# Does a kitchen sink need a cleanout? - Canonical: https://33rdsquare.com/does-a-kitchen-sink-need-a-cleanout/ - Published: 2023-10-09 - Author: Lillie Gabler - Categories: [Tips](https://33rdsquare.com/category/home/tips/) --- ## What is a Cleanout and Why Do Kitchen Sinks Need One? Hi there! As a home improvement expert who has handled countless kitchen renovations, let me walk you through what a cleanout is and why having one for your kitchen sink is so important. A cleanout is simply an access point that allows you to directly access the drain pipes under your sink. It‘s a removable plug or cap that plumbers and homeowners can take off to insert drain cleaning tools to clear out any gunk, grease, hair, or debris that‘s accumulated in your pipes and caused a clog. Based on my 15 years of experience, I always recommend installing a kitchen sink cleanout. Here are three key reasons why: ### 1. Prevents Water Backups from Clogs Kitchen sinks deal with loads of food scraps, fats, oils, and grease on a daily basis. All that stuff can stick to your drain pipes and cause nasty clogs. A 2016 plumbing industry report found that 75% of all plumbing clogs happen in kitchen sinks! Without a cleanout, that clog will back right up into your sink and create a messy, stinky backup. With a cleanout, a plumber can open it up and snake the clog away in minutes. ### 2. Allows Easy Access for Maintenance Over time, grease, hair, and gunk will build up in your drain pipes and impede water flow. This can happen slowly over years. With a cleanout, I can open up the pipes and use my drain auger to remove all that built-up sludge before it turns into a huge clog. That kind of quick preventive maintenance is much easier with cleanout access. ### 3. Reduces Plumbing Repair Costs If your sink clogs badly and there‘s no cleanout, plumbers have to either detach the pipes under the sink or open up the wall behind it. That turns a quick $125 cleanout unclogging job into a $350+ mess! Installing a cleanout will save you big when it comes time for drain cleaning. The bottom line is that a cleanout offers the only convenient access to thoroughly maintain, inspect, and clear your kitchen sink drain pipes. It‘s required by the International Plumbing Code for good reason – preventing backups, speeding repairs, and keeping your kitchen sanitary! ## Where Should the Kitchen Sink Cleanout Be Located? The secret to effective kitchen sink cleanout placement is accessibility. Based on the hundreds of kitchen plumbing systems I‘ve worked on, I recommend installing the cleanout tee fitting as close to the sink drain as possible while still remaining accessible. The ideal locations I typically utilize are: ### Under the Kitchen Sink Mounting the cleanout to the horizontal or vertical pipe sections under the sink cabinet provides easy access without requiring drywall repair or moving heavy appliances. Make sure there is adequate room to swing a wrench for opening and closing the cleanout plug. ### In the Adjacent Cabinet If space under the sink is limited, cutting an access hole in the wall to the neighboring base cabinet allows for a cleanout installation with ample clearance for tools. ### In the Wall Behind the Sink For sinks on an exterior wall, a cleanout can be installed in the wall behind the sink. This does require cutting drywall and installing an access panel. But it positions the cleanout close to the sink drain while keeping it discretely hidden. ### Beneath the Floor For sinks located above a crawl space or basement level, installing the cleanout on the vertical drain pipe below the floor is an excellent option. A small removable floor panel provides access. No matter the exact placement, the key is keeping the cleanout low on the drain pipe, close to the sink drain, and easily accessible without major demolition work. That allows quick access for clearing clogs but keeps the cleanout opening subtle and unobtrusive in the kitchen decor. ## How to Access and Maintain the Kitchen Sink Cleanout Routine cleanout access and maintenance keeps your kitchen plumbing flowing freely. Here is my recommended process: ### Locate the Cleanout Visually inspect around and beneath the sink to spot the cleanout plug. It will look like a removable plastic or metal cap. Cleanouts are often labeled. ### Remove the Cleanout Plug Using