I have a 40 year old cast iron sewer line and there is a cleanout in the
middle of my concrete driveway.

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w...umbing/CO2.jpg

I believe it is a two way cleanout (with two openings) like this:

http://www.abifoundry.com/images/SV_...y_Cleanout.gif

However, it obviously has not been opened for ages, and it obviously was
cemented over last time the driveway was redone however many years ago.

I need to open it up for drain cleaning and video inspection purposes, and I
could not figure out how to open it.

A close up:

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w...g/P1020896.jpg

Even closer on one of them:

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w...g/P1020895.jpg

The cement has to be quite thin considering if you look close enough, you
can actually see the metal rim flushed with the concrete driveway, although
it is surprising that the rim is so thin...

My assumption is that right underneath this thin layer of cement is a cast
iron or brass plug I can unscrew and open the access to the pipe. My worry
is the plug threads may be corroded or stuck...but I can't even get to the
first base.

I took a chisel and hammer and banged on the concrete inside the circles, I
chipped off some concrete bits. I banged on it more, the concrete did NOT
just shattered away and expose the metal plug, it almost felt like this
concrete is much deeper.

I don't want to keep hammering at it because it will certainly ruin the
metal plug thread or wedge it tight if I over do it.

I now wonder if I am not looking at brass plugs. Is it possible that there
is no plug? That the pipes were "sawed off" flushed with the concrete
driveway and they stuffed some newspaper or whatever to plug the holes
without dropping to the bottom, then pour concrete in that space?

How do I open this up without being totally destructive? If there is
nothing there and I break things loose, it will drop to the bottom of the
pipe for sure.

My next step is to dry a masonry bit and drill down the middle and see how
far it goes, but I thought I will post this here and get a few pointers
first.

Thanks,

MC

"MiamiCuse" wrote in message
...
I have a 40 year old cast iron sewer line and there is a cleanout in the
middle of my concrete driveway.

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w...umbing/CO2.jpg

I believe it is a two way cleanout (with two openings) like this:

http://www.abifoundry.com/images/SV_...y_Cleanout.gif

However, it obviously has not been opened for ages, and it obviously was
cemented over last time the driveway was redone however many years ago.

I need to open it up for drain cleaning and video inspection purposes, and
I could not figure out how to open it.

A close up:

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w...g/P1020896.jpg

Even closer on one of them:

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w...g/P1020895.jpg

The cement has to be quite thin considering if you look close enough, you
can actually see the metal rim flushed with the concrete driveway,
although it is surprising that the rim is so thin...

My assumption is that right underneath this thin layer of cement is a cast
iron or brass plug I can unscrew and open the access to the pipe. My
worry is the plug threads may be corroded or stuck...but I can't even get
to the first base.

I took a chisel and hammer and banged on the concrete inside the circles,
I chipped off some concrete bits. I banged on it more, the concrete did
NOT just shattered away and expose the metal plug, it almost felt like
this concrete is much deeper.

I don't want to keep hammering at it because it will certainly ruin the
metal plug thread or wedge it tight if I over do it.

I now wonder if I am not looking at brass plugs. Is it possible that
there is no plug? That the pipes were "sawed off" flushed with the
concrete driveway and they stuffed some newspaper or whatever to plug the
holes without dropping to the bottom, then pour concrete in that space?

How do I open this up without being totally destructive? If there is
nothing there and I break things loose, it will drop to the bottom of the
pipe for sure.

My next step is to dry a masonry bit and drill down the middle and see how
far it goes, but I thought I will post this here and get a few pointers
first.


*The round one looks as though someone made a homemade concrete plug and
access hole. Have you tried prying around with screwdrivers and chisels to
get it to lift up?

MiamiCuse wrote:
I have a 40 year old cast iron sewer line and there is a cleanout in the
middle of my concrete driveway.
....
Even closer on one of them:

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w...g/P1020895.jpg

The cement has to be quite thin considering if you look close enough, you
can actually see the metal rim flushed with the concrete driveway, although
it is surprising that the rim is so thin...

Yeah, that isn't cast drain, that's a thin wall tubing section.

I'd personally doubt it has anything to do w/ sanitary sewer; more like
a drive storm drain entrance.


My assumption is that right underneath this thin layer of cement is a cast
iron or brass plug I can unscrew and open the access to the pipe. My worry
is the plug threads may be corroded or stuck...but I can't even get to the
first base.

There ain't no plug nor threads--there ain't enough material there to
house them.

....

