Hey Guys,

Is this a sewer drain pipe? Right above this room is a bathroom. The red arrow points to the part that's leaking. It looks like a coupling secured by metal clamps at the top and bottom. But it has this thingymajig with a SLIT in the middle, as if it was made for a giant flathead screw driver to open. LOL! Is there a technical term for this type of coupling? Is this something we can DIY/replace? Thank you.

 

It's called a plug, they come in different sizes.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/PVC-4-in-di...itting/3130797

 

Yes its a cleanout tee with cleanout plug. Quite unusual... they usually have square plugs. Yes, sure looks like that one has been leaking. They probably used the slotted one to keep it from protruding as far.

Cleanouts are always supposed to remain accessible, with a removable cover plate over them.

To replace it you would remove and replace the shielded ferncos. Since a pvc or abs cleanout will be hub x hub you would need to glue in a short section of pipe into the hubs for the ferncos to clamp to.

 

This is basically what you have now, though it may be plastic - can't really tell:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Eastman-...2004/313601096

Is it just leaking from around the plug? Or is the actual tee leaking?
If it's just the plug, I'd get a new plug - either the one above, or something like this is more common:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Oatey-4-...2374/100346920

Add some pipe sealant around the threads and tighten it on. Should work like new.

 

Okay, I'll try replacing the plug first and see if that stops it.

1. Do you have to match material? If mine is ABS plastic, can I still get the brass?
2. Do I need to turn off the water?
3. Are these drains normally clear when not in use, or will nasty stuff gush out when I open it? In which case, I'll prepare a bucket.
4. By any chance, is this the clean-out for the drain to the kitchen as well? Do they connect? Or are there multiple clean-out locations?

Thank you.

 

I know they're probably common sense questions. LOL! I'll play it safe and turn off the water and have a bucket prepared. Thanks again for helping me identify the part.

 

No need to turn the water off unless you think someone might try to use a faucet while you have the drain open. It's always a good idea to have a bucket and rag [old towel works well] handy.

 

A toilet will still flush once, even if the water is off. So be sure no one uses anything upstairs while you have the sewer open.

 

I bought all the wrong things today.. I assumed my system was 4 inch. Took all the stuff home and it was way too big. Should have measured before I went shopping. This plug looks like 3.25. There are so many 3 inch variations. So even though it measures a little over 3 inches, is it still considered 3 inch plug, or do I need to get exact size? Closest I see in my searches is 3-3/8.

• 3 inch
• 3 inch abs
• 3-3/8

 

Okay, so it's basically the standard 3 inch. I measured the 3 inch at HD, and it was also slightly over 3 inches due to the outer diameter. But my issue now is that the thing won't budge. So much build up and corrosion. The Clean out Tee seems to be made of metal, cast iron or something, but the plug is plastic. Any tips on how to remove this plug?

 

Lots of PB Blaster or CRC
Tap along the edges with a hammer as you try to turn it.

 

IMO you should be cutting the pipe above and below the Ferncos and replacing it with new. You may never get that plug out.

 

I saw the PB Blasters at HD, so I'll give that a try. But I do fear it may not work. Here is a picture of the wrong 4 inch pipes I bought yesterday. I did not cut up the pipe because I had to return it, but lets pretend these are 3 inch pipes in the picture... do I have the right idea? I cut some pipe and insert it on each end of the tee. The sewer pipe at home will then go inside this unit at the top and bottom? What I'm not understanding or able to visualize is how would the sewer pipe fit inside the pipe? I can understand it if the sewer pipe can be fed directly into the TEE, but since the tee is short, we add more pipe, but isn't the diameter of this pipe the same as the sewer pipe? I assume that's where the ferncos come to play. But water will be gushing through here. How does this work?

BTW, is it okay to unscrew the current ferncos, just so I can see how the pipes are connected underneath? Or, will things fall apart if I remove the ferncos?

 

If this guy can remove a stuck cast iron plug by sawing? Using same method, removing plastic should be easier for me. I can use my multi tool.

Removing stuck cast iron plug.

 

Post #3, last paragraph......

 

XSleeper, I read it before, but I don't understand the trade lingo.

"To replace it you would remove and replace the shielded ferncos. Since a pvc or abs cleanout will be hub x hub you would need to glue in a short section of pipe into the hubs for the ferncos to clamp to."

What does hub x hub mean? My understanding is incorrect in post #13? Instead of cutting, couldn't we just loosen the top and bottom ferncos and remove the unit? The fernco is where the divide is, right?

 

Upon watching further videos online, I'm starting to get the picture that the extra pipe we add will be the same diameter as the sewer pipe, and that the fernco is essentially a coupling for the divide. That's fascinating to me how the fernco can prevent a leak simply by clamping. When working with PVC couplings for sprinkler systems, I understand the concept, but at least they are glued. I understand we glue the extra pipe onto the TEE, but It's fascinating to me glue is not involved where the extra pipe meets the sewer pipe, and the fernco clamp is all it is.

Is my understanding, correct?

 

Yes. That is what we are trying to tell you. It's exactly the same thing that you have right now.

 

XSleeper, instead of cutting cause the pipe is metal or cast iron, and as you can see, if I cut below bottom fernco, there isn't much pipe left. Instead, couldn't I try to cut and remove the coupling instead? Remove the silver part of the fernco, then try and slice the coupling vertically indicated by the my red marks?

 

Yep, you sure could. You will need to slide the new ferncos onto your new pipe, then slide them up/down to center them over the joint. Some lube (anything similar to ky jelly) works pretty good for helping them slide on more easily.

