Sewer Cleanout Plug / How To Remove A Sewer Plug
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- Опубликовано: 14 сен 2014
- www.BobsPlumbingVideos.com
Your Online Plumbing Resource For People Who Don't Want To Call A Plumber!
In this Sewer Cleanout Plug video, I'm going to point out a few ways you can go about removing a sewer plug that's most likely never been touched since the day it was put into service. Most of us don't think about the clean-out access to our sewer system, but trust me the day will come when either the professional plumber or you will have to remove them to service the sewer.
Here in the New York City area a majority of the existing sewer plugs have never been removed and when a blockage of the trap or main sewer occurs, they've got to come off in order to perform the service. Being a professional with years of experience I've developed my own technique for chopping them out with a sharp cold chisel but would caution the novice from attempting this for fear of damaging the cast iron hub the covers screw into.
If you're going to be bold enough to attempt a job like this, I recommend you drill a series of holes around the raised brass section of the cover you would normally place a wrench on to remove it. Once that's drilled out and removed you can then proceed to use a reciprocating saw and make a couple of cuts and remove a small piece of the cover. You can then get a cold chisel and proceed to collapse the remaining portion of the cover.
My preferred replacement cover is a lead fit-all cover which is simply secured in place by striking their head-on with your hammer and for quick removal, tapping them on either side will do the trick. Lately, I've been coming across these rubber test plugs in lieu of the lead fit-all cover and can tell you from experience that they sometimes don't remove very easily. When faced with a house trap or main sewer blockage the last thing you need is to be struggling with a sewer cover when you have a boat load of sewage ready to shoot up and hit you in the face!
Why not check out the video and see exactly what I mean. I personally would recommend calling in a professional for this type of repair but if you're bold enough, go for it.
For more about the tools and gear, I use in these videos and in my plumbing business, head on over to the gear store at...www.amazon.com/shop/bobsplumb...
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Happy Plumbing!
Bob
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Хобби
Just tried your advice, it work ! Thanks bro that trap hasn’t been open in 30 years. Came right off with a lil elbow grease !
lead sewer plugs, I'm 72 up in Seattle and never knew of theses, thxs for sharing...
Been using them since as far back as I remember. Approaching 74 in November. Thanks for checking out the video!
Thanks Bob! I spent 2 days trying to remove a brass plug. Saw your video and in 10 minutes had it drilled out! This advise saved me an expensive mishap.
John Gill Glad to be of assistance John, thank you so much for checking out the video. Regards, Bob.
Same. I cut it in half. . Got a Lead cap. Keep those clips coming
Great video with lots of information. Always great to see someone else in the field doing a great job
Bob I love your videos. Real life problems, real life solutions....so practical.
Great, and thanks for the kind words! HAPPY PLUMBING!
Thanks for this, and being detailed and specific-like a teacher.
Hi Bob, great videow. And thanks for taking the time to produce and distyribute. I have the same issue and will try your suggestions. I will provide an update when the task is done. Thanks again!
Thanks. Plumbing apprentice here and ive come across too infrequently so your video will be a good refresher when i need it
Glad to help! Bob
My house had one of these test plugs on the tub cleanout. I disagree that it is difficult to get out. I got it out, and I replaced it (with a new one as the rubber was hardened) because it worked the first time. You just pry the lid off with a flat-head screwdriver.. The rust that happens on metal treads is WAY more difficult to remove. That is why I am watching your video..
VERY HELPFUL!!! Thanks from Queens!
Thanks for the informative video & advice!
Thanks Bob, Great explanation and content
You saved me a lot of money... Thank you
I had to install the lead fit all in a storm side of a p-trap tying it in to the sanitary (thats how its done in many areas of NYC). it takes the entire 1600 SF roof runoff plus pump discharge from the back yard. I was so worried it wasnt tight enough that I must have hit it a little to hard and the iron core came away from the lead annulus. i thought i screwed it up. but after chiseling out the top portion of the lead wrapped over the iron core, what i was left with was a perfect lead seat molded to the female threads for the iron core to get tapped back into.. it is doing the job so far...