I now wonder if I am not looking at brass plugs. Is it possible that there
is no plug? That the pipes were "sawed off" flushed with the concrete
driveway and they stuffed some newspaper or whatever to plug the holes
without dropping to the bottom, then pour concrete in that space?

....

I'd almost bet that's the case and you're not going to find anything
useful even if you bore them out 'cuz (as above) I'd have to be shown
they were somehow connected to the sanitary sewer before I'd have a go
at 'em.

--

MiamiCuse wrote:
I have a 40 year old cast iron sewer line and there is a cleanout in
the middle of my concrete driveway.

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w...umbing/CO2.jpg

I believe it is a two way cleanout (with two openings) like this:

http://www.abifoundry.com/images/SV_...y_Cleanout.gif

However, it obviously has not been opened for ages, and it obviously
was cemented over last time the driveway was redone however many
years ago.
I need to open it up for drain cleaning and video inspection
purposes, and I could not figure out how to open it.

A close up:

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w...g/P1020896.jpg

Even closer on one of them:

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w...g/P1020895.jpg

The cement has to be quite thin considering if you look close enough,
you can actually see the metal rim flushed with the concrete
driveway, although it is surprising that the rim is so thin...

My assumption is that right underneath this thin layer of cement is a
cast iron or brass plug I can unscrew and open the access to the
pipe. My worry is the plug threads may be corroded or stuck...but I
can't even get to the first base.

I took a chisel and hammer and banged on the concrete inside the
circles, I chipped off some concrete bits. I banged on it more, the
concrete did NOT just shattered away and expose the metal plug, it
almost felt like this concrete is much deeper.

I don't want to keep hammering at it because it will certainly ruin
the metal plug thread or wedge it tight if I over do it.

I now wonder if I am not looking at brass plugs. Is it possible that
there is no plug? That the pipes were "sawed off" flushed with the
concrete driveway and they stuffed some newspaper or whatever to plug
the holes without dropping to the bottom, then pour concrete in that
space?

It is possible that someone ran a thin metal pipe over the cleanout top to
raise up the the finished concrete level. I would check if the metal edge,
that you can see, and determine if it is cast iron (brittle, will chip) or
sheet steel (will bend and crush).

How do I open this up without being totally destructive? If there is
nothing there and I break things loose, it will drop to the bottom of
the pipe for sure.

My next step is to dry a masonry bit and drill down the middle and
see how far it goes, but I thought I will post this here and get a
few pointers first.

Be carefull as masonry bits can drill through brass relatively easily. I
would drill a few small holes not too deep and keeping an eye on the color
of the dust, and then try chipping out between them with a chisel.


Thanks,

MC

On Jul 25, 4:36*pm, "MiamiCuse" wrote:

snip

Third link shows clean out on the left with letters 'C.O.'.If that is
original marking it could mean "clean out", so concentrating on that
one seems best place to start. A diamond hole saw from Harbor Freight
would be a low cost way to get through the concrete with little danger
of drilling into something vital.

Joe

"dpb" wrote in message
...
MiamiCuse wrote:
I have a 40 year old cast iron sewer line and there is a cleanout in the
middle of my concrete driveway.
...
Even closer on one of them:

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w...g/P1020895.jpg

The cement has to be quite thin considering if you look close enough, you
can actually see the metal rim flushed with the concrete driveway,
although it is surprising that the rim is so thin...

Yeah, that isn't cast drain, that's a thin wall tubing section.

I'd personally doubt it has anything to do w/ sanitary sewer; more like a
drive storm drain entrance.


It cannot be a storm drain. A storm drain would have the surrounding
sloping to it. This is located along the plane of the driveway. The
diameter of it is about 4", so it's too small for a storm drain.


My assumption is that right underneath this thin layer of cement is a
cast iron or brass plug I can unscrew and open the access to the pipe.
My worry is the plug threads may be corroded or stuck...but I can't even
get to the first base.

There ain't no plug nor threads--there ain't enough material there to
house them.

That is a good point. That makes it even more puzzling. Thanks.


...

I now wonder if I am not looking at brass plugs. Is it possible that
there is no plug? That the pipes were "sawed off" flushed with the
concrete driveway and they stuffed some newspaper or whatever to plug the
holes without dropping to the bottom, then pour concrete in that space?

...

I'd almost bet that's the case and you're not going to find anything
useful even if you bore them out 'cuz (as above) I'd have to be shown they
were somehow connected to the sanitary sewer before I'd have a go at 'em.

--

"EXT" wrote in message
anews.com...
MiamiCuse wrote:
I have a 40 year old cast iron sewer line and there is a cleanout in
the middle of my concrete driveway.

