Learn How To Check A Clogged Vent Pipe

Posted on: December 28th, 2016 by admin

Learning The Steps On How To Check Your Orlando Plumbing Vent Pipe

Plumbing vents are the vertical pipes that connect to your drain system and extend straight up through the attic, venting at the roof. Like any empty pipe that terminates outdoors, plumbing vents are subject to blockages from leaves, birds nests and other obstructions, as well as improper placement at construction.

But what if you notice that there is a problem in your vent pipe? and how could you check it?

How to Check if a Vent Pipe Is Clogged

When the vents in your plumbing drain system are clogged, the flow of water can slow down or stop altogether. The vents admit air to replace the vacuum of rushing water, and when they are completely blocked, the effect is much the same as covering the end of a full drinking straw with your finger. The water stays where it is. On the other hand, partial blockages can cause the pipes to gurgle in the same way as a bottle full of water does when you pour the contents quickly. That gurgling sound should alert you to vent problems.

Steel Pipe Fittings

1

Watch for slowly draining sink drains or toilets. Slow draining is one of the first signs of vent blockages, but it’s also caused by obstructions in the drain, so you need to keep investigating to narrow the problem to a vent issue.

2

Listen for gurgling sounds coming from one drain when you open another. For example, your bathroom sink drain may be connected to the bathtub, and when you drain the tub, you may hear gurgling from the sink. It means that the vent that serves both fixtures is blocked, and air is getting sucked in through the sink P-trap. If sewer smells are coming from the drain, it means that the vacuum caused by the vent blockage is strong enough to empty the P-trap.

3

Remove the P-trap from the fixture from which you hear the gurgling, if it’s accessible. Do this by unscrewing the compression nuts on the trap by hand or with adjustable pliers. Put a bucket under it to catch water before removing the trap. If removing the trap improves the flow from any nearby fixtures that have been draining more slowly than usual, the vents are probably blocked.

4

Climb the roof with a garden hose and spray water into the main vent opening. If the main vent is blocked, the water will back up. That’s a sign that you need to clear the vent pipe with a plumbing auger.

Things You Will Need

Adjustable pliers

Garden hose

Tip

When you climb the roof, you may find that the vent opening is blocked with leaves and other debris. If so, clearing the debris should solve the problem.

If an individual sink vent is blocked, that sink won’t drain properly, but it might not affect any other part of your drain system. Installing an air admittance valve on the sink will probably solve the problem.

Leave it to our contractors…

Finding and fixing the problem requires working on your roof using specialized tools, so leave it to your professional plumber. Give a qualified plumbing contractor a call if you notice any of the following symptoms of poorly vented plumbing drain lines.