RyanPeterson
New Member
- Messages
- 3
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 0
My sewer line is clogged, and I can't open the cleanout cap. I'm a complete novice when it comes to plumbing, but I'm guessing it is a brass(?) cleanout cap attached to a 4" cast iron pipe which is under the house just inside the opening under the house on the left.
This happened last year, and the plumber worked on the cap for an hour and could not unscrew the cap. He was able to clear the clog by snaking down from the vent in the roof.
The culprit is roots growing down in the sewer line. Well stupid me, we started putting "sewer safe" baby wipes down the drain. Now it appears to be a combination of wipes and roots. I rented a 75' snake from Home Depot and take it to the roof. I don't hit resistance till about 70', so it would appear the blockage is closer to the street. I pull back small clumps of roots and wipes. However, I am not able to punch through the blockage. Since it takes so long to snake all the way from the roof I feel like I'm chipping away at a dam with a chisel.
I had a plumber come out and explained the whole situation. He wants $1000 to put in a new cleanout cap in front of the house. The other option is to install a new cleanout line under the house, but he says it will end up protruding out further and partially block the small entrance under the house which I didn't want to do.
I'm wondering if it is possible to drill out and remove with destruction the existing cleanout cap and have it replaced. Maybe I could hire a plumber to replace the cleanout cap? Would they even do that without redoing the piping making it so costly? Or if I went at it with a sawsall and drill, would I do more damage than good... I found this forum on Google, and I thought I'd ask the guys who know their stuff. Thanks!
If more information or a picture would help I'll certainly give what I can.
This happened last year, and the plumber worked on the cap for an hour and could not unscrew the cap. He was able to clear the clog by snaking down from the vent in the roof.
The culprit is roots growing down in the sewer line. Well stupid me, we started putting "sewer safe" baby wipes down the drain. Now it appears to be a combination of wipes and roots. I rented a 75' snake from Home Depot and take it to the roof. I don't hit resistance till about 70', so it would appear the blockage is closer to the street. I pull back small clumps of roots and wipes. However, I am not able to punch through the blockage. Since it takes so long to snake all the way from the roof I feel like I'm chipping away at a dam with a chisel.
I had a plumber come out and explained the whole situation. He wants $1000 to put in a new cleanout cap in front of the house. The other option is to install a new cleanout line under the house, but he says it will end up protruding out further and partially block the small entrance under the house which I didn't want to do.
I'm wondering if it is possible to drill out and remove with destruction the existing cleanout cap and have it replaced. Maybe I could hire a plumber to replace the cleanout cap? Would they even do that without redoing the piping making it so costly? Or if I went at it with a sawsall and drill, would I do more damage than good... I found this forum on Google, and I thought I'd ask the guys who know their stuff. Thanks!
If more information or a picture would help I'll certainly give what I can.