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w...umbing/CO2.jpg

I believe it is a two way cleanout (with two openings) like this:

http://www.abifoundry.com/images/SV_...y_Cleanout.gif

However, it obviously has not been opened for ages, and it obviously
was cemented over last time the driveway was redone however many
years ago.
I need to open it up for drain cleaning and video inspection
purposes, and I could not figure out how to open it.

A close up:

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w...g/P1020896.jpg

Even closer on one of them:

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w...g/P1020895.jpg

The cement has to be quite thin considering if you look close enough,
you can actually see the metal rim flushed with the concrete
driveway, although it is surprising that the rim is so thin...

My assumption is that right underneath this thin layer of cement is a
cast iron or brass plug I can unscrew and open the access to the
pipe. My worry is the plug threads may be corroded or stuck...but I
can't even get to the first base.

I took a chisel and hammer and banged on the concrete inside the
circles, I chipped off some concrete bits. I banged on it more, the
concrete did NOT just shattered away and expose the metal plug, it
almost felt like this concrete is much deeper.

I don't want to keep hammering at it because it will certainly ruin
the metal plug thread or wedge it tight if I over do it.

I now wonder if I am not looking at brass plugs. Is it possible that
there is no plug? That the pipes were "sawed off" flushed with the
concrete driveway and they stuffed some newspaper or whatever to plug
the holes without dropping to the bottom, then pour concrete in that
space?

It is possible that someone ran a thin metal pipe over the cleanout top to
raise up the the finished concrete level. I would check if the metal edge,
that you can see, and determine if it is cast iron (brittle, will chip) or
sheet steel (will bend and crush).

I see what you mean, so when they pour the new driveway it is higher. They
did not want to properly raise the cleanout but also did not want to totally
bury it so they put a "collar" around it to raise it. Geeez if that is the
case this would be a complicated one to deal with.



How do I open this up without being totally destructive? If there is
nothing there and I break things loose, it will drop to the bottom of
the pipe for sure.

My next step is to dry a masonry bit and drill down the middle and
see how far it goes, but I thought I will post this here and get a
few pointers first.

Be carefull as masonry bits can drill through brass relatively easily. I
would drill a few small holes not too deep and keeping an eye on the color
of the dust, and then try chipping out between them with a chisel.


Thanks,

MC

"Joe" wrote in message
...
On Jul 25, 4:36 pm, "MiamiCuse" wrote:

snip

Third link shows clean out on the left with letters 'C.O.'.If that is
original marking it could mean "clean out", so concentrating on that
one seems best place to start. A diamond hole saw from Harbor Freight
would be a low cost way to get through the concrete with little danger
of drilling into something vital.

Joe

You mean to get a 4" hole saw and saw on the outside of these 4" holes or
saw the inside of the hole?

MiamiCuse wrote:
....

It is possible that someone ran a thin metal pipe over the cleanout top to
raise up the the finished concrete level. I would check if the metal edge,
that you can see, and determine if it is cast iron (brittle, will chip) or
sheet steel (will bend and crush).

I see what you mean, so when they pour the new driveway it is higher. They
did not want to properly raise the cleanout but also did not want to totally
bury it so they put a "collar" around it to raise it. Geeez if that is the
case this would be a complicated one to deal with.
....

That is a possibility--again, are you _positive_ this is a reasonable
spot for sanitary sewer cleanout? Secondly, are you actually having
trouble; if so, what kind?

If this is what they did, they didn't do you any favors for sure--should
have inserted a ring or a double-walled section or similar to get access.

Do know something about whether the driveway was repoured and raised
that would substantiate that hypothesis?

Whatever they did, it certainly is clear that what you're looking at
isn't the sewer line/cleanout itself.

--

Looks like they are home made plugs so you can access the pipe below.
Forget using a chisel and only use a masonry bit if you have a hammer
drill. If I didn't have a hammer drill, I would use a 1/2" star bit to
remove the concrete around the edges and keep trying to pry them up.
Just ask at the hardware store for a 1/2" star bit, it may not look like
much but it's 1,000 times better than a chisel, they really do work. I
wouldn't worry about ruining the sheet metal, that was probably just a
form for when the concrete was poured. And seriously, wear safety
goggles! When all is said and done you can patch the holes and make
better plugs for the next time. Oh, if you happen to post another pic,
lay a ruler there so we know the size. Or of course you could measure
it and tell us how large around they are.

Tony



MiamiCuse wrote:
I have a 40 year old cast iron sewer line and there is a cleanout in the
middle of my concrete driveway.

