drain.

Can I dump my RV in my sewer cleanout?

It might look like a sewer cleanout you have seen when at a campground and the idea is exactly the same. just run your sewer hose from your RV to the cleanout and dump your black and then your gray water tanks. If you have a septic system you are allowed to dump without making sure it is allowed in your jurisdiction.

How does a sewer cleanout work?

0:134:22MSDGC Cleanouts - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSuch as a sink tub or toilet the water flows into a drain pipe which connects with a vertical pipeMoreSuch as a sink tub or toilet the water flows into a drain pipe which connects with a vertical pipe called a stack. The stack collects waste water from the drains of the house.

Where should drain cleanouts be placed?

There shall be a cleanout near the junction of the building drain and the building sewer. The cleanout shall be either inside or outside the building wall and shall be brought up to the finished ground level or to the basement floor level.

Where do you put Cleanouts?

A cleanout shall be installed above the fixture connection fitting, serving each urinal, regardless of the location of the urinal in the building. Exceptions: (1) Cleanouts shall be permitted to be omitted on a horizontal drain line less than 5 feet (1524 mm) in length unless such line is serving sinks or urinals.

How do you use a drain cleanout?

Steps For How to Clear A Main Sewer Line ClogLoosen the Drain Pipe Cap (Cleanout Pipe) The first step is to find your main drain cleanout location. ... Remove Cap, Allow Build-Up to Drain. Once you remove the cleanout cap, step away quickly. ... Insert the Snake into Pipe. ... Run the Tool Until Clog Is Gone. ... Clean Up.

Why is water coming out of my cleanout pipe?

Once you find the cleanout, screw off or pull off the cap. If the sewer water is flowing up and out of the pipe or standing in the pipe, this confirms you have a sewer line clog. The first thing you'll want to do is shut off your main water supply to your home.

How many Cleanouts does a house have?

Two cleanouts are typically installed at each house or building. One is located just outside of the building (plumbing cleanout), and one is located at the property line (property line cleanout).

Should there be standing water in drain pipe?

The first answer is YES: Your sewer drains should hold water in certain locations. The reason for the water in the drainage fixture is to prevent rodents and smells entering the building. For example a toilet pan has water in its bowl always this is to prevent foul smells entering the building.

How many Cleanouts does a house have?

Two cleanouts are typically installed at each house or building. One is located just outside of the building (plumbing cleanout), and one is located at the property line (property line cleanout).

What is a clean out?

A cleanout is an easily accessible section of pipe with a removable cover that makes it easier for you or a plumber to access your pipes. This access lets you run an auger or snake into the pipes to clear clogs and provides easy access for a plumber with a camera to check your pipes for other issues.

What is the difference between floor drain and clean out?

When the drain line gets clogged If the drain line for the floor drain gets clogged, it needs to be cleaned out with a drain cleaning tool. The floor drain has an area which bypasses the trap, which will allow a tool to be inserted into the drain.

Where is the drain cleanout on a house?

It's most likely going to be popping up from the ground outside your home between the foundation and the street. The cleanout might also be on the side of the home, closest to the bathroom. Cleanout access ports might also be located in the basement or covered by drywall, but these aren't typical for most homes.

Where is a second floor cleanout?

A second floor-level cleanout is across the basement further from the street. You may tie into the drain line through that cleanout providing you still retain a cleanout of the same size. Begin by removing the cap and thoroughly cleaning the femal threads of the existing cleanout with a wire brush.

What is PVC pipe used for?

Note: PVC pipe is used for both pressurized water supply and DWV (drain, waste & vent) but the fittings for either service are damatically different. Pressure fitting elbows all have a sharp change of direction whereas DWV fittings all have a radius curve and the two types of fittings MAY NOT be interchangted.

Do I need a permit to be a plumber?

I am a plumber and I am telling you, if you do it in the manner I described you will be fine, and you do not need a permit.

Do toilet toppers need a permit?

The toilet toppers require no permit , and work fine, but keep in mind you get cold water. Depending on how lazy the appraiser is they may count that as completing the 1/2 bath.

Can you wash your hands with the water that refills the tank?

3. There is a sink that replaces a toilet lid and you can wash your hands for free with the water that will refill the tank. People who were willing to try it seem to like it. The ad says it is easy to install.

Do you have to maintain the same size cleanout?

A word of caution here. From the existing cleanout up to the new cleanout you must maintain the same size as the original cleanout.

How many inches should a sink line be?

Dislike adding onto an old thread, but a sink line must be 2". Replace the clean out with a double sanitary tee. Reduce to 2" on one side and 4" clean out adapter on the other. The sink trap MUST have a separate vent.

Why do plumbers need to be licensed?

If he was my customer I would walk out the door. It is not worth bothering with people that think they know what they are doing. There is a reason plumbers need to be licensed. That reason is to protect the health of people. His neighbors should report him for causing a potential health hazard.

Does IPC allow draining?

IPC does not allow any conversion of clean out to additional drainage via threaded adapter (or any other adapter). Don't know what code you are on or what other codes will allow.

Can you use a Y-1/8 bend on a sanitary tee?

If you can see the water flowing past, it may be a sanitary tee rather than a Y-1/8 bend setup, in which case it would not be a proper connection point. As far as the threaded connection goes, it is usually very easy to remove enough concrete to take it off and make a proper connection. The type of pipe will determine exactly how easy it is.

Is it safe to put a toilet vent after a trap?

It is dangerous as far as sewer backing up into your house and getting you and your family sick. You should plumb the sink drain with the vent for it after the trap. The toilet with a 2" vent after the closet bend and twin the two vents together. Having a drawing and pic's would help everybody pointing out the real placement.

