Access Pipes, Access Bends & Access Plugs
Every drainage system needs to be rodded eventually. Access fittings put a removable, sealed cover exactly where a blockage is most likely to form, so the run can be cleared without cutting pipework out of a duct or a ceiling void.
Also searched as: access pipe, access bend, rodding access, inspection pipe, access plug, cleanout
Where access is required
At the foot of every discharge stack, at changes of direction, at the head of every run, and at intervals along long horizontal runs. Local authority requirements in the UAE follow the same principle as BS EN 12056 — if a length of pipe cannot be rodded from an existing point, it needs its own access.
Types
Access pipe — a straight section with a bolted or screwed cover plate. Access bend — the same cover built into an 87.5° or 45° bend, used at the base of stacks. Access plug — a screwed plug fitted into the socket of a branch or a cleaning eye.
Installation
Position the cover so it faces into an accessible space and can actually be unscrewed — an access fitting buried against a wall or facing a slab is worse than none, because it gives false confidence at design stage. Check the seal and the fixings are refitted correctly after testing.