Donald Hester
Washington State Licensed Home Inspector #647
WSDA#80050
InterNachi Member #NACHI10022401
509-670-9572
Contact Us
Washington State Licensed Home Inspector #647
WSDA#80050
InterNachi Member #NACHI10022401
509-670-9572
Contact Us
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Clean up on plumbing cleanouts
Submitted by DonHester on Fri, 10/05/2012 - 10:17.Clean up on plumbing cleanouts- Wenatchee and Chelan Home Inspection Services
Poor plumbers there made fun of and jokes abound about them. But they are one of the trades like an electrician that has a very extensive set of rules (codes). This is for good reason, we want the poo to go away efficiently, we do not want any leaks and we do not want to contaminate the drinking supply of water.
There is a joke that claims the plumbers' rule book has just two entries: The first rule is that crap flows downhill and the second rule is do not bite your nails.
I tell plumbers all the time their job is safe with me. I always squirt something on a plumbing project.
So this brings us to another matter. It does not matter how well thought out or how carefully installed the waste system has been performed drains can still become clogged. So an access for cleaning them out must be provided in specific locations.
Here we have a missing cleanout at the foundation wall. There was no cleanout on the exterior of the home.
In older homes often the cleanout will get used for additional connections to the DWV (drain, waste, vent) system or replaced with a plumbing waste line. This cannot be done without a proper cleanout installed.
The IRC states this-
P3005.2.7 Building drain and building sewer junction.
There shall be a cleanout near the junction of the building drain and building sewer . This cleanout shall be either inside or outside the building wall, provided that it is brought up to finish grade or to the lowest floor level. An approved two-way cleanout shall be permitted to serve as the required cleanout for both the building drain and the building sewer . The cleanout at the junction of the building drain and building sewer shall not be required where a cleanout on a 3-inch (76 mm) or larger diameter soil stack is located within a developed length of 10 feet (3048 mm) of the building drain and building sewer junction.
P3005.2.4 Change of direction.
Cleanouts shall be installed at each fitting with a change of direction more than 45 degrees (0.79 rad) in the building sewer, building drain and horizontal waste or soil lines. Where more than one change of direction occurs in a run of piping, only one cleanout shall be required in each 40 feet (12 192 mm) of developed length of the drainage piping.
Remember cleanouts need to be always accessible.
“Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance.”
Will Durant
NCW Home Inspections, LLC is a Licensed Washington State Home Inspection service located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas County, Kittitas County, Okanogan County and Grant County Washington and the cities of Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Oroville, Cle Elum, East Wenatchee, Quincy and many more…
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www.ncwhomeinspections.com 509-670-9572