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w...umbing/CO2.jpg

I believe it is a two way cleanout (with two openings) like this:

http://www.abifoundry.com/images/SV_...y_Cleanout.gif

However, it obviously has not been opened for ages, and it obviously was
cemented over last time the driveway was redone however many years ago.

I need to open it up for drain cleaning and video inspection purposes, and I
could not figure out how to open it.

A close up:

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w...g/P1020896.jpg

Even closer on one of them:

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w...g/P1020895.jpg

The cement has to be quite thin considering if you look close enough, you
can actually see the metal rim flushed with the concrete driveway, although
it is surprising that the rim is so thin...

My assumption is that right underneath this thin layer of cement is a cast
iron or brass plug I can unscrew and open the access to the pipe. My worry
is the plug threads may be corroded or stuck...but I can't even get to the
first base.

I took a chisel and hammer and banged on the concrete inside the circles, I
chipped off some concrete bits. I banged on it more, the concrete did NOT
just shattered away and expose the metal plug, it almost felt like this
concrete is much deeper.

I don't want to keep hammering at it because it will certainly ruin the
metal plug thread or wedge it tight if I over do it.

I now wonder if I am not looking at brass plugs. Is it possible that there
is no plug? That the pipes were "sawed off" flushed with the concrete
driveway and they stuffed some newspaper or whatever to plug the holes
without dropping to the bottom, then pour concrete in that space?

How do I open this up without being totally destructive? If there is
nothing there and I break things loose, it will drop to the bottom of the
pipe for sure.

My next step is to dry a masonry bit and drill down the middle and see how
far it goes, but I thought I will post this here and get a few pointers
first.

Thanks,

MC

In article , dpb wrote:
MiamiCuse wrote:
I have a 40 year old cast iron sewer line and there is a cleanout in the
middle of my concrete driveway.
....
Even closer on one of them:

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w...g/P1020895.jpg

The cement has to be quite thin considering if you look close enough, you
can actually see the metal rim flushed with the concrete driveway, although
it is surprising that the rim is so thin...

Yeah, that isn't cast drain, that's a thin wall tubing section.
[...]
There ain't no plug nor threads--there ain't enough material there to
house them.

I agree, no plug, no threads -- but I don't think it's any kind of thin-wall
tubing, either.

I think it's a Campbell's soup can.

In article , "MiamiCuse" wrote:
I have a 40 year old cast iron sewer line and there is a cleanout in the
middle of my concrete driveway.

Sure doesn't look like a sewer cleanout to me. And that would be an odd place
to put one, too. Why do you think that's what it is?

"dpb" wrote in message
...
MiamiCuse wrote:
...

It is possible that someone ran a thin metal pipe over the cleanout top
to raise up the the finished concrete level. I would check if the metal
edge, that you can see, and determine if it is cast iron (brittle, will
chip) or sheet steel (will bend and crush).

I see what you mean, so when they pour the new driveway it is higher.
They did not want to properly raise the cleanout but also did not want to
totally bury it so they put a "collar" around it to raise it. Geeez if
that is the case this would be a complicated one to deal with.
...

That is a possibility--again, are you _positive_ this is a reasonable spot
for sanitary sewer cleanout? Secondly, are you actually having trouble;
if so, what kind?

Location wise yes. I am trying to determine where the line is exactly, and
the CO locations made sense. The separation of the two holes are also
approximately consistent with a cast iron SV two way cleanout.


If this is what they did, they didn't do you any favors for sure--should
have inserted a ring or a double-walled section or similar to get access.

Do know something about whether the driveway was repoured and raised that
would substantiate that hypothesis?

Whatever they did, it certainly is clear that what you're looking at isn't
the sewer line/cleanout itself.

--

"Tony" wrote in message
...
Looks like they are home made plugs so you can access the pipe below.
Forget using a chisel and only use a masonry bit if you have a hammer
drill. If I didn't have a hammer drill, I would use a 1/2" star bit to
remove the concrete around the edges and keep trying to pry them up. Just
ask at the hardware store for a 1/2" star bit, it may not look like much
but it's 1,000 times better than a chisel, they really do work. I
wouldn't worry about ruining the sheet metal, that was probably just a
form for when the concrete was poured. And seriously, wear safety
goggles! When all is said and done you can patch the holes and make
better plugs for the next time. Oh, if you happen to post another pic,
lay a ruler there so we know the size. Or of course you could measure it
and tell us how large around they are.

Tony



I do have a hammer drill. The holes are roughly 4" in diameter.

I am just worried that if I drill through and I cannot pull the concrete
out, and I have to break it into pieces it will drop down into the pipe.


