What is the drain pipe in back of the house for (water leaking out of it)?

Question

My last plumber snaked my pipes and capped a pipe in back of my house. When I took a shower, the water was not draining.

  I uncapped the pipe in back of my house and water started draining out.  I'm concerned something is backed up. I haven't had time to investigate more, but I used the toilet and bath tub this morning w/o any problems.

Justin · Accepted Answer

The pipe is either:
A) a vent line and the pipe is clogged and water is backing up through the vent line, but a vent line should be higher than the other drains in your house.

B) the normal drain for the shower and tub.  I realize that this is probably not up to code but for some houses (particularly in old houses) they ran separate drain lines for things like the clothes washer and showers/tubs to reduce the amount of water going to a septic tank allowing for a smaller septic system.

Don S · Answer

He probably installed a clean-out access to make routing the system easier.  If it is backed up to his clean-out you very likely have a clogged system.  Give your plumber a call.

What is the drain pipe in back of the house for (water leaking out of it)?

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