A cleaning plug is used to close off a drain cleaning tube and prevent debris, vermin, and dangerous fumes from entering the home. It can be difficult to remove, but a cleaning plug wrench can help. A missing plug may indicate a clogged drain or problems with the sewage system.
A cleaning plug is a cap or lid used to close off a drain cleaning tube. The term flushing or cleaning hose can refer to any branch of a plumbing hose used to flush or unclog the system. These pipes can be found in basement floor drains, plumbing fixtures, and even the main sewer pipe leading out of a home or building. The cleanout plug not only helps keep debris and vermin from getting into these pipes, but it also keeps dangerous sewer gases and noxious fumes from coming back into your home.
Homeowners will commonly encounter a cleanout plug when attempting to fix a clogged basement drain or garage floor drain. Under the cover of these drains, there is a standard drainage tube and a metal or plastic plug located on one side of the tube. This cap covers the cleaning hose and prevents waste water from entering the cleaning. Instead, the wastewater goes directly into the standard waste pipe.
If this drain hose becomes clogged and your drain doesn’t work, you may need a plumber’s snake to clear the blockage. The shape of the drain tube and the integral trap within this tube make it very difficult to feed a snake inside and clear a drain. Instead, it’s much easier to remove the cleaning plug and insert the snake into the cleaner to clear the clog.
These plugs can be very difficult to remove due to the large variation in their size and configuration. Some cleaning plugs require a standard wrench or screwdriver, while others have recessed heads or raised slots that require special tools. A cleaning plug wrench is designed to fit many different types of head designs and can make it easier to remove these plugs. This key generally features a six- or eight-sided geometric shape with different sizes and shapes of tools on each side.
Even with a cleaning cap wrench, these caps may still be difficult to remove due to rust or corrosion over the years. In this case, plumbers may be forced to break the plug and replace it after the obstruction is cleared. By adding Teflon® tape to the cap threads, users can make it easier for users to remove the cap if needed in the future.
A drain with a missing cleanout plug can indicate problems with a home’s sewage or drainage system. In some cases, this may mean that the drain is clogged and the plug has been removed to allow waste to flow through cleaning instead. If the drain is fully functional and unobstructed, a missing plug could simply be a sign that workers removed the plug at some point and forgot to replace it. In this situation, it is crucial to replace the cap as soon as possible to keep dangerous fumes out of the house.
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