Pipe Vent Roof Obstrution

Why plumbing air vents are important.

Pipe vent roof obstrution.

If removing the trap improves the flow from any nearby fixtures that have been draining more slowly than usual the vents are probably blocked. It was novel to me and may be of interest to others of your readers. Climb the roof with a garden hose and spray water. You know the black plumbing pipes that stick up out of your roof.

These connect to a larger pipe usually three or four inches in diameter that extends vertically through the roof known as a vent stack. It channels the exhaust gases to the vent and helps maintain proper atmospheric pressure in the waste system. When a vent becomes clogged it shows up within the home as everything from ghost flushes at the toilet to sinks that simply won t drain properly. Look for a black pipe that is about three inches in diameter made of cast iron or pvc.

In most cases the vent pipe exits through the roof. In order to get around roof timbers the stack was. The vent system typically consists of a main vent that extends above the roof far enough to prevent obstruction from snow. Tennis balls or baseballs.

This kind of blockage is the hardest to remove. Sometimes these clogs comprise materials like wet wipes and feminine hygiene products which homeowners commonly flush even though they are really not designed to go down the drain. According to the international residential code every trap or trapped fixture requires a vent. When the vent pipe is clogged it shows up within your home in a variety of ways from ghost flushing from your toilet to a sink that won t drain properly.

Your vent pipe can become clogged from a variety of things. In most houses this pipe extends vertically all the way to the sewer. A peculiar case of obstruction of a 4 inch vent pipe was brought to my notice to day. The vent stack is the pipe leading to the main roof vent.

According to the rules of the board of health a soil pipe in the city hall was extended full size 4 inches through the roof several years ago. When a sink isn t draining properly and the waste line isn t clogged you may need to take a look upward to find the culprit up toward the vent system. This blockage keeps air from traveling up the vent pipe properly. If a blockage develops in the soil.

You will need a ladder to access the roof. How plumbing vents work. The vent system those plumbing pipes that stick out of your roof may be clogged instead. The one to two foot vertical pipe you see on most roof tops is the visible extension of the vent stack.

S west newton mass writes. Your plumber may need to access the blockage through the vent on the roof pushing a plumbing auger down through the system to grab onto the offending material and pull it out. Bird or rodent carcasses. It is a vertical pipe attached to a drain line and runs through the roof of your home.