sewer pipe question

[bubblegummom]

I've been cleaning the basement. I moved a cabinet and found that my husband has repaired the short sewer pipe that comes out at an angle from the long one (stack?) by sticking a McDonald's cup in it (vintage cup from when they were thicker plastic) after a rooter person had to break off the, I guess it's called a "cleanout plug."

The old plug was on the floor nearby so I've been trying to match it up to replace it. It seems to be between 3" and 3-1/2" and I haven't been able to find one the same size.

I guess there is such a thing as a mechanical plug, or some type of a plug that can be put in as a replacement. Can anyone advise me if this would be suitable and long lasting, and what brand and type I should look for?

Thank you.

Loretta

[HayZee518]

you can go to home depot or lowes. they have an expansion plug that will fit your waste pipe. normally there is a lead lined brass plug that fits into the cleanout of that wye fitting. if the hub is still intack, they make a cleanout plug that has an extreme taper lined with lead on the threads. because of this extreme taper you should be able to find one that'll fit the hub. but as I say you can find an expansion plug to fit.

[bubblegummom]

Thank you very much. Are you saying that if the threads in the short pipe are not damaged, there is a tapering plug with threads and we could screw it in as far as it would go and that would seal the pipe? Do you think they have that at Lowe's or Home Depot or just the expansion plug, and would an expansion plug be a permanent solution and last a long time?

Thank you so much!

Loretta

[pushkins]

Like Hayzee suggested I'd go with the expansion plug, should cost under $10.
It will be long lasting and code compliant and usually it works with a simple wing nut to tighten the rubber seal.

[bubblegummom]

We will try that! Thank you both very much!

Loretta

[bubblegummom]

I am finding test plugs...what are they? and mechanical plugs...and also inflatable. I would guess I don't want the inflatable. Would there a lot of pressure in that pipe?

[HayZee518]

a test plug is an expansion plug with a pipe fitting in the top. it is used when a line needs to be pressure tested. the mechanical plug is what you are after. it has a rather large wing nut on one end. as you tighten the wing nut it presses against the rubber bellows and expands it, sealing the pipe. There is NO pressure in the waste line. Maybe a slight vacuum when its in use but no pressure.

[LazyPup]

The codes are very specific in regards to the proper placement of vents to insure that the entire DWV (drain,waste & vent) system will remain at or very near standard atmospheric pressure during normal operation, however, many local codes require that during construction we must perform a 'Static Head Test" to insure there are no leaks in the DWV system.

To conduct a static head test all drain openings are sealed with test plugs and a vertical riser is installed (often they use the main vent stack) so that the top of the riser is 10' higher than the top of the highest opening on the DWV system.

The entire DWV system is then filled with water to the top of the test stack and it must maintain that full level for a period of one hour, after which all the test plugs are removed and we may proceed to the trim out portion of the plumbing job, where the fixtures are attached to the DWV system.

Water produces .434psi per ft of vertical rise so with a 10' riser the actual test pressure of a static head test would be approximately 4.34psi on the main drain.

[bubblegummom]

Thank you HayZee...that's just what I wanted to know. Now if I can just find one that the head is big enough on so that it won't fall into the hole and the bottom is small enough to fit into the hole and expand large enough to seal it.

At one plumbing store the clerk pointed out a roto-rooter guy and suggested I ask him about it....he showed me some kind of a plug that was too big to fit in the hole and said to just take a hammer and pound it in, that's what he would do. I don't know about that, what do you think?

Lazy Pup, that was a very thorough explanation of a test plug, and I think a little of it actually sunk in so I understand it better now. Thank you!

Loretta