Good Instuction Sir. Now I'm ready to go in. I believe mine is restricted, being the line to the street has a liner.
The exact thing that Bob stated in this video happened to me. I was using a pipe wrench on the square plug and simply broke it right off. Now theres a hole there that just by luck allows me to get a run a snake in with a floor drain machine. I asked a plumber what I should do to get the cap off and he just suggested to me that I could just take some wax from a new toilet bow seal and make like a patty out of it and cover the hole. Now to be honest this has worked very well for me and I have been doing it for years. But now that I've watched your video I will probably head to the local home improvement store and get a new cap. With that said I wondering if i cut the "pizza slice" and bend it down will I be able to use a cold chisel to move the cap and get it to thread off
Thank you. this video was super helpful! i got the answers I needed
Thank You Al!
Thanks, my friend, for the video it helped me out big time. NY in the house ✌️
Glad to hear it! Excellent!!
this video make my day! thanks for your tips, --aussie
Great! and thanks for watching, I appreciate it. HAPPY PLUMBING!
Thank you Bob, good explanation, I will drill my brass plug remove the center and slice a portion out and replace it with a lead plug. Fyi my p,an is to use the sewer look out to empty my waste tank from my camper.
Cool! Thanks for checking out the video. Regards, Bob
Thanks for the tip. You were the only hope I had to get that stinking brass cap off. Drilled, cut it away just as you suggested. Again thanks a lot.
Glad to be of assistance, thanks for checking out the video. Regards, Bob
most educational video keep up the good work
Thank you, my friend, much appreciated. Regards, Bob
Great video, very helpful. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
I have specially made sockets for those cleanout covers… .. they usually come off with light impact wrench. Or I’ll use my sds plus and knocked out.. i use wire brush to cleanup the threads and like to put a brass cap back on…. But. Definitely the lead knockout is good
Thank you for explaining exactly how to go about removing a stubborn brass plug from iron pipe when replacement is absolutely not an option.
My pleasure, be careful!
Thank you for sharing. Very informative 👍🏽
Glad it was helpful!
Hi Bob, I drilled the holes with a small battery powered drill, removed the center like you explained and finally the magic happened when I saw out a ''pizza'' slice, then that brass plug was mine ! I did not find any lead plugs and the treads were still in great shape so I screwed in a ABS adapter with screw in plug. The job is done thanks for your explanations it all made it simple and effective.
I'm glad I could help you and save you some bucks! Many thanks for checking out the video. Happy Plumbing! Bob
Thanks good information
Sir,but the lead one are the two got stuck at my exit out U truck.the space is tight tried wrench and those pipe wrench to lock on it and knocked with a hammer(space limited for the force).even sprayed w40,it wont move a bit.
This reminds me of an argument I had on another plumbing video. I don’t even remember what it was about but I explained something my city (Austin) requires. Another plumber said that’s illegal. I said no it’s not illegal, but it is against the plumbing code. For some reason this guy thought code was automatically law and didn’t understand that municipalities adopt a code and then alter it if need be for their particular situation. This video is one of those cases. House traps are no longer code but for their own reasons NY requires them. This doesn’t mean it’s wrong. The code is generalized for all systems. There are situation where it wouldn’t be the best practice.
Great video!!
Appreciate it, David! Regards, Bob
Excellent presentation
Thank You! Bob.
$100 Saved ........ Thank You!!!
My pleasure Edwin!
Thank you great video....especially when your a painter not a plumber,,,,,Ha regards Johnny
Why did I waste my time on other videos 😂Thanks Bob👊
Thank You Sir!
WHAT A JOB BUT SOME1 HAS TO DO IT AND THANK YOU FOR YOU SERVICE 1 LUV REEMA NYC
Thanks Bob. 💯👊
Thank You!
thanks Bob!
You're welcome, thanks for watching. HAPPY PLUMBING!
Once you knock that piece out you should be able to collapse the cap with your cold chisel. Won’t take much a couple hits left and right and you should be good to go.
