Capping off old sewer pipe inside house

We have an uncapped old sewer line in our basement that was walled in by the previous owners. We only know this because when we had a plumber out to snake our sewer line (for tree roots), they accidentally sent the snake in the wrong way and managed to pull out some insulation. When they sent the camera in to look we found a pipe filled with insulation and when he pushed the camera farther through we were looking at 2x4's and walls. We know basically where the problem is but it will require tearing out walls in my downstairs finished bathroom.

My question is, once I find the uncapped pipe, can I just put a regular pipe cap on it or do I need some special cap to keep the sewer gases from building up? Thanks for any help!

I have one of those in my basement. I just use a rubber cap that looks like a fernco.

Like this:

My line was left uncapped for years. It didn't smell. Hate to think how blocked it must have been. I'll soon find out when I finish the basement.

Fernco Qwik Cap.

The "gem" cap style will work but I prefer to use the cast iron hard caps with no-hub bands if the piping is cast and clue-on caps if plastic...
The rubber ones do deteriorate and crack over time....

Use a Blind Plug, cast iron, and a no hub cplg.

I would not use a rubber jim cap or fernco because a cable cutter will penetrate it and you will be back to square one.

Also, I would never bury anything rubber like a cap in the wall anyways.

If you want it solved forever, use a cast blnd plug and no hub torqued to 60 lbs

Not sure what code you go by but you're not allowed to just put a cap on the pipe because that constitutes a "dead end" which is not allowed in IPC. I would punch a hole through the wall and continue the pipe outside with a cleanout cap to make a cleanout. You already have a root problem so look for solutions to solve futrure problems. Next time the plumber could use this cleanout to access your entire line, even under the house.

gear junkie said:

Not sure what code you go by but you're not allowed to just put a cap on the pipe because that constitutes a "dead end" which is not allowed in IPC. I would punch a hole through the wall and continue the pipe outside with a cleanout cap to make a cleanout. You already have a root problem so look for solutions to solve futrure problems. Next time the plumber could use this cleanout to access your entire line, even under the house.

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Hello Ben!!!!!