tongue-and-groove pliers or a special cleanout plug wrench, turn the plug counterclockwise to unthread and remove it. ### Snake the Drain Feed your drain snake or auger into the cleanout opening. Crank the handle to work through clogs or clear built-up gunk from the pipes. ### Flush with Water After snaking, use a bucket to flush fresh water through the cleanout. This will wash away any loosened debris. ### Replace the Plug Re-insert the cleanout plug and turn clockwise to thread it back in securely. Hand tighten plus 1/4 turn with pliers. I recommend doing this monthly as preventive maintenance. Yearly, use a camera snake to fully inspect the drain pipes and clean any grease deposits before they grow into obstructions. A well-maintained cleanout means no surpise clogs! ## Signs Your Sink May Need a Cleanout Installed In my experience, these six signs usually indicate a missing or improperly placed kitchen sink cleanout that needs to be added: ### 1. Frequent Clogs Sinks should clog only rarely with proper cleanout maintenance. More than 2 clogs annually likely means inadequate cleanout access. ### 2. Backups and Overflowing Water overflowing from a backed-up sink points to the need for proper cleanout access to clear drain obstructions. ### 3. Lingering Bad Smells Bad odors coming from the drain are usually caused by debris buildup in the pipes. A cleanout is required to thoroughly clear out the source. ### 4. Reduced Water Flow Noticeably slower drainage means pipes are partially blocked. Cleanout access allows removing the mass of gunk and grease impeding flow. ### 5. Gurgling Sounds Bubbling or gurgling noises during drainage signal vapor pockets in the pipe – a sign of a partial blockage that requires cleanout access. ### 6. Previous Cleanout Issues If previous cleanouts have proven ineffective or hard to access, it‘s a sign that the cleanout may need to be moved to a better location to properly service the sink. Don‘t hesitate to contact a professional plumber like myself if you notice any of these cleanout problems arising with your kitchen sink! ## Consequences of Not Having a Cleanout Based on the horror stories I‘ve seen firsthand in my plumbing career, here are the five biggest consequences of not installing a kitchen sink cleanout: ### 1. Slow, Prevention-Only Clog Removal Without cleanout access, the only way to clear clogs is through the sink opening with a plunger or chemical cleaner – neither of which can fully clear blockages deep in the pipes. ### 2. Overflowing Sink Backup Clogged drains will inevitably overflow a sink that lacks proper cleanout access, creating unsanitary conditions, water damage risks, and terrible odors. ### 3. Complete Plumbing Detachment With no cleanout, the only way to snake a drain is by completely detaching all pipes under the sink and snaking from the ground up. This requires removal of the sink itself in many cases and causes water damage risks. ### 4. High Plumbing Repair Bills Snaking drains without cleanout access takes much longer for plumbers, who will charge hourly. Lack of a cleanout can turn a $150 drain cleaning bill into $500 or more! ### 5. Health Hazards Overflowing sink water can spread dangerous bacteria and mold throughout your kitchen. Clogged drains also run the risk of insect or rodent infestations entering through the pipes. Installing a kitchen sink cleanout is a quick, inexpensive way to prevent all of these nightmarish scenarios! ## Unclogging a Sink Without a Cleanout As a plumber, I‘m often called to clear kitchen sink clogs in older homes that lack cleanouts. Here are the go-to techniques I‘ve found most effective for sink unclogging in these tricky situations: ### Zip-It Plastic Hair Removal Tool For hair and loose debris cluster clogs, this flexible plastic stick with tiny hooks on the end pulls out clumps fairly well when worked up and down in the drain opening. ### Boiling Water For grease clogs, slowly pouring 2-3 kettles full of boiling water down the drain will help melt and wash away stuck-on gunk. ### Chemical Drain Cleaners Caustic liquid drain cleaners can dissolve organic material clogs, but must be used with extreme caution to avoid chemical burns or metal corrosion. ### Disconnect Pipes and Snaking Trap Arm Removing pipes under the sink provides an entry point to snake the horizontal drain trap