Hi Robert, thanks for the video. I have the opposite problem. I cant get a brass plug to thread into my 2 1/2" sewer plug and when it rains hard, the rain water comes up into my house due to sheer volume. I am having trouble finding a good fitting expansion plug. I need a more permanent solution to hold back the water when it rains really hard. I tried to understand what you said about the lead cover. Is it a lead fiddle cover? Where can I find it?? THANKS for any advice you can give me. BTW either the threads are messed up on my pipe, or the threads on my brass 2 1/2" cover just dont match up or are a tiny bit too large....what do you suggest??
Go to SupplyHouse.com, put the in 2 1/2” lead sewer cover/ plug and you should find it. You place them on the opening and a whack them down with a hammer. Have them at my place and haven’t pop off yet. They’re tapered so just be sure of the size! Regards, Bob.
Great video and explanation. I have a sewer smell coming from the house trap old caps. Do the Lead cap get a air tight seal?
I have the same question
Hey Bob, thanks for making this video! So just wondering....I’ve had 2 blocked, main sewer lines in the past few years (2 young kids using too much toilet paper or baby wipes) and each time sewage coming out the vent outside on side of house.....out of the blue, now I see water leaking out of the lead plug on the house side of the trap - - based on your experience, could this mean a blockage on the street side of the trap? Also have not seen any sewage coming through the vent outside the house (that did occur the last 2 times the blockage was on the house side)
I would have to say if the blockage was on the street side of the trap it would back up past the trap and proceed to come out of the fresh air vent.
If the blockage was on the house side past the fresh air inlet, it would not come out the fresh air vent. If the blockage was in the house trap, you would see it come out of the freash air inlet.
Hope that helps,
Bob
Very helpful
Thank You! Regards, Bob.
I can't remove my plug because I cannot get a grip on the sewer pipe or housing with an 18 inch pipe wrench because my gas line is in the way. Any suggestions?
yeah a cheap way i use is.....drill it out and becareful dont let any debri get in the pipe
Interesting video - I had to have both brass caps broken off my P trap to have a rooter job ( thanks to contractors washing joint compound down my drains ).
The rooter guy used 2 lead plugs and my issue is sometimes the water level would rise up to the level of plugs when my kids flush 20 pounds of toilet paper down the drain, and those lead plugs never made a true water tight seal.
After that I would put a thick bead of silicon around the plug to make it water tight.
Recently had a blockage and wanted to snake the main and I could not get the lead plug out, it rusted in and broke apart.
Would you suggest a thin film of anti seize or grease or even liquid teflon around the lead threads before you bang them in ?
Also curious about your thoughts on the bead of silicon around the lead plug to make it water tight ( not psi water tight )...but tight enough to hold and drips if things backed up
Faucet stem grease would help w/ removal if you feel it's necessary. Sealing with silicone won't hurt, but by design they're going to seep some water in the event of a back up. They can't be beat for quick on and off install/removal. I've never had one pop off from a sewer back up in a residential application. Thanks for checking out the video. Bob.
@@BobsPlumbingVideos Thanks Bob...brilliant video still impressing the masses many years later!
Do the lead covers seal tight enough to stop the water from overflowing if there is a stoppage? Mine just lets water through, which means that sewer gas must also be escaping.
A screw cap is always going to be the best solution, but truth be told on older cast iron traps (no interior threads left) that are 50 plus years old and beyond the lead fit all is the only solution unless you want to dig up the place to replace it. If they're hit down securely with a hammer, they'll get the job done. Sure some water and sewer gas may get by in the event of a clog, but it will be minimal.
I tried finding a replacement cap for my sewer. The brass ones don’t even fit, I got a 3-1/2” cap and the diameter was slightly bigger than the original, also the test plugs, tried 2 and both never fit either. Someone used 4” abs caps wedged in rubber rings to make them seal in the pipe but I’d rather have them threaded directly in the pipe cause I had sewer water come up there a couple times and afraid they might just pop the abs ones right out. Do they still sell the original cast iron ones that actually fit ??
Almost impossible to find, I use the 3 1/2" and 4" lead plugs 95% of the time.
