The cleanout is your access point
A sewer cleanout is a capped riser that opens into the lateral. It is how a plumber gets a cable, jetter or camera into the line without pulling a toilet, and for lining it is often the way the liner goes in. Older Fullerton homes sometimes have a cleanout that is buried, hard to reach, undersized, or missing entirely.
Many trenchless projects add or replace a cleanout as part of the work. A two-way cleanout, which allows access toward both the house and the street, makes future inspection and maintenance simpler. Ask the plumber, and the City of Fullerton where it applies, whether a new cleanout is required or only recommended.
Connection terms
- Two-way cleanout
- A cleanout fitting that lets tools travel in either direction along the lateral.
- Branch line
- A drain line from another part of the house that joins the main lateral.
- Reinstatement
- Cutting open a branch connection from inside after a liner covers it.
- Transition coupling
- A fitting joining two pipe materials or sizes, for example new HDPE to old cast iron.
- Main connection
- Where the lateral meets the public sewer main.
How connections are handled by each method
Pipe bursting
- Branch connections are usually exposed and reconnected at pits
- The new pipe is joined to the house drain and the street side with fittings
- Each extra connection may need its own small excavation
Lining
- The liner covers branch openings during installation
- A remote cutter reopens each one after curing
- The camera confirms each reinstated opening is clean and fully open
What to confirm before work starts
- Where the existing cleanout is and whether it will be reused
- Whether a new or two-way cleanout is included
- How many branch connections the camera found
- How each branch connection will be reopened or reconnected
- How the new pipe meets the house drain and the street-side pipe
- That the final video shows every connection
Questions to ask
- Will you install a cleanout, and where?
- How will you find and reopen every branch connection after lining?
- What fitting joins the new pipe to the old pipe at each end?
- Will the final video stop at each connection so I can see it?
Common questions
What happens if a branch connection is missed after lining?
A covered connection would block that drain. That is why the post-lining camera run should show every reinstated opening.
Do I need a cleanout if I have never had one?
It depends on the job and local requirements. Ask the plumber whether one is needed and check with the City of Fullerton if a permit applies.
Can I use my cleanout to clear a clog myself?
Opening a cleanout on a full line can release sewage under pressure. It is generally safer to leave clearing to a plumber.
General information for Fullerton, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.