Help with retrieval: Dropped 3” PVC flat clean out cover into a 4" sanitary sewer clean out

[Upshitcreek]

So, a 3" PVC flat clean out cover fell into a 4" sanitary sewer clean out pipe. I can see it at the bottom, but it’s exactly 10 feet down the vertical pipe, sitting at the bottom and I can’t figure out how to get it out. Tried a shop vac but the 3” cover always drops about a foot off the bottom.

The cleanout is in the yard on the lateral, 50 feet out of the house and a straight shot of 80 feet from the street. Any ideas on removing this thing? Would this flush down into the municipal sewer if I turned the water on full blast in the house? If it has to come out and I can’t get it, would any drain cleaning company be able to fish this out?

 

[Tuttles Revenge]

I would attempt removal before I sent that down the line.. Your municipal sewer does see its share of things that they shouldn't tho.

I would try a wad of sticky Gorilla duct tape on a rod.. make a ball of it over something soft and pliable.. you're going to need all your Operation skills to not knock it off.

The risk of letting it go down the drain is that it could get hung up and act as a valve in your drain. I've seen it happen with test cookies..

And because I'm McGuivery... Maybe even a 3/4" steel pipe that the end is made grippy / sharp teeth cut on it to hold it in place.. Then insert a length of all thread rod with a rod coupling and a coach screw.. Have someone hold pressure down on the pipe while another person attaches a drill to the rod to screw it into the clean out (assuming its plastic)... but dont screw through the drain pipe..

 

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[Reach4]

More powerful shop vac?

 

[Jeff H Young]

the duct tape idea sounds real good!

 

[Plumbs]

If you're able to see it at the base of the clean out then you can try using some jb weld on the end of a 3/4 inch pipe. Just let it sit long enough for it to set before trying to pull it out.
If you can't pull it out then you could push it out with a sewer camera or a jetter.

 

[James Henry]

Been there, done that. Called a septic tank cleaning company and they used a 2" hose on their truck vac to pull it out with ease.

 

[Tughillrzr]

Wow just had a tenant accidentally drop a rock down sewer clean out. 550 dollars later I own a 8’ grabber with a couple different heads from potter tools. Trap was just over 84” down. I figured a vac truck would work but seems no one has a adapter to reduce the size down to two”. Septic pumper guys said same thing. With the light weight of pvc, use a paint stick 3” roller frame bust off the cage and an use ext pole. Just lift and keep pressure against pipe. It works !

 

[Tuttles Revenge]

Wow just had a tenant accidentally drop a rock down sewer clean out. 550 dollars later I own a 8’ grabber with a couple different heads from potter tools. Trap was just over 84” down. I figured a vac truck would work but seems no one has a adapter to reduce the size down to two”. Septic pumper guys said same thing. With the light weight of pvc, use a paint stick 3” roller frame bust off the cage and an use ext pole. Just lift and keep pressure against pipe. It works !

Got a link to that 8ft grabber?

 

[Tughillrzr]

Got a link to that 8ft grabber?

https://www.pollardwatercatalog.com/Water-and-Wastewater-Catalog-178/135/

Pliers head worked great. Bring step ladder and only down fall is you just need to to lift on handle to really keep pressure on objects. Spring isn’t that good. But it worked great other then that.