UPDATE: got gutters installed, were installed with straps over the shingles

Hi All, I had a few requests for an update on my previous thread here: https://www.reddit.com/r/HomeImprovement/comments/oyuvmh/got_gutters_installed_were_installed_with_straps/ so here it is.

What simple home maintenance items did you learn the expensive way?

I'm a relatively new home owner. Still trying to identify all the maintenance items I should be doing to avoid costly repairs in the future.

Contractor abandoned concrete paver patio - how can I (or should I) finish it myself?

Basically, I had a contractor working on building this patio for us from September 2020 to about February this year, was originally supposed to take 2 to 6 weeks. He fully laid the patio and we were waiting on him to deliver plans for an awning when we noticed that the pavers had shifted a decent amount over just a few weeks.

What is a clean out sewer line?

City sewer connections have what’s called a clean-out, which is a large opening into the sewer line just as it leaves the house and heads toward the city sewer connection.

Can you dump a gray water tank?

It's perfect for dumping your gray and black water tank contents if you don't want to drive across town and give people money, which is usually what you have to do when dumping in a populated area. The trick, however, is to find this clean-out, because few homeowners know where they are.

Where Are Cleanouts Required?

These fixtures are required to have cleanouts installed at the lowest part of the trap ; these are usually threaded plugs or caps. Exception to this rule is if the trap is removable it does not require a cleanout.

Where do you put cleanouts?

Cleanouts must be installed in accessible areas. For example - not sealed inside a wall or under a concrete slab.

What is a cleanout fitting?

Cleanouts are simply pipe fittings that can be opened and closed, allowing an entrance point into the drainage system for drain cleaning, clearing blockages or camera inspections.

Where is the cleanout fitting on a building trap?

The cleanout fitting should be located on, and extending directly up from the inlet side.

How many degrees can a cleanout change?

The piping served by a cleanout cannot change direction by more than 45 degrees in a single fitting, or an additional cleanout will be required.

Where is the 3" cleanout in a house?

There is a 3" cleanout in the floor directly next to the soil pipe.

How far above flood level should I run a dry vent?

Alright. technically you arent supposed run a dry vent horizontally until it is a minimum of 6 inches above the flood level rim of the fixture. So if in any of that north south stuff (lol) your planning on running the vent horizontally you would be incorrect. Now, for plumbing purposes vertical is defined as 45 to 90 degrees from horizontal. So if I understand what you are saying, you can not slap a 90 degree bend on that vent line that is running vertically from the trap arm. Make sense? a 90 degree bend would make a horizontal secton of vent (no matter how short).

What would a sanitary tee do?

The sanitary tee would direct a sewer machine cable to clean out the line in the direction of the flow, and basically do the same thing as the cleanout that was there. Maybe someone might someday want to fish a cable backwards into that drain, thru the bushing and clean out that vertical line.... but i doubt it...

Which direction does a sanitary tee direct?

Sanitary Tee directs the flow one direction.

Can you tie in above the toilet?

You are correct - there is no way to tie in above the toilet with a downward slope in the shower line.

Can you skip studor vent?

So yes, sanitary tee. Yes, you can skip the studor vent IF you are less than 8 feet in trap arm length (the pipe glued into the outlet of the trap) AND you are at 1/4 inch per foot slope and no more. Im going to try and describe something here that may help. we're talking about the INSIDE of pipe now .

image

1.Use Cleanout for Drain | Terry Love Plumbing Advice

Url:https://terrylove.com/forums/index.php?threads/use-cleanout-for-drain.45859/

33 hours ago You may tie into the drain line through that cleanout providing you still retain a cleanout of the same size. Begin by removing the cap and thoroughly cleaning the femal threads of the …

2.Use cleanout for sink drain - Houzz

Url:https://www.houzz.com/discussions/2295796/use-cleanout-for-sink-drain

28 hours ago  · Yes, you can remove the clean out plug and add a male adapter with a wye and another clean out on the end. Off the branch you are creating, you will want to add a TY and …

3.Use cleanout for a utility sink drain? - DoItYourself.com

Url:https://www.doityourself.com/forum/plumbing-piping/355417-use-cleanout-utility-sink-drain.html

31 hours ago  · You can probably do what you propose, however, I would recommend doing it in such a way that you still have the full-sized cleanout on the drain pipe when you're fnished. The …

4.Making an old cleanout into a new drain | Terry Love …

Url:https://terrylove.com/forums/index.php?threads/making-an-old-cleanout-into-a-new-drain.18139/

33 hours ago A plumbing cleanout usually goes unnoticed, until a huge clog arises that blocks your main drain line. Nevertheless, it can be useful to do yearly maintenance as there are companies …

5.Can I use a cleanout to drain dehumidifier? : …

Url:https://www.reddit.com/r/HomeImprovement/comments/6onlr1/can_i_use_a_cleanout_to_drain_dehumidifier/

18 hours ago That said, you could drain it into the clean out. As mentioned, the concern is that the clean out is after the trap and will vent sewer gas. You could do what you said but add a trap to your …

6.Basment Utility Sink - Can i drain to main cleanout? : …

Url:https://www.reddit.com/r/Plumbing/comments/5rxyyt/basment_utility_sink_can_i_drain_to_main_cleanout/

25 hours ago Can you use a cleanout as a drain? The cleanout shall be either inside or outside the building wall and shall be brought up to the finished ground level or to the basement floor level. An approved …

7.Using A House's Sewer Clean-Out For RV Dumping - RV …

Url:https://rvlifestyle.com/using-houses-sewer-clean-dumping/

32 hours ago Cleanouts must be installed in accessible areas. For example - not sealed inside a wall or under a concrete slab. Cleanouts are not to be used as drains and must be re-sealed/closed when …

8.Cleanouts – Where and Why to Use Them - Plumbing Help

Url:https://plumbinghelp.com/cleanouts/

6 hours ago

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9