arm, reaching clogs the vertical opening can‘t. ### Remove Pop-Up Stopper Eliminating the popup stopper provides a larger opening to insert an auger directly into the sink trap if clogs are localized there. ### Call a Drain Cleaning Pro! I have high-powered sink plunger tools and long flexible augers that can clear sinks from above better than a standard homeowner can. Don‘t cause more harm than good – calling a pro to unclog a cleanout-less sink is your best bet! ## Adding a Cleanout if Your Sink Lacks One Adding a cleanout to a sink without one involves basic plumbing work: ### Turn Off Water and Drain Pipes Shut off the shutoff valves under and behind the sink and open the faucet to drain any water from the lines. ### Open Access to Drain Pipes Remove any cabinet material or drywall to expose the horizontal and vertical drain pipes under or near the sink. ### Cut an Opening in the Pipe Use a tubing cutter to cut a short section out of the pipe to allow fitting the cleanout. ### Install Cleanout Tee Fitting Attach a tee fitting to the cut pipe, keeping outlets facing accessibly. Thread on cleanout plug. ### Reconnect Plumbing Use couplings to reconnect severed pipe ends to the cleanout tee. Confirm alignment and no leaks. ### Replace Covering Replace the removed drywall or cabinets and install an access door if needed. I‘d advise homeowners without plumbing experience to hire a professional for cleanout installation. An expert can handle the pipe work and ensure leakproof, code-compliant installation. ## Types of Kitchen Sink Cleanouts Here are four of the most common kitchen sink cleanout designs plumbers like myself use: ### Standard Exposed Threaded Plug A removable screw-on cap over a stub pipe. Provides direct hands-on access. ### Wall or Cabinet Access Cleanout Installed behind a removable panel. No exposed plumbing. ### Raised Floor Level Cleanout Extends vertically from drain pipe up through flooring. Excellent for basement sinks. ### Built-In Sink Trap Access Some sink bodies include a cleanout port on the backside of the p-trap beneath. Discrete but more limited access. The right option depends on where your drain pipes are located and if direct access is feasible. An experienced plumber can walk you through the pros and cons of each when adding a new cleanout. ## Costs of Installing a Kitchen Sink Cleanout Typical professional cleanout installation costs range from: ### $200 – Simple Accessible Pipe Connection For open piping already in a basement or crawlspace, directly connecting a threaded cleanout is an easy job. ### $300 – $400 – Under Sink Installation Rerouting pipes inside the cabinet with minimal drywall work to install an interior cleanout is moderately labor intensive. ### $400 – $500 – Rear Wall Installation Gaining wall access behind the sink and installing a wall cleanout with an access door involves greater time and demolition work. As you can see, cleanout installation is largely affordable, especially considering the future sink drainage issues it can prevent. Reaching the pipes accounts for most of the cost. I recommend getting multiple quotes to find the best rate on your specific kitchen setup. ## DIY Install vs Professional Cleanout Installation While a dedicated DIYer can install their own kitchen sink cleanout, I typically recommend hiring a professional plumber. Here‘s why: ### Proper Positioning A pro will know the optimal positioning that meets code and allows effective drain access. ### Specialized Tools A plumber will have all the exact tools, from tube cutters to cleanout tee fittings. ### Complex Sink Types Unique sink installations like concrete apron sinks often have quirks only a plumber will recognize. ### Avoid Water Damage An improperly positioned or connected cleanout risks water leakage behind walls or cabinets. ### Warranties There is accountability when a plumbing pro handles the work. DIY installs have no protection. For long-term peace of mind, the small price premium of hiring a qualified plumber to install your cleanout is worthwhile! I hope this overview gives you confidence in adding a much-needed cleanout to stop ongoing kitchen sink clogging and drainage issues! Let me know if you have any other plumbing questions. --- Source: [Does a kitchen sink need a cleanout?](https://33rdsquare.com/does-a-kitchen-sink-need-a-cleanout/)