I live in a townhome, and recently built a closet organizer in our downstairs closet. Inside this closet are 2 clean-outs. One in the wall, and one in the floor. Townhome is on a concrete slab.

I needed to remove the decorative cover on the floor clean-out, and was interested in replacing the one on the wall, as the builders used the cheapest cover they could.

Issues

1. It appears the builders used screws that are too long to attach the covers. I'm unable to remove the wall cover, and now that I mess with it, if I just push the screw all the way back in, it leaks. The floor cover screw came out, but was extremely corroded and unusable.

2. What is this brass insert, that the screw went through? Is it needed?

3. Is the only way I'm going to get the wall cover off is cutting the cover, removing the plug, and cutting the corroded portion of the extremely long screw off?

Any advice is appreciated much!

the 'brass insert' is the actual clean out 'plug'

you have disturbed an 'abortion'

get a PRO to inspect and repair ASAP, before the potential 'flood' or odor issue


imo: the screw holding the 'trim plate' should NOT have penetrated the actual 'plug'

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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638

quote; the screw holding the 'trim plate' should NOT have penetrated the actual 'plug'

They ALWAYS do, unless it is a heavy brass plug with a tapped recess, which usually only happens with Smith, Zurn, Wade, etc., floor and wall cleanouts, if they do not actually have integral bolted on covers.

'should not' is not 'did not'

there is the pesky issue of 'good practice' again

the 'good practice' fittings (which you agree actually exist) cost more

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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638

Your "good practice fittings" are used on commercial jobs, which is probably all you have ever worked on. THey are inappropriate for a residential job and are cost prohibitive for those applications.

(my previous 3 br 1 bath 1958 ranch had a c.o. deck plate cover in the basement)

if the good practice fitting is cost prohibited, IMO, the work should not be done

perhaps, juuust perhaps, the mcmansion with 4 br and 3+ baths is actually unaffordable

if the end purchaser were to be actually informed of the 'schlock work' necessary to be made affordable juuuuust perhaps they would 'downsize' or rent instead

just my opinion, but, we tradesmen allowed this 'bill of goods' to be sold to the typical consumer

we should have been SCREAMING all along, now it is too little, too late

....rant over

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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638

You should have been complaining when the started using plastic drain and water piping. That is the part that it is "too late now". In a less public forum, I might tell you the story my business agent told us apprentices about bathroom towel bars and mirror installing.

the story would involve trading the local vent (vent on the fixture side of the trap) to the carpenters



for the newbies: a 'local vent' is required for any room containing a sanitary fixture

the vent can be a window, a fixed louver, or a mechanical exhaust fan


yep, the truth is stranger than fiction

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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638



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Quote

You should have been complaining when the started using plastic drain and water piping. That is the part that it is "too late now". In a less public forum, I might tell you the story my business agent told us apprentices about bathroom towel bars and mirror installing.

PROPERLY installed plastic is as or more labor intensive

not to code, but mfgr's specs

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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638

Actually, it involved two brothers who delivered ice to the homes and a lady without the funds to buy it.

You are dealing with a cleanout plug like this I assume:

I don't know why you felt the need to remove it, but now that you have gotten this far, they should be removed and the screw replaced. If possible, go to a hardware store with the new plug and get a stainless or brass screw instead of the cheap steel ones that come with most covers and get it long enough that it goes about 1/2-3/4 of an inch inside the pipe. Make sure to use pipe dope on the last inch of thread to stop sewage water and sewer gas from escaping. If you aren't using a cover plate there are other plugs that can be used, but the plates are to hide the clean outs and protect the openings from anything entering the space; they aren't meant to be decorative inside your closet, they are meant to access the sewer line in case of a sewer backup. They can be dressed up, but make sure that the guy that comes to clean your sewer can still find the cleanout if someone besides you is there at the time.

Thank you KCRoto. Yes, that is what I am dealing with.

So, from the replies, the screw holding the plate cover should "NOT" have penetrated the plug??

Or, yes, and I should just screw the new plate on, with some teflon tape or some type of sealant on the screw?

For clarification, I only removed the cover plate, not the plug.

I can't get the one plate off, over the wall plug. I believe this is because the screw holding it on, is exposed in the pipe and corroded so much it won't come back through the plug. That brings me to the question of are the screws supposed to go that far through the plug?? What if I needed access to that plug? Having the screw go all the way through the plug into the pipe, doesn't make sense to me, because of the issue I'm having.

I just want to install lower profile cover plates, that look a little nicer. I don't want to hide the plugs.

The floor plate cover came off, but it has the brass insert. Which I have no idea what it's for.

Yes, the screw penetrates the plug, just seal the threads. If you can change to a stainless screw though, it won't rust in the future.

quote; Having the screw go all the way through the plug into the pipe, doesn't make sense to me,
The plug is only about an 1/8" thick, and maybe less, so it would be very difficult to get a screw to "hold" anything without going all the way through it and into the pipe. The end is rusted, which happens ALL THE TIME, and is normal, (regardless of what some others say). Just grab it with pliers and pull it while turning it.

replace the actual 'screwed' c/o plugs

do NOT screw into them

hide them with some 'pretty' access doors/panels/plates

wall - access panel

floor - c/o deck plate cover

available from our sponsor:



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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638

Nice, and expensive, solution to a problem that doesn't exist.

would YOU want the 'cheapo' inside Your closet ?

the OP already has a problem with the cheapos

his installation will/has required TWO cheapos per c/o ALREADY


...do it right ONCE and 'fuh-ged-bout-it'...

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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638

The OP didn't have any problem until they created a problem.

yeah ... they attempted to remove a 'readily removable' cover

the unmitigated gall .........................

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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638

quote; would YOU want the 'cheapo' inside Your closet ?

I DO have them, because the only "cheapo" part was using the steel screw that came with the cover. Other than that, it is the SAME THING that is used many times in every new house that has been erected in the past 60 years.

you have made my point

thank-you



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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638

@bernabeu (SC):
Where is this available for purchase?



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