Your videos are great. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience.
I'm reaching out to you to hopefully get your input/suggestion on how to repair the opening/base of the cleanout drain in my basement floor.
My house, which is in NJ, is 103 yrs old. It goes without saying that plumbing repairs often aren't straightforward. The concrete base of the cleanout opening is completely broken into pieces. It was this way when I bought the house. The cap, while still attached to the pipe into which it screws, may be removed simply by lifting it. It's a mess.
The base of the opening in the floor needs to be built back up, which I assume would require concrete. That part on which I hope to get your advice on is how to do this, specifically how to create a support onto which the cap would be positioned.
Any advice? I have pictures I could show you. Thanks for your consideration.
send as many photos as you need
: info@robertsessaplumbing.com. I'll take a look
@@BobsPlumbingVideos, thank you. I sent you an email tonight.
Great video, but where's the next video. I was looking forward watching stopped up house trap cleaning.
All my clean outs just have a slip fit cap on them. I don’t push them down really tight either. Makes life much easier.
Hey man idk if you still see these but recently I dropped a cap that happened to be the wrong size (a bit smaller) into the drain would you know a way to get it out of there ?
You just got to get in there and remove it! No secret, wiggle it, twist it, whatever you have to do to remove it.
Attempting to relocate washer, dryer, and water heater.
Closest drain to new location without going all the way to the water lost drain is like a 2” pipe that serves half bath lavatory and tub in main bathroom.
The lavatory is connected in the wall. The tub is connected right below about 10” above the actual drain pipe. Both are connected to the same vent going through the roof. There is an old cleanout just a little upstream.
Can I connect my washer drain (2”) to the same pipe.
The washer will have it own separate vent either going directly through the roof or tie into the original through the roof vent about 12’ away in the attic.
When you say clean-out, you mean there is a trap below the floor like in the video?
I've removed countless trap caps. Have broke a few traps in my day and it sucks. I always break brass caps off with hammer and chisel. Thick brass caps ill use a grinder and put a few slices in cap. The worst is the lead plugs that are bottomed out and threaded in. Its annoying but i melt the lead out
Nice! 👍
Bob, with all due respect, I would never ever suggest hitting the main top bolt to seat the drain cap. This is by far the weakest area of the cap and newbies will undoubedly hit it too hard and drive the center of the cap straight down the drain pipe. I just came from a job 24 hours ago where this exact thing happened. The cap was not an old cap, it was a new one and the home owner used a mallet to tap it in. The outter portion of the cap was seated in the pipe when I got to the house but the entire center fell down the main drain pipe about two feet below the guys basement floor. It was impossible to reach and it had to be pushed all the way to the main trap some 30 feet away. Something so simple turned into a major job. I always tell my customers to tap around the outter ring. It takes a little longer to get a good solid seat but it well worth it in the end. This is the 4th time I have seen this happen and it is usually always bad.
Good point Rob, I personally have never knocked the hex of lead sewer cap through and I whack them pretty hard to set them in place. But to a novice, this could be an issue. I'll make a note of that in the video. Thanks!
Vacuum cleaner.
Oiga Bob sessa y qué ocurre cuando no tiene trampa de agua cuando el líquido Recorre las cañerías antes de llegar a la Alcantarilla
Do they make a 4 inch pipe thread tap to clean up the threads on the trap?
In my opinion, it's not worth spending approx $1,400 for a 4" pipe tap. Just use lead fit all covers and whack them in squarley.
@@BobsPlumbingVideos Okay.
do these caps ever cover a water main shut off? i live in south jersey and have one near my hosebib out back right on the side of my house . any info is great , thanks man .
You'll also see these generally in the rear of the house. They're access cleanouts for either a rear yard drain or rear roof drain or both. They'll be only one cap which when looking down is a "P" trap to catch any large debris.
@@BobsPlumbingVideos far out , thank you . i had been wondering for years if it was for water shut off , or an old oil tank . now i know those square knobs are relatively and deceptively thin i wont mess with it .
