Drain Excavation in Stone Mountain, GA

The small fitting that makes drains serviceable

A cleanout is a capped opening on a drain line, put there so a cable, a jetting hose or a camera can get into the pipe without pulling a toilet or climbing onto the roof. Inside a house, cleanouts sit at the base of stacks, in walls and under sinks. Outside, there is often one near the foundation where the drain leaves the house. When a home has none, or the one it has is buried, cracked or seized shut, every future drain problem becomes harder to diagnose and fix. Drain excavation is the moment to correct that: the ground is already open, and adding or rebuilding access is a small addition to the dig itself. It is worth knowing what access a Stone Mountain house has before a backup forces the question.

Common cleanout problems

• None at all. Some older homes were built with few or no accessible cleanouts, so the only way into the drain is through a fixture.
• Lost under the yard. Landscaping, mulch or a raised bed can bury an outdoor cleanout until nobody remembers where it is.
• A cracked riser. A mower, a car tire or a dropped tool can break the vertical pipe that rises to the cap, letting soil, water and roots into the drain.
• A seized cap. Old cast iron plugs can corrode in place, and forcing them can crack the fitting.
• A bad location. A cleanout sealed behind a finished wall or tile is about as useful as none.

Finding a cleanout nobody can see

If there should be an outdoor cleanout but none is visible, a thin probe pushed into soft soil, or a metal detector for an iron cap, can turn it up. Failing that, a camera fed in from inside carries a transmitter that a locator can follow from above to the spot where the cleanout ought to be. During a sewer camera inspection, the footage also reveals whether the riser and the fitting under it are still in one piece.

Repairing a broken cleanout riser

A damaged riser is a small dig with a clear goal. The soil around it is opened by hand down to the fitting where it meets the drain, and the riser is cut below the break, or the whole fitting is replaced if it is cracked. A new riser goes up to grade with a fresh cap. In a lawn, a small access box keeps the cap visible and out of a mower's path; in a driveway or walk, a cover rated for traffic protects it. Before the hole is closed, the drain is run with water to confirm the joint is tight.

Adding access during a drain dig

When the ground is already open for another repair, that is the ideal moment to add a cleanout. Good spots include just upstream of the repaired section, near where the drain leaves the foundation, and at changes in direction that a cable struggles to get around. A two-way cleanout lets a plumber clean or inspect in either direction. Future visits for hydro jetting or a camera check then begin at the cleanout instead of at a toilet, which is quicker and far less messy for everyone.

Checking with Stone Mountain City Hall first

Stone Mountain asks residents to check with City Hall before any construction begins, even work they believe needs no permit, and the Building Department warns that skipping a required trade permit can bring delays and penalties. Because the city's plumbing permit form covers sewer and water service lines, a call before the dig settles whether a cleanout repair or addition needs one.

Cleanout questions

How do I know if my house has a cleanout?

Look for a capped pipe a few inches above the ground near the foundation, usually on the side closest to the bathrooms or kitchen, and for threaded plugs at the base of drain stacks in a garage, basement or utility closet. If you find nothing, a plumber can check from inside with a camera and locator. Many homes have at least one, though some older houses have none.

Is a cracked cleanout cap a big deal?

A cracked cap on its own is a quick fix, but it should not be ignored. An open cleanout lets rainwater and debris into the drain and can let sewer odor out. If the riser below the cap is also broken, soil and roots can get in, and that calls for digging down to replace it.

Can a cleanout be added without a full excavation?

Sometimes. If the drain is shallow and easy to locate, adding an outdoor cleanout is a small, targeted dig over the pipe. Indoors, one can sometimes be added where the drain is exposed, such as in a crawlspace or garage. Adding one beneath a slab floor usually means cutting the concrete, so it is best combined with another repair.

Give your drains a way in

Not sure where the cleanouts are at your Stone Mountain home, or know one is broken? Call (404) 409-4448, and we will find them, check them with a camera and recommend whether to repair one or add another.