All of those things were of great interest, but plumbing cast a long-lasting spell on me. I really enjoyed the challenge of the three-dimensional problem-solving you have to do to run all the drain and vent pipes in a typical home. I wondered how it all worked, and I was lucky enough to work in many old homes where I saw how long-gone master plumbers had installed giant cast-iron pipes.
You often could still smell the oakum oil-soaked hemp used to pack the joints before they poured the molten lead to make the joints watertight. The truth is, indoor plumbing is one of the newer innovations in building. Once that happened, plumbers gained the stature of doctors — plumbers could keep you healthy, too, by making it possible to pipe harmful waste away from your home.
When water rushes down a pipe and it passes an empty pipe, the moving water can create a vacuum. Bad things can happen when you flush toilets, drain a tub or do laundry. The water rushing and cascading through the pipes can suck the water out of the U-shaped traps under your sinks, tubs, floor drains and showers. When this happens, vermin can crawl into your home, and sewer gas can enter as well. The plumbers of old quickly discovered a plumbing system needs to breathe in air just like we do.
However , no water runs through the plumbing vent pipe. It is a vertical pipe attached to a drain line and runs through the roof of your home.
The vent stack is the pipe leading to the main roof vent. It channels the exhaust gases to the vent and helps maintain proper atmospheric pressure in the waste system. Its drainage and vent functions are actually two systems that work together.
Drainage pipes carry waste out of your home to either the city sewer or a septic tank. Vent pipes supply fresh air to each plumbing fixture in the house, which helps the system move water through the drainage pipes each time a toilet is flushed or a sink is drained.
Plumbing air vents also prevent sewer gases from entering the home and allow wastewater gas and odor to escape. Plumbing vent pipes are located on roofs, away from windows or air conditioning units, so that the fumes can easily dissipate. If you hear gurgling sounds coming from your drains, see standing water in your sink or bathtub, or notice a slow drain in the bathroom or kitchen, a blocked vent may be the issue.
When a plumbing vent pipe or vent stack is blocked, negative pressure builds up in drainage pipes and water flow is interrupted. Though you may have success clearing a clogged drain yourself, stoppages will continue to occur if a blocked vent is the culprit.
Ongoing stoppages and slow-flowing drains can lead to sediment forming inside the drain pipes. This can further damage your plumbing system and may result in hefty pipe repair or replacement costs down the road.
Related: Tree Roots vs. If you can't clear a slow-flowing drain with a plunger, auger or drain cleaner the vent blockage may be severe. If the plumbing air vent or vent stack becomes completely blocked, a vacuum will form, and you will no longer hear gurgling.
You will also be able to smell sewer gases in the rooms where the affected fixtures are located. This is a problem that requires immediate attention from a plumbing professional. When it comes to household plumbing systems, most people know drain pipes and supply lines. Drain pipes allow water and waste to flow out of your home and into the sewer system. A water or supply line brings the water in and lets you fill your sinks, bathtubs and washing machine.
Instead, it regulates the air in your plumbing system. Also called a vent stack or plumbing air vent, the vent pipe regulates airflow to assure waste and water flows through pipes that drain out of your house. It prevents a vacuum that causes slow or no drainage. Clean drain pipes can only do their job when the vent pipe works. Each plumbing fixture in your home requires air to move the water through the drainage pipes.
This build-up of gases not only causes a foul odor, but it can also be dangerous. Make sure to check building codes and to consult with a professional before you install a venting system. Blockages in your vent pipe or stack cause a buildup of negative pressure in your drainage system. While many types of drainage issues you can fix yourself, a blocked vent is more difficult. If you often have drainage problems, a blocked vent might be the cause.
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