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.
Pipe vent roof obstrution.
It was novel to me and may be of interest to others of your readers.
According to the international residential code every trap or trapped fixture requires a vent.
Your vent pipe can become clogged from a variety of things.
The vent system those plumbing pipes that stick out of your roof may be clogged instead.
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.
If removing the trap improves the flow from any nearby fixtures that have been draining more slowly than usual the vents are probably blocked.
S west newton mass writes.
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.
The vent stack is the pipe leading to the main roof vent.
Other vents in the house link to this main vent.
In most houses this pipe extends vertically all the way to the sewer.
If a blockage develops in the soil.
A peculiar case of obstruction of a 4 inch vent pipe was brought to my notice to day.
Climb the roof with a garden hose and spray water.
This blockage keeps air from traveling up the vent pipe properly.
How plumbing vents work.
You know the black plumbing pipes that stick up out of your roof.
Tennis balls or baseballs.
Bird or rodent carcasses.
Leaves small branches trash or other debris.
The vent system typically consists of a main vent that extends above the roof far enough to prevent obstruction from snow.
These connect to a larger pipe usually three or four inches in diameter that extends vertically through the roof known as a vent stack.
This kind of blockage is the hardest to remove.
Why plumbing air vents are important.
In most houses the main vent stack which opens onto your roof is a continuation of the soil stack which is the vertical waste pipe that leads to the sewer.
Look for a black pipe that is about three inches in diameter made of cast iron or pvc.
You will need a ladder to access the roof.
The one to two foot vertical pipe you see on most roof tops is the visible extension of the vent stack.
In most cases the vent pipe exits through the roof.
It channels the exhaust gases to the vent and helps maintain proper atmospheric pressure in the waste system.
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.
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.