Note that the top fernco might be a tapered adapter. check your O.D. on both pipes to make sure the Fernco you buy will fit and work as the adapter.

 

Hey Guys, one last inquiry before I dive in.. LOL! I got all the stuff today, but curious about something. Why is the the coupling with the ribbed metal cage called NO HUB? They all have the rubber inside, but the ribbed one is called no hub, and the rubber inside is a little thinner.



In my current set-up the top fernco seems to be the "no hub" version, and the bottom is the standard version. Does this have anything to do with the material they're joining? I can tell the bottom pipe is plastic, whereas the top is the vertical cast iron. The tee itself is cast iron too.



I'll be replacing the TEE with a ABS TEE with extra ABS pipe where necessary. Base on my plan, is there a right or wrong choice in terms of the standard shielded vs the no hub ferncos? Thank you!

 

Would really like to learn what "hub" refers to on a fitting... Is this the hub indicated by my arrow? I get the feeling it is. But what's confusing is whether you pick a standard shielded fernco or the one labeled "no hub," neither of them can actually cover this part of the fitting. When one fernco is labeled "no hub," it's natural to assume the others are "yes hub?" LOL!

 

Or, does HUB refer to the extra pipe that we put in the fitting? There is no such thing as a dumb question, right? Can't learn if you're afraid to ask stupid questions. LOL!

 

Typically, your no-hub (rubber, shielded) coupling will couple pipe-to-pipe. The no-hub is referring to the coupling is coupling two no-hub pipes. This is to differentiate from hubbed steel/iron pipe, which is sealed by a rubber donut that fits between the pipe and hub. (similar to how you would cement a plastic pipe into a hub as you have the fitting above).

Anyway - you just have two different weights of no-hub couplings. Either is acceptable for the work you're doing.

The benefit of the thinner rubber coupling is that you can often fold it back over itself to make getting the pipes close to each other easier. The thicker rubber requires the pipe to be inserted into it, which in your situation, is tough or impossible.

Oh - if it were my project, I would definitely try getting that plug out with a chisel or multitool. MUCH easier than replacing the tee.

 

Thank you Zorfdt! Exactly what I needed to hear, that either coupling is okay. I'm glad I continued asking questions instead of jumping right in because I've realized something else. I don't think I have enough space for my plan since the Cleanout Tees are not the exact size and dimension. For my planned set-up, I would need 11 inches. This ABS tee is about 6.75 inches long.



My current TEE is the cast iron. I believe it's THIS ONE at Home Depot. These are 7.75 inches long, and they don't have a bigger dimension at the top and bottom, so they can be joined to a pipe directly. Unlike the plastic tee above that requires pipe to be glued into it first. If they installed it correctly, then from the middle of the top fernco to the middle of the bottom fernco should be the cast Iron tee, right? I measured it, and it is indeed 7.75 inches. Which means the cast iron tee is joining the cast iron pipe with no filler pipe. And at the bottom, it is joining with abs plastic pipe that's coming from an abs fitting.

 

So I will try replacing the plug first to see if the issue is resolved. If not, then I will get the exact cast iron tee and do a swap. If I use the plastic tee, I will have to glue in pipe at both the top and bottom, and I'm not sure how the alignment will look. I may need to saw the cast iron pipe if I want the divide to be perfectly in the middle of the fernco.

1. How important is it for the divide to be in the middle of the fernco?
2. How important is the 60 lbs torque criteria labeled by the ferncos? That is something I didn't realize and will cost some money to get. They are not cheap.

 

A slight tangent, I don't want to clutter the forum with another thread... Is it normal for covered spots in the garage to be damped? If a cardboard box sits at one location for awhile, I'll notice the bottom of the box gets damped. Is this just condensation?

 

Since there usually isn't HVAC in a garage it's normal for there to be condensation and humidity. Concrete floors are more apt to be damp than the rest of the space.

 

In case there is a poor soul in the future with a similar predicament, here are some tips.

1. I started drilling the plastic cap with a step bit. Could have used a multi tool, but felt more comfortable holding a drill.
2. Once you get yourself some big holes, you can start pulling away the pieces with a channel lock plier or something.
3. The biggest problem will still remain, the thread from the plastic cap will not be pulled away during this process because it is so stuck and corroded. So you end up with a big hole, but a plastic ring that still hugs the threads of the Tee.
4. So now you need to cut into that ring, once you break the circle, it should come off with a plier. I had to make two cuts, pulled out that section. Then the bigger section was able to be pulled off by a plier. I found that the multi-tool was uncomfortable. So I used a jigsaw, held it upside down in my hand. Grazing the top little by little until I could pull it off. Because you don't want to cut too deep and ruin the Tee's threads. I felt more precision and control with the jigsaw.
5. Once it was freed, I used a wire brush to cleanup as much as possible the Cast Iron threads.
6. I first used THIS BRASS PLUG with a flush square, and I used THIS CLEANOUT WRENCH to tighten. The result was terrible. First, the plug is thin, not a lot of threads. So with this, you want to make sure you can thread it all the way in. But these wrenches are not a perfect fit. Their square heads are slightly smaller than the square slot. So when applying a lot of torque, it just slips off. Secondly, I was trying to screw on brand-new brass threads to old threads. So the wrench had to do so much torque right from the get-go. I could not thread it all the way in, and leaking was still present.
7. I ended up using THIS ABS PLUG with the square protruding. I then used a good olé' plumbers wrench to grip the square. These plugs are much thicker, and I was able to thread it in a little past the halfway point. And instead of teflon tape that I used with the brass-plug, I used Rectorseal pipe dope this time. Lots of it! LOL! No more leaking!