Drain Cleanouts and How Plumbers Use Them

Drain Cleanouts are temporarily sealed openings in plumbing drains, in various locations in the home, which allow plumbers to access the drains should a clog develop. A very good summary of plumbing drain cleanouts can be found in an article on the topic by Inspectapedia.

The article brings up some important points which is valuable for householders to know.

1. Building regulations require cleanouts on the drain piping in the first floor of a home. Clogs in pipes above that cleanout frequently can only be reached via access through drain traps in upper floors. If the clog is some distance from the drain, and located in a bend, elbow, or tee of the pipe, as clogs frequently are, then getting to it will probably require the skill, experience, and equipment of a professional plumber.
2. Building regulations for installation of cleanouts is very complex, which is why any installation involving or requiring cleanouts should include the services of a licensed plumber or plumbing contractor. 
3. Problems plumbers and homeowners run into with regard to cleanouts include:

• Cleanouts  hidden behind walls
• Cleanouts that are converted to connections to washing machines in the basement and therefore no longer available as an access to  clogs.
• Cleanouts that are left open, and therefore can potentially spew garbage into the home.

Drain Cleaning

Drain Cleaning

How many times have you flushed a toilet only to have it backup onto the floor? You turn on your bathroom faucet only the water fails to drain but instead continued to rise in the sink. Have you ever been forced to take showers in standing water? When was the last time you had someone clean your drain? It's almost certain that you will have a clogged drain when you least expect it. Your sinks, bath tub, shower, toilet, and sewer are most often clogged. Drains experience a daily buildup of grease, hair, soap, detergents, plus other chemicals, ensuring the chance you will be challenged with an unexpected clog or backup such as can happen with most residential drains. Good News! A qualified plumber can clean up your drain problem with modern drain cleaning equipment to 100% open up your sink, toilet, bathtub, shower and any other drain, pipe or plumbing fixture. After they're done, your drain and pipes will be wide open Common Causes of Drain Backup Build Up of Grease and Grime Large or Bulky Items Being Flushed Down the Toilet or Drain Dislocation in the Line Tree Roots Growing Into Drains The Video Inspection Modern plumbers use state-of-the-art video camera probes to pinpoint your clog and backup problems (broken pipe, tree or plant root infiltration, location of the block, etc.). After eliminating the clog with a modern plumbing tool, such as a power water jetter and tested to make sure the drains in the home are flowing properly, they will perform a thorough clean-up of the work area. Professional plumbing drain cleaning and repair services include the following: Complete sewer and drain inspection, cleaning, and repair service Bathroom sinks, toilets, tub, and shower drain cleaning and repair Kitchen sinks and garbage disposal cleaning Sewer & main line cleaning Rooter services Local breaks and cracks repair on pipes and lines Repair of a burst pipe Unclogging of extreior and interior drains Drain maintenance contracts In case your drain backup can't be solved with normal procedures, most licensed plumbers possess professional drain cleaning equipmentto eliminate even the most difficult drain pipe problems: Mechanical drain snaking Water jetters to clean sewer lines