MiamiCuse wrote:
I have a 40 year old cast iron sewer line and there is a cleanout in the
middle of my concrete driveway.

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w...umbing/CO2.jpg

I believe it is a two way cleanout (with two openings) like this:

http://www.abifoundry.com/images/SV_...y_Cleanout.gif

However, it obviously has not been opened for ages, and it obviously was
cemented over last time the driveway was redone however many years ago.

I need to open it up for drain cleaning and video inspection purposes,
and I could not figure out how to open it.

A close up:

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w...g/P1020896.jpg

Even closer on one of them:

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w...g/P1020895.jpg

The cement has to be quite thin considering if you look close enough, you
can actually see the metal rim flushed with the concrete driveway,
although it is surprising that the rim is so thin...

My assumption is that right underneath this thin layer of cement is a
cast iron or brass plug I can unscrew and open the access to the pipe.
My worry is the plug threads may be corroded or stuck...but I can't even
get to the first base.

I took a chisel and hammer and banged on the concrete inside the circles,
I chipped off some concrete bits. I banged on it more, the concrete did
NOT just shattered away and expose the metal plug, it almost felt like
this concrete is much deeper.

I don't want to keep hammering at it because it will certainly ruin the
metal plug thread or wedge it tight if I over do it.

I now wonder if I am not looking at brass plugs. Is it possible that
there is no plug? That the pipes were "sawed off" flushed with the
concrete driveway and they stuffed some newspaper or whatever to plug the
holes without dropping to the bottom, then pour concrete in that space?

How do I open this up without being totally destructive? If there is
nothing there and I break things loose, it will drop to the bottom of the
pipe for sure.

My next step is to dry a masonry bit and drill down the middle and see
how far it goes, but I thought I will post this here and get a few
pointers first.

Thanks,

MC

"Doug Miller" wrote in message
...
In article , "MiamiCuse"
wrote:
I have a 40 year old cast iron sewer line and there is a cleanout in the
middle of my concrete driveway.

Sure doesn't look like a sewer cleanout to me. And that would be an odd
place
to put one, too. Why do you think that's what it is?


(1) The diameter is 4", consistent with the size of my cast iron line.
(2) The separation between them is about the same as a cast iron SV two way
cleanout.
(3) On the concrete it's marked with the letters "C.O.".
(4) One of my sewer lines that exit the house has no cleanout. I know it
goes under the driveway, but not sure where.

MiamiCuse wrote:
I have a 40 year old cast iron sewer line and there is a cleanout in
the middle of my concrete driveway.

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w...umbing/CO2.jpg

I believe it is a two way cleanout (with two openings) like this:

http://www.abifoundry.com/images/SV_...y_Cleanout.gif

However, it obviously has not been opened for ages, and it obviously
was cemented over last time the driveway was redone however many
years ago.
I need to open it up for drain cleaning and video inspection
purposes, and I could not figure out how to open it.

A close up:

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w...g/P1020896.jpg

Even closer on one of them:

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w...g/P1020895.jpg

The cement has to be quite thin considering if you look close enough,
you can actually see the metal rim flushed with the concrete
driveway, although it is surprising that the rim is so thin...

My assumption is that right underneath this thin layer of cement is a
cast iron or brass plug I can unscrew and open the access to the
pipe. My worry is the plug threads may be corroded or stuck...but I
can't even get to the first base.

I took a chisel and hammer and banged on the concrete inside the
circles, I chipped off some concrete bits. I banged on it more, the
concrete did NOT just shattered away and expose the metal plug, it
almost felt like this concrete is much deeper.

I don't want to keep hammering at it because it will certainly ruin
the metal plug thread or wedge it tight if I over do it.

I now wonder if I am not looking at brass plugs. Is it possible that
there is no plug? That the pipes were "sawed off" flushed with the
concrete driveway and they stuffed some newspaper or whatever to plug
the holes without dropping to the bottom, then pour concrete in that
space?
How do I open this up without being totally destructive? If there is
nothing there and I break things loose, it will drop to the bottom of
the pipe for sure.

My next step is to dry a masonry bit and drill down the middle and
see how far it goes, but I thought I will post this here and get a
few pointers first.


Time for a bizarre suggestion:

Drill a hole and insert an expansion bolt. Attach one end of a chain to the
bolt and the other to a bumper jack. Yank out the concrete plug.

Well, I said it was bizarre...

A few questions:

If indeed that is your cleanout, it has to sit lower( sloped downward)
than the pipe that leaves your house. That will give you an idea how
deep in the ground it is.
When the last visible pipe leaves your house, where is it in relation
to the floor? Is it a foot below ground, above ground?
And also how far away is the cleanout and the pipe that leaves the
house?