Cold chisel -$11 home depot
3lb sledge -about $15 at home depot
Unless the cast is just shot or really suspect (heavy corrosion looks like it might break) you should be ok, the brass is softer and can be removed. Chisel in along the edge until you can get the chisel in behind the cap and generally you can pry it out. Sometimes a bit more chiseling is required. I'd get a 2 part taco plug to replace. Or a plastic/rubber mechanical plug. The ones with metal plates rust out bad so I'd avoid them.
Hi Bob, my cleanout trap is right outside my entrance door. Originally it had 4" countersunk threaded plug from 1978. Recently Local sewer company chiseled it out to snake the clogged drain line. Now they replaced it with Fitall led plug like you suggested. Now the million-dollar problem is that plugs stick out above ground and a constant hazard for people entering or leaving the house could trip and sue me. Even putting entrance mat does not solve the problem of tripping. How can I get 4" countersunk FITALL plug that remains reasonably flat to the floor? Technician suggested me to buy 4" brass countersink cover. Not sure being old trap the condition of the threads. I am sure this is regular problem with clean out traps installed on walkways outside the property that requires to be flat and not 1" square x 3/4" tall plug sticking out to be hazard. Appreciate your response,
Two possibilities . A - amzn.to/3MPHq9Q B - amzn.to/3OMdzAG
Or #3 just feather out some mortar over it and any tech can chip it out easy when they need to get in the line
Gotta try 3 1/2" brass cap and even if threads are shot u can likely get them to catch
What if that cover is on a horizontal pipe?? I have a "Y" in ancient cast iron, brass cap 4" , chopping it off tomorrow. Are those lead plugs water tight??
Those plugs are not 100% watertight. In my area, they're generally in a pit below grade. If the sewer were clogged you might get some seepage, but they'll stay in place.
@@BobsPlumbingVideos My drain in my old Victorian tenement house has a heavy wall 4" cast iron pipe with a cleanout plug I cannot remove, I gotta slice it to get it out. Monitor Cast Iron out of NY late 1800, early 1900s. The brass cover measures up at 4.375 O.D. and the plumbing supply store has been trying to help, but not much luck. The 4" tet plug only expands to 4.25/4 - 1/4 the inside diameter is 4.375/ 4 - 3/8ths.This Y drain pipe is in a pit, under the basement floor and I'd only change this stuff if something snapped, big repair! Anyhow, I thought you were saying "Fiddal" like a brand name, apparently it is Fit-Al but they don't stock them, he ordered me one yesterday. I'm afraid to cut the cover off and snake this until I have 2 means of closing the pipe. I've been using a J hook for 6 weeks to remove blockages. I have 1 tenant out of 6 that is flushing paper towels, I have no idea why they are doing this to me, I have told everyone that only TP goes in a toilet, yet it continues. Sometimes they go down, other times they wrap up in a ball. I've cleaned it 7X now and often have to pump out 50 gallons from the pit, it's a nightmare. Aside from separating the drains, how can I catch this person that obviously has a grudge on me??
ATC MadNess
That’s is a tough situation with the tenant and I don’t how you’re going to control that?
Sounds like an ongoing problem? Correct it’s a lead “Fit All” cover.
@@BobsPlumbingVideos Yep, started back in April and continues today. I've spoken to every one of them and I have mainly single men in the home. Some of which owe me thousands, but we get along, I don't hound them and I can't see why someone is still putting paper towels down the drain. It's made my life very difficult but once I have a cap I can just snake it anytime I want until I find a way to expose this person playing games... The cover came in so hopefully this weekend I can attack the drain. Thanks fgor your video or I wouldn't have know what's out there...
what type of drill bit is best to use to drill through these brass plugs?
Any good quality high speed carbon drill bit regardless of manufacturer. The brass is soft and will drill out nicely.
@@BobsPlumbingVideos thanks for the response. besides material of the bit, what type of bit is best? i have heard that a twisted bit will catch on brass? there are SO many options / types... a bit [no pun intended 😋] overwhelming for a novice.
which side do you open first if theres a clog?
