Where Is the Sewer Cleanout in My Florida Home?

If you have a clog or blockage in your main sewer line, often the first thing a professional will ask you is, “Where’s your sewer cleanout?”

Well, here’s what a typical sewer cleanout looks like:

A typical sewer cleanout. Other types of cleanouts have a cap that looks like this.

Now, finding your sewer cleanout can be a little tricky because different homes have them in slightly different locations.

Some tips on where to find your home’s sewer cleanout include:

1. Look for a white (sometimes black) cap in the front yard. Make sure to look behind and under bushes near the house. Sometimes the sewer cleanout cap is covered with a plastic lid.
2. Check the sides of the house where the bathrooms are to see if the sewer cleanout cap is there.
3. This is not common, but some houses have the cleanout inside the house behind toilets. Check there if you can’t find the sewer cleanout cap outside.

Once you find the sewer cleanout, you’ll want to contact a professional to help you clear your main sewer line because it’s a dirty job that requires special plumbing tools.

Curious what a sewer cleanout does? Read on...

What’s the Purpose of a Sewer Cleanout?

The purpose of your home’s sewer cleanout is to give you access to your home’s main sewer line.

We’ll explain why that’s important...

Secondary lines feed into your home’s main sewer line

Ideally, your home’s plumbing system should work like the image above, where water flows from your home’s plumbing fixtures (toilets, sinks, etc.) into the main sewer drain.

A clog in the main sewer line

But, when there’s a clog in the main drain, water can’t pass through the blockage, which will quickly lead to problems like water backing up in your bathtub when you flush the toilet.

Thankfully, though, your sewer cleanout gives a professional direct access to the main sewer drain. A professional will have the right tools to clear whatever is causing the clog, like a plumber’s auger or, for more severe clogs, a water jetting machine.

What you’ll actually pay to have your sewer line unclogged depends on these cost factors:

• How accessible your cleanout is: If the cleanout is too far from the clog’s location, the plumber may have to go on the roof or inside your home to access the sewer line, which makes the job more expensive.
• How severe the clog is: If the clog is small and easy to clear, it won’t be very expensive. But if it’s a tougher clog, that could require a water jetter, which is more expensive.
• Where the clog is located: The deeper the clog is in your sewer lines, the more expensive it will be to unclog it.

Need a Plumber’s Help?

Can’t find the sewer cleanout? Or need a plumber’s help clearing a sewer line clog?

Give us a call. We’ll answer any questions you have or send a plumber to fix whatever’s causing your plumbing system to clog.