If you cannot get the cleanout opened, is there a way to put in a
cleanout in the pipe leaving the house so you don't have to go through
that trouble with the concrete?

Do you have any problems now that you must get it opened? If not, I
would just leave it for now.

Doug Miller wrote:
....
I agree, no plug, no threads -- but I don't think it's any kind of thin-wall
tubing, either.

I think it's a Campbell's soup can.



Sure it isn't Van Camp's pork and beans???

--

MiamiCuse wrote:


I do have a hammer drill. The holes are roughly 4" in diameter.

I am just worried that if I drill through and I cannot pull the concrete
out, and I have to break it into pieces it will drop down into the pipe.


I would think the pipe down below has covers on the holes and the sheet
metal tubes were a crappy idea for future access. If you are still
worried then rent a 6 inch masonry hole saw and after the outside blade
starts to cut a circle in the concrete, stop and remove the center pilot
bit of the hole saw so it doesn't drill through the drain plug.

Tony

The one with the grass tuff in it looks like the remnants of a
basketball post that was filled with concrete. Very possible that
before the driveway was there it was used to play basketball.



On Sat, 25 Jul 2009 17:36:10 -0400, "MiamiCuse"
wrote:

I have a 40 year old cast iron sewer line and there is a cleanout in the
middle of my concrete driveway.

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w...umbing/CO2.jpg

I believe it is a two way cleanout (with two openings) like this:

http://www.abifoundry.com/images/SV_...y_Cleanout.gif

However, it obviously has not been opened for ages, and it obviously was
cemented over last time the driveway was redone however many years ago.

I need to open it up for drain cleaning and video inspection purposes, and I
could not figure out how to open it.

A close up:

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w...g/P1020896.jpg

Even closer on one of them:

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w...g/P1020895.jpg

The cement has to be quite thin considering if you look close enough, you
can actually see the metal rim flushed with the concrete driveway, although
it is surprising that the rim is so thin...

My assumption is that right underneath this thin layer of cement is a cast
iron or brass plug I can unscrew and open the access to the pipe. My worry
is the plug threads may be corroded or stuck...but I can't even get to the
first base.

I took a chisel and hammer and banged on the concrete inside the circles, I
chipped off some concrete bits. I banged on it more, the concrete did NOT
just shattered away and expose the metal plug, it almost felt like this
concrete is much deeper.

I don't want to keep hammering at it because it will certainly ruin the
metal plug thread or wedge it tight if I over do it.

I now wonder if I am not looking at brass plugs. Is it possible that there
is no plug? That the pipes were "sawed off" flushed with the concrete
driveway and they stuffed some newspaper or whatever to plug the holes
without dropping to the bottom, then pour concrete in that space?

How do I open this up without being totally destructive? If there is
nothing there and I break things loose, it will drop to the bottom of the
pipe for sure.

My next step is to dry a masonry bit and drill down the middle and see how
far it goes, but I thought I will post this here and get a few pointers
first.

Thanks,

MC

"Mike rock" wrote in message
...
A few questions:

If indeed that is your cleanout, it has to sit lower( sloped downward)
than the pipe that leaves your house. That will give you an idea how
deep in the ground it is.
When the last visible pipe leaves your house, where is it in relation
to the floor? Is it a foot below ground, above ground?
And also how far away is the cleanout and the pipe that leaves the
house?

If you cannot get the cleanout opened, is there a way to put in a
cleanout in the pipe leaving the house so you don't have to go through
that trouble with the concrete?

Do you have any problems now that you must get it opened? If not, I
would just leave it for now.


Thanks.

Unfortunately, your questions are part of what I am trying to determine.

The house is old, build in 1972, and the city has no old plans that
survived. They microfilmed all paper plans in the 90s to save space, then
the bugs ate all the microfilms. So no old record to go back to.

Due to the unique design of the house, there are multiple lines that exit
the house. The have already identified and located one of them which is on
the other side of the house. I do know these two merge further downstream.

This line I *believe* exits the house under the front door entrance, which
consists of a concrete stairway three steps up to the landing areas. This
stepped area then is directly connected to the concrete driveway. I believe
this line goes under the stairway and landing areas then the driveway.
There is no visible exit point elsewhere (I have dugged).

I had someone come by to snake the line and I sort of located it heading in
the direction of the stairway by listening to the spinning noise of the
snake head from above, but it muffed as it gets deeper. The plumber ran
100' of line but I don't know where it went. I wanted to open the cleanout
on the exit end and look down, and possibly snake from there to the city. I
also want to send a video down and see the conditon.

