Under your floors and behind the walls is an entire network of wastewater drain systems that you heavily rely on to carry out the wastes and wastewater produced in your Florence, SC home. Cooking, showers, handwashing, and many other indoor activities that rely on water result in waste. This waste must be carried to a municipal sewer system. But did you know your plumbing vent system is critical in keeping the drains flowing smoothly? Drainage ventilation not only keeps your drains flowing, but it also protects you and your family from dangerous sewer gases. Hence, you must ensure that it doesn’t have any issues by scheduling a regular plumbing service. Below is all about drainage vents and why they are essential to your plumbing system.
The drainage ventilation at your home connects to the tub, sink, and other home drains. The air vents go through the roof via the attic and into the open air outside. The drainage pipes directly connect to the primary or a secondary stack or are even connected to a re-vent which travels across and up to the vent stack. The wastewater flowing down your drains may empty in your traps because of the vacuum effect if your home doesn’t have vent pipes. Whenever this happens, the noxious sewer gases may seep into your home. The same could happen if the plumbing vents have an issue like a clog. Thus, it is recommended that you have a routine plumbing service where the plumbing service provider cleans and inspects the plumbing for any underlying problems. Hence, you want some draining water to remain in the trap as the rest flows down the drains.
Gravity carries water into the sewer system whenever water flows down the drains. Should the pipes be downward sloping, the drains will work as the air at your home will work as the vent. Unfortunately, by using this method, air may travel up the drainage system and into your home. This air will bring stinky sewer gases into your home. For this reason alone, you should ensure that the venting system at your home is inspected and maintained by a plumbing service provider to prevent the flow of sewer gases into your home.
There are several factors that can cause problems in your drainage ventilation system. They might result in potential wastewater backflows and overflows, slow drains, backflow of sewer gases into your Florence, SC home, and recurrent clogging and gurgling in the pipes. Below are some of the problems that might make the drain vent malfunction:
Freezing temperatures might cause the drainage vent stack from your roof to freeze. Whenever the vapor within the