Always the street side! In my experience it's generally stopped on the house side. By removing the street side the water will have a place to go once once you pop off the house side. Now if it's stopped on the street side...LOOK OUT!
check street side first....open slowly
Thanks
Thank you for checking out the video! Bob
I live in Minnesota, we do not have traps like that on main lines, how in the hell can you get a 6 inch blade through the main line when you have a trapezoid plant?
Talk to text did not work out so well I will ask the question again LOL
You can get blades down through the outlet side of a mousetrap if you know what you're doing...idk about 6" but 3" or maybe 4"...
What can be done with a sewer vent cap near the road ??? Thanks
Not sure if I'm familiar with that scenario, feel free to send me some pic's - info@robertsessaplumbing.com.
@@BobsPlumbingVideos WIll get back to you fella. V
I assume the lead ones unscrew after set so the sewer can be cleaned?
You hit them down to set them, tap them out on either side to remove them. you don't screw them down.
hey bob my sewer drain cover looks like a pumkin head how do i fix this and take it off?
+Undead Tenno send me a couple of photos: info@bobsplumbingvideos.com.
+BobsPlumbingVideos where do i go on your website?
+BobsPlumbingVideos or do you have a facebook?
Yep!
my lead cover probably hasnt been opened in forever. Its jammed in pretty good. how the heck can i get it out? Ive tapped on all sides. Dont want to hit it too hard. Any ideas how to get it off? I even put penetrating oil
Did you watch the entire video? I walk thru the process
@@BobsPlumbingVideos yes I watched ypu tap it but mine is almost completely down. i got it slightly raised on one side but the other side theres a wall close by. I can tap with a hammer like you did but that doesnt seem to be doing anything. the side i got up slightly i used a screwdriver on an angle to slightly raise it but theres no room on the other side to get a screwdriver on an angle. am i just not hitting it hard enough? if it was brass i would drill it out like you showed but what options do i have with the lead?
Robert R So it’s a lead fit all plug that won’t come out? Have you tried hitting the hex nut in all directions with a hammer? That will generally get it out.
On rare occasions that doesn’t work, in which case I’ll take an old Chunky screw driver and pry out the lead from around the center iron plug.
Be careful, you do not want to crack the trap!
@@BobsPlumbingVideos Hi, Thanks for replying. I have hit it in all directions I just dont know if im being too soft with it. i am being very careful not to crack the trap. I had a thought of putting a vise grip on the hex and hitting the vise grip upward with a hammer. im just not sure if i have a vise grip big enough. Any thoughts on that? I appreciate your suggestions. thank you
You can get pretty aggressive whacking that center hex nut without damaging the trap. North/South , East/West until it comes out.
where do you buy cast iron taper cap.
Jesus Luna Any reputable plumbing supply house!
thank you.
My cleanout plug doesn't have the square for a wrench. Instead it has a giant slot like for a giant screwdriver. Do you know if those are made of brass? It's from the 1960's.
I've seen them . they're brass and can be removed in a similar fashion as the the one in this video.
I've got the same thing in PVC, and cannot figure out how to get a tool of some sort into it to tighten and loosen them.
Didn't you say you can damage the trap if you hit it
Hi, my old cap says 3 1/2 in on it. I'm assuming the 4 in won't fit. I cannot find a 3 1/2 in lead cap anywhere!!! Also when I do hopefully find one do I use taper tape on it?
Try here - bit.ly/3g3dc5p. No need for tape!
What about if sewage comes in from the street during a flood? Will that lead 4 inch cap hold the pressure from the street? That’s my worry. I used a lead cap also but not confident on how much street pressure the lead cap with hole. Also be careful not to hit that lead cap to hard in the middle they break easy if you hit it too hard. Take it from me:-)
I agree, you can damage them if you whack them too hard in the center. My experience is that if they're set in place properly they should hold back a decent amount of pressure. Of course anything is possible, but I've never had one blow off.
What did you do to remove the plug once you hit in the middle cap? Just happened to me and a little worried about getting it off
How do you remove a stubborn pvc cleanout cover?
Exact same technique, much easier than fussing with those brass covers.