The entire exercise is to assess the condition of my cast iron line and
determine if I need repair, or total replacement.

Why not hire a company to run a transponder out of your various drain lines
then the lines can be located for sure
"MiamiCuse" wrote in message
...

"Mike rock" wrote in message
...
A few questions:

If indeed that is your cleanout, it has to sit lower( sloped downward)
than the pipe that leaves your house. That will give you an idea how
deep in the ground it is.
When the last visible pipe leaves your house, where is it in relation
to the floor? Is it a foot below ground, above ground?
And also how far away is the cleanout and the pipe that leaves the
house?

If you cannot get the cleanout opened, is there a way to put in a
cleanout in the pipe leaving the house so you don't have to go through
that trouble with the concrete?

Do you have any problems now that you must get it opened? If not, I
would just leave it for now.


Thanks.

Unfortunately, your questions are part of what I am trying to determine.

The house is old, build in 1972, and the city has no old plans that
survived. They microfilmed all paper plans in the 90s to save space, then
the bugs ate all the microfilms. So no old record to go back to.

Due to the unique design of the house, there are multiple lines that exit
the house. The have already identified and located one of them which is
on the other side of the house. I do know these two merge further
downstream.

This line I *believe* exits the house under the front door entrance, which
consists of a concrete stairway three steps up to the landing areas. This
stepped area then is directly connected to the concrete driveway. I
believe this line goes under the stairway and landing areas then the
driveway. There is no visible exit point elsewhere (I have dugged).

I had someone come by to snake the line and I sort of located it heading
in the direction of the stairway by listening to the spinning noise of the
snake head from above, but it muffed as it gets deeper. The plumber ran
100' of line but I don't know where it went. I wanted to open the
cleanout on the exit end and look down, and possibly snake from there to
the city. I also want to send a video down and see the conditon.

The entire exercise is to assess the condition of my cast iron line and
determine if I need repair, or total replacement.

On Jul 26, 2:43*pm, "MiamiCuse" wrote:
"Mike rock" wrote in message

...





A few questions:

If indeed that is your cleanout, it has to sit lower( sloped downward)
than the pipe that leaves your house. That will give you an idea how
deep in the ground it is.
When the last visible pipe leaves your house, where is it in relation
to the floor? Is it a foot below ground, above ground?
And also how far away is the cleanout and the pipe that leaves the
house?

If you cannot get the cleanout opened, is there a way to put in a
cleanout in the pipe leaving the house so you don't have to go through
that trouble with the concrete?

Do you have any problems now that you must get it opened? If not, I
would just leave it for now.

Thanks.

Unfortunately, your questions are part of what I am trying to determine.

The house is old, build in 1972, and the city has no old plans that
survived. *They microfilmed all paper plans in the 90s to save space, then
the bugs ate all the microfilms. *So no old record to go back to.

Due to the unique design of the house, there are multiple lines that exit
the house. *The have already identified and located one of them which is on
the other side of the house. *I do know these two merge further downstream.

This line I *believe* exits the house under the front door entrance, which
consists of a concrete stairway three steps up to the landing areas. *This
stepped area then is directly connected to the concrete driveway. *I believe
this line goes under the stairway and landing areas then the driveway.
There is no visible exit point elsewhere (I have dugged).

I had someone come by to snake the line and I sort of located it heading in
the direction of the stairway by listening to the spinning noise of the
snake head from above, but it muffed as it gets deeper. *The plumber ran
100' of line but I don't know where it went. *I wanted to open the cleanout
on the exit end and look down, and possibly snake from there to the city. *I
also want to send a video down and see the conditon.

The entire exercise is to assess the condition of my cast iron line and
determine if I need repair, or total replacement.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Is you house similiar to the others in the neighborhood? Perhaps you
can compare how your neighbor's houses are built.

"MiamiCuse" wrote in
:

I have a 40 year old cast iron sewer line and there is a cleanout in
the middle of my concrete driveway.

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w...umbing/CO2.jpg

I believe it is a two way cleanout (with two openings) like this:

http://www.abifoundry.com/images/SV_...y_Cleanout.gif

However, it obviously has not been opened for ages, and it obviously
was cemented over last time the driveway was redone however many years
ago.

I need to open it up for drain cleaning and video inspection purposes,
and I could not figure out how to open it.

A close up:

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w...g/P1020896.jpg

Even closer on one of them:

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w...g/P1020895.jpg

The cement has to be quite thin considering if you look close enough,
you can actually see the metal rim flushed with the concrete driveway,
although it is surprising that the rim is so thin...

My assumption is that right underneath this thin layer of cement is a
cast iron or brass plug I can unscrew and open the access to the pipe.
My worry is the plug threads may be corroded or stuck...but I can't
even get to the first base.

I took a chisel and hammer and banged on the concrete inside the
circles, I chipped off some concrete bits. I banged on it more, the
concrete did NOT just shattered away and expose the metal plug, it
almost felt like this concrete is much deeper.

I don't want to keep hammering at it because it will certainly ruin
the metal plug thread or wedge it tight if I over do it.

I now wonder if I am not looking at brass plugs. Is it possible that
there is no plug? That the pipes were "sawed off" flushed with the
concrete driveway and they stuffed some newspaper or whatever to plug
the holes without dropping to the bottom, then pour concrete in that
space?

How do I open this up without being totally destructive? If there is
nothing there and I break things loose, it will drop to the bottom of
the pipe for sure.

My next step is to dry a masonry bit and drill down the middle and see
how far it goes, but I thought I will post this here and get a few
pointers first.

Thanks,

MC



Well, I have this at the end of my driveway about 6ft from the street and
it's midway across the width. I don't know what it is. All I can say is
that the water meter is in an underground box with a flip top about 10 ft
away on the side of the driveway.

http://tinypic.com/r/fncnrr/3

I'm curious what it is.

And I wonder if yours looked like this at one time. The wrench size for
it would be 2-1/8".

"Mike rock" wrote in message
...
On Jul 26, 2:43 pm, "MiamiCuse" wrote:
"Mike rock" wrote in message

...





A few questions:

If indeed that is your cleanout, it has to sit lower( sloped downward)
than the pipe that leaves your house. That will give you an idea how
deep in the ground it is.
When the last visible pipe leaves your house, where is it in relation
to the floor? Is it a foot below ground, above ground?
And also how far away is the cleanout and the pipe that leaves the
house?

If you cannot get the cleanout opened, is there a way to put in a
cleanout in the pipe leaving the house so you don't have to go through
that trouble with the concrete?

Do you have any problems now that you must get it opened? If not, I
would just leave it for now.

Thanks.

Unfortunately, your questions are part of what I am trying to determine.

The house is old, build in 1972, and the city has no old plans that
survived. They microfilmed all paper plans in the 90s to save space, then
the bugs ate all the microfilms. So no old record to go back to.

Due to the unique design of the house, there are multiple lines that exit
the house. The have already identified and located one of them which is on
the other side of the house. I do know these two merge further downstream.

This line I *believe* exits the house under the front door entrance, which
consists of a concrete stairway three steps up to the landing areas. This
stepped area then is directly connected to the concrete driveway. I
believe
this line goes under the stairway and landing areas then the driveway.
There is no visible exit point elsewhere (I have dugged).

I had someone come by to snake the line and I sort of located it heading
in
the direction of the stairway by listening to the spinning noise of the
snake head from above, but it muffed as it gets deeper. The plumber ran
100' of line but I don't know where it went. I wanted to open the cleanout
on the exit end and look down, and possibly snake from there to the city.
I
also want to send a video down and see the conditon.

The entire exercise is to assess the condition of my cast iron line and
determine if I need repair, or total replacement.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Is you house similiar to the others in the neighborhood? Perhaps you
can compare how your neighbor's houses are built.

Not the same. My house was custom built by an architect for himself many
years ago and he is no longer around.

On Jul 25, 6:23*pm, "MiamiCuse" wrote:
"Joe" wrote in message

...
On Jul 25, 4:36 pm, "MiamiCuse" wrote:

snip
Third link shows clean out on the left with letters 'C.O.'.If that is
original marking it could mean "clean out", so concentrating on that
one seems best place to start. A diamond hole saw from *Harbor Freight
would be a low cost way to get through the concrete with little danger
of drilling into something vital.
Joe

You mean to get a 4" hole saw and saw on the outside of these 4" holes or
saw the inside of the hole?

A 1" diamond hole saw might work best, taking out bite sizes chunks
without whaling away at the underlying structures. With some finesse,
a hidden plug ought to show up. Good luck.

Joe

dpb posted for all of us...


Doug Miller wrote:
...
I agree, no plug, no threads -- but I don't think it's any kind of thin-wall
tubing, either.

I think it's a Campbell's soup can.



Sure it isn't Van Camp's pork and beans???

Dinty Moore Beef Stew

--
Tekkie Don't bother to thank me, I do this as a public service.