Cleanout plug missing

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Jmcc64

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Today my mother asked me to go outside her house and listen while she flushed the MB toilet. As it happens there is a foundation vent right at the location of the toilet. Well sure enough I could here water running very clearly in the crawlspace. I opened the crawlspace access and with a flashlight I had a good view of the area and had her flush again. Water cascading out of the cleanout. Apparently the toilet drains into a sanitary Tee (correct?) and There is a cleanout plug attached to or is immediately adjacent to the Tee.

My question is, can these things work themselves out or more likely the hack plumber who they hired to "fix" some drain issues in the nearby kitchen, (was an air vent problem in an island sink) forget to put it back in after "rodding out the lines"?
 

Reach4

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Toilet draining into a sanitary tee may or may not be OK. Sanitary tee carrying waste should only carry waste into the side, and out the bottom. A wye is better. Sanitary tee with the two in-line ports horizontal is not ok today, but the very old installation may be grandfathered in.

Is this cast iron drainage plumbing? Was the old plug sitting there? I doubt that it worked its way out, so your theory that somebody was rodding and forgot to put the plug back. If you can put it back in, I would use PTFE tape. Plugs into cast iron are usually brass or bronze or plastic.
 

Jmcc64

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Toilet draining into a sanitary tee may or may not be OK. Sanitary tee carrying waste should only carry waste into the side, and out the bottom. A wye is better. Sanitary tee with the two in-line ports horizontal is not ok today, but the very old installation may be grandfathered in.

Is this cast iron drainage plumbing? Was the old plug sitting there? I doubt that it worked its way out, so your theory that somebody was rodding and forgot to put the plug back. If you can put it back in, I would use PTFE tape. Plugs into cast iron are usually brass or bronze or plastic.
all PVC circa 1998. I'm not exactly sure what fitting it is but I told her to call the plumber to clean up his mess.
 

Jmcc64

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I hate to resurrect an old thread but as mentioned above the plumber did come out and fix the issue. No admission of guilt, that I'm aware of. So this week, my mother gets his bill. I'm tempted to tell her to trash it.

Bottom line for the pros on here, what is the likelihood that the PVC cleanout plug came COMPLETELY out on its own accord vs some outside force (his guys) causing it to happen?
 

John Gayewski

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I hate to resurrect an old thread but as mentioned above the plumber did come out and fix the issue. No admission of guilt, that I'm aware of. So this week, my mother gets his bill. I'm tempted to tell her to trash it.

Bottom line for the pros on here, what is the likelihood that the PVC cleanout plug came COMPLETELY out on its own accord vs some outside force (his guys) causing it to happen?
A threaded plug? Should be taped and doped. Zero likleyhood it came out in its own. Someone definitely removed it if it's a threaded plug. That doesn't mean it was the plumber who removed it though. Did she call a drain cleaner after the plumber got there, and told her that her drain needed cleaned? The actual events that happened and on the correct order would give a good answer to who is responsible.
 

Jeff H Young

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true a main cleanout plug might not have been removed by this guy coulda been another plumber the kitchen drain might have been unrelated too little info to say it was him. but plug was likely removed more recent and not left off years ago
 

Jmcc64

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A threaded plug? Should be taped and doped. Zero likleyhood it came out in its own. Someone definitely removed it if it's a threaded plug. That doesn't mean it was the plumber who removed it though. Did she call a drain cleaner after the plumber got there, and told her that her drain needed cleaned? The actual events that happened and on the correct order would give a good answer to who is responsible.
Threaded plug. Nobody else was under the house except this one plumber
 

Tuttles Revenge

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What was the issue with the plug? Did it spill sewage or just the principal that they didn't screw it back on but left it on the ground?

They do not ever loosen up on their own accord if they're tightened in by hand let alone finished with a wrench. Just can't happen.
 

Jeff H Young

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Not real clear but he had a blockage in kitchen line and later his mom heard water running under house . and he says a cleanout plug was left off by someone at some time.
Sounds simple he should be able to unravel the culprit , On other hand no idea if its another line
 

Reach4

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Post #1 said "Water cascading out of the cleanout." Sounds like a clogged pipe below the cleanout. Cascading is a strong word IMO, but if there is a clog, then there would be solids coming out of the cleanout too. So for now, I presume that Jmcc64 did not get close enough to check for that.

For planning purposes, let's presume solids are also coming out. I would be thinking somebody needs to rod below that cleanout, and then restore the plug. For that I would be looking for a drain cleaning specialist who can best fit into the crawlspace, and rod. But lacking that, somebody who can just low crawl to the cleanout and restore the plug would be good. Take PTFE tape and a flashlight and a wrench.

Jmcc64 also said "There is a cleanout plug attached to or is immediately adjacent to the Tee. " That description confuses me. Was the plug higher than ground level? If so, what holds it up if it is not in place? Sometimes the cellphone camera, especially if there is a night mode to use in low light, can see better than the eye. Take the photo, then zoom in to the area of the cleanout.
 

Jeff H Young

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Yea well its over now but , the story was confusing water cascading etc. I hate to throw the plumber under the bus with such a sketchy story but I kinda did
 

Jmcc64

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Post #1 said "Water cascading out of the cleanout." Sounds like a clogged pipe below the cleanout. Cascading is a strong word IMO, but if there is a clog, then there would be solids coming out of the cleanout too. So for now, I presume that Jmcc64 did not get close enough to check for that.

For planning purposes, let's presume solids are also coming out. I would be thinking somebody needs to rod below that cleanout, and then restore the plug. For that I would be looking for a drain cleaning specialist who can best fit into the crawlspace, and rod. But lacking that, somebody who can just low crawl to the cleanout and restore the plug would be good. Take PTFE tape and a flashlight and a wrench.

Jmcc64 also said "There is a cleanout plug attached to or is immediately adjacent to the Tee. " That description confuses me. Was the plug higher than ground level? If so, what holds it up if it is not in place? Sometimes the cellphone camera, especially if there is a night mode to use in low light, can see better than the eye. Take the photo, then zoom in to the area of the cleanout.
nope, not curious kids that's for sure. The plug was directly beneath the toilet, a tee(?), one direction is to the plug, the other, to the drain. I'm not going in there, but will take a look through the crawlspace foundation vent to see what I can. The culprit is only about 2 feet from the vent, so can kinda make out whats what if I have enough light. To answer the above, I'm not sure if solids were in fact coming out, (and was not about to check).
 
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