@@BobsPlumbingVideos
I've even tried soaking the threads with WD -40 for about 2 hours now, and it STILL won't come off! I think I'm just gonna dig deeper to expose more pvc and cut the cover and adapter off with a hacksaw!! :(
Thank GOD in Chicago we don’t have house traps I’ve heard of them in plumbing school when I was a apprentice although plumbing concept is the same codes are different
Personally, I don't know why? If all the individual fixtures are trapped, why stick another trap in line where all sorts of garbage can collect? New York Is way over regulated.
Lead knockouts are what we call them... never hit that lead knockout in the center.. unless you really know what your doing.. lightly tap it, then hit the perimeter Tap it in a circular fashion, force the lead to mold into all the pits in the cast iron
Well said Robert! Thank You! Bob.
There's a way that you can drill most of the plug out with one motion. Regards, 'The Puzzler' 🏆
I know it is quite off topic but does anyone know of a good place to stream new tv shows online ?
@Colt Corbin i would suggest Flixzone. You can find it on google :)
@Colt Corbin I use FlixZone. Just search on google for it =)
MY SHOWER DRAIS FOREVER AND I CANNOT OPEN THE PLUG UNDER THE HOUSE, CRAWL SPACE: I SEE IT BUT USE ALL KINS OF DRANO, WD 40, WRENCH, NOTHIG WORKS. WHAT IS THE SOLUTION; A GALLON OF WATER AND IT IS PLUGGED.
Gotta chop / cut it out!
I rarely get an old brass plug out without destroying it. The company I work for does mostly light commercial new construction so we deal with a lot of cast iron. I’m also the service guy so I deal with both. The problem we have is we take on more work than we can handle so we’re always behind. Because of this they do a lot of rough and too out inspections. So the wall clean outs have to be water tight. This means they’re cranked in there because those thin brass clean out plugs in cast iron are hard to seal for a 5’ head test. I don’t think they’re tapered which is what causes this. Anyone the few times I’ve had to come in afterward, I either destroy the plug or destroy part of the wall trying the get it out. What I’ve been doing to resolve this is putting anti seize pipe dope or Teflon on them and then putting them back on. Also if I can after we pass inspection I go pull all the plugs and put the anti seize dope on them and then put them back on. I haven’t come back to one with that anti seize tape or dope on it so I don’t know how well it’s works after years of sitting but it can be worse. As for the rubber test plugs, we just smoke tested a church. We did the plumbing and they had a sewer smell from the beginning. We never could find it. Finally we did a smoke test and it was coming out of a cast iron cleanout with a rubber plug in it. Though to be fair I think it was in there crooked so it might have work is it we’re straight.
Bob, but isn't the lead sewer plug expose the sewer supply to Lead?
Not quite understanding your question? You mean the water supply?
Technically, the environment since it’s lead, right? Of course it’s going to the wastewater treatment plant, but I think it must increase lead in treated water.
I live in Minnesota, we do not have traps like that in our main lines, how is it possible to get a 6 inch blade through that trap all the way out to the city line? I am very happy that we do not have idiotic code like that here...When I look at that, I see that as a major hindrance and have absolutely zero value in, except that it is job security
Absolutely agree! Every fixture is trapped individually, the house trap makes no sense but that's code. Depending on which side the stoppage is, we send our snake from the house side back or the street side out.
Hey Robert nice vid need your advice on something Will message you.
Ron from Airtite
Heat the plug with your torch , pour a cup of water on it, out it comes.
if your not sure if its street or house side backed up and you cut the plug out??? giant mess
One big smelly mess...ugh!!
Unless it under a bunch of pressure itll be fine. Flood level is going to be the nearest fd more than likely not the trap. If the city main was backed up I suppose it could..
Or just screw it on a little bit and then add caulking to seal it up.
it`s all wrong for a snake
some how my 1926 plug was to loose i had to tighten it some times you get lucky.
Excellent video!!!
Thank you, Bobby, I appreciate that. Regards, Bob.
BobsPlumbingVideos Just fixed my line stoppage with your help!!!
Excellent!