Most homeowners don’t understand or know what a clean-out is. In simple terms, a well designed and up to code drain system has cleanouts located in different places around the house that are easy to access. These cleanouts allow access to the drain pipes so that the plumber can snake, rooter, or auger the pipes to clear any clogs. Clean-outs are designed for easy drain cleaning access to your drain system and will allow the use of the right equipment to clean or rooter your drains.

 

Places for a clean-out are right outside your kitchen drain wall. You will often find a drain cap on the wall just outside your kitchen sink window, or under your kitchen sink cabinet. Your laundry drain will also have a clean-out, and your lavatory sink should have a clean-out as well. But the most important clean-out is your main sewer line clean-out. Your main drain is the drain where all the drains connect, if the main drain doesn’t work you will not be able to use any drains inside your home, especially your toilet, bathtub or shower. The main drain clean-out will be ground level, usually around the front or back of your home close to a front wall or on the wall itself. Main drain clean-outs are normally 3″ or 4″ in diameter for a typical home and allow easy drain cleaning access.

 

Are P-Traps Clean-outs?

 

No, P-traps are not clean-outs or proper access. P-traps prevent sewer smells from entering the home. But if you don’t have a clean-out the p-trap can be removed to access the drain for drain-cleaning. Again p-traps are not clean-outs but can be used to access the drains. However, when using a p-trap is harder to snake a drain.