Plumbing question: Cleanout plug removal

[RickM]

The most dreaded part of Home ownership...a backed up main drain. I'm under the house and trying to remove a 3 1/2" cleanout plug. After using a torch and alot of tugging on a very large wrench I've managed to pretty much break the head off. How do I remove the whole plug now? Seems it's made of brass or similar. Do I take a chisel to it? This sucks!

Help!

[Dantilla]

What does "pretty much break the head off" mean?

Is the head broken off, or weakened?

[dhoward]

Chisel. Break away as much as you can, or cut a slot like a screw and use the chisel to 'push' it around.

[RickM]

It's most of the way off....the fun stuff is leaking though it into a spackle bucket as we speak..... There's no way it'll take any torque. It'll probbaly fall off but I'm waiting for the leaking to stop before I go further.

[RickM]

Originally posted by dhoward
Chisel. Break away as much as you can, or cut a slot like a screw and use the chisel to 'push' it around.

I think the threads are as close to welded together as it get's...likely 30 years worth. I dont think the slot deal will work. Can I just chishel it in half and peel out? This has to happen all the time.....

[fastpat]

Originally posted by RickM
I think the threads are as close to welded together as it get's...likely 30 years worth. I dont think the slot deal will work. Can I just chishel it in half and peel out? This has to happen all the time.....

Yes, if the drain pipe is cast iron, be careful it's pretty brittle and won't take much of a hammer hit to crack. You may be able to get a PVC replacement plug to take it's place, if so, then that's what I'd do. If you need to replace with a brass plug, then I'd use teflon pipe tape on the threads to ease removal next time.

[Rot 911]

You can also use a rubber expansion plug. Can find them at places like Lowes, Home Depot, etc.

[Eric 951]

Originally posted by RickM
I think the threads are as close to welded together as it get's...likely 30 years worth. I dont think the slot deal will work. Can I just chishel it in half and peel out? This has to happen all the time.....

That will work--be careful regarding thread damage to the pipe itself.

I feel for you--the summer after purchasing my house I had a similar problem--sewer plugged--it turned out a section of the terra-cota line had fractured completely, I ended up spending 2 weeks digging up a 40' section which was about 3-4' deep and replacing it with PVC. By myself, with a shovel...

[RickM]

Thanks guys....I'll try to be logical when I resume. Right now I'm swapping buckets as they fill. Figures the stoppage is near the end of the house. I actually attempted to clear it last night with a rented power snake after removing one of the toilets. Long story short I lost both the tips. This is not going to be pretty.

Luckily the pipe outside the house is 2 years old and PVC, so no roots or collapse.

BTW, one of the treasures I did manage to pull up was a nylon Luffa thingy. My wife claims the dog must've somehow been involved. Uh huh. She uses the toilets like garbage disposals.

[dhoward]

Reminds me of having to unplug the head on my boat after a trip with several females. Apparently they misunderstood the rule of the only thing that goes in the head is what comes out of you...

[singpilot]

Rick.

You are dangerously close to TMI.

Just when you think it couldn't get any worse, tell her we all here know about the Lufa.

BTDT, bud. No matter how it comes out (pardon the pun) it won't be pretty.

Have a good weekend.

[singpilot]

Originally posted by dhoward
Reminds me of having to unplug the head on my boat after a trip with several females. Apparently they misunderstood the rule of the only thing that goes in the head is what comes out of you...

Actually, they took you literally. Those things DID come out of them. They are designed to plug the flow, and they did their job, even in your marine head.

The rule actually is

"Nothing goes in the head unless you have eaten it first."

That narrows it down, even for the females.

[dhoward]

Originally posted by singpilot
Actually, they took you literally. Those things DID come out of them. They are designed to plug the flow, and they did their job, even in your marine head.

The rule actually is

"Nothing goes in the head unless you have eaten it first."

That narrows it down, even for the females.

Good point. I was most likely intoxicated when I told them.
And yes, those hundreds of highly absorbant fibers entagle themselves around a macerator impeller like a mass of little pythons....

[RickM]

Agreed, this will not be pretty....uhg.
I mentioned my discovery to a couple of local buds and they both went into their own stories. They both ended up getting more pissed than me...lol

Thanks for the encouragement my friends. Back to the buckets....

[dhoward]

It all washes off.
Eventually.
DON"T BITE YOUR NAILS!

[RickM]

Originally posted by dhoward
It all washes off.
Eventually.
DON"T BITE YOUR NAILS!

Never did bite the nails...heh heh. Actually I think I'm lucky that the plug didn't come out. Seems the hole in the plug is being sealed with "paper" so the result is a managable stream. I may be here for a while schleping buckets but it beat's 50' of 4" pipe emptying out at once. Where's my boots....

[rcecale]

This has been a Public Service Announcement from your friends here at PPBBS-OT...

Randy

[Steve 82SC]

Rick,

My grandfather was a plumber....don't panic. Just take a chisel and whack the plug. It should bend in and you can just pull out the pieces. The plug is brass and should be going into cast iron. You should be able to pull/coax/pick any remaining brass pieces out of the cast iron threads. As Kurt say, they have expandable rubber replacements at home stores....or just buy a pvc type replacement plug, coat the threads with teflon paste or teflon tape after wire brushing the female threads nice and clean on the cast iron pipe. Once you get this plug off, what are your plans to clear up your drain problems. Is this a sink line or waste line?

Steve

[RickM]

Steve, I did the chisel and hammer deal and was able to peel it out. I let the fluid (I wish it was just fluid) drain out to the level of the opening....it's a 4" waste line.

I just got back from HD with a 50' power snake. I figure I'll just run it in a straight line to the obstruction. I'm worried about the spring type retrieval tip that came off the snake when I tried last night. Hope a can get it.
Wish me luck.

[fastpat]

Originally posted by RickM
Steve, I did the chisel and hammer deal and was able to peel it out. I let the fluid (I wish it was just fluid) drain out to the level of the opening....it's a 4" waste line.

I just got back from HD with a 50' power snake. I figure I'll just run it in a straight line to the obstruction. I'm worried about the spring type retrieval tip that came off the snake when I tried last night. Hope a can get it.
Wish me luck.

Right about now is when I'd call Roto-Rooter or similar. Let them fish out the steel part.