Main cleanout searching

[Guv Bob]

Welp, I'm still poking and digging around the front and not found the main cleanout yet. Any suggestions or wise cracks would be appreciated.

From the plumbing code and the city sewer dude, it should be either in an outside wall or within 3 feet from the house. If underground, it is supposed to extend to grade. Nothing yet.

There is an "X" mark on the curb 3-ft south of the water meter - this is where the city dude said the main it likely to be. Straight line from there to the house is an obvious place, but no cleanout that I could find.

About 15 feet north of the meter is a brass tag fastened to the curb engraved with LS and a number. A line from there to the house would run straight into the garage. Thru the garage are both bathrooms and drain in garage. No cleanouts on the outside wall or the wall between garage and house.

Will call the city Monday and ask if that could be it. Either way, I'm going to take a trip to the city and see what kind of plans they have for this house. Been wanting to do this for a long time.

For info, here's the Calif Plumbing Code Chapter 7 - Drainage.

707 is cleanouts...

[Guv Bob]

and camera deals.

Know what?

[TomR]

I usually find the curb vent or sewer cleanout to be near the curb, maybe a foot or two in from the curb, although I do have one property in Pennsylvania where it is located in the middle of the front yard. They are usually at or near the surface, or maybe as much as 4 or 5 inches down if the grass has grown and built up that area of ground over the years.

The other thing that I do is I look to see if my neighbors have exposed sewer cleanouts and I look at where they are located in relation to the curb line. By doing that, I found that one sewer cleanout was on the front lawn right before the sidewalk (about a foot in) rather than next to the curb -- and I figured that out because that's where the neighbor's cleanout is located.

When searching, I use something thin like an ice pick or a long thin screwdriver since I have never found any cleanout or access cover to be more than a few inches under the ground.

In many towns, if you tell them you are having problems with the sewer line drainage and that you can't seem to locate the curb vent, they will come out and find it for you for free.

Curb markings are usually color coded. Green paint means sewer line. Blue means water. Yellow means natrural gas, etc.

Here's a link with the U.S.A. color codes under "United States":

[Pavel314]

n cleanout yet. Any suggestions or wise cracks would be appreciated.

outside wall or within 3 feet from the house. If underground, it is suppo sed to extend to grade. Nothing yet.

where the city dude said the main it likely to be. Straight line from ther e to the house is an obvious place, but no cleanout that I could find.

aved with LS and a number. A line from there to the house would run straig ht into the garage. Thru the garage are both bathrooms and drain in garage . No cleanouts on the outside wall or the wall between garage and house.

oing to take a trip to the city and see what kind of plans they have for th is house. Been wanting to do this for a long time.

If the pipe or lid of the cleanout are metal, you should be able to find it with a metal detector. If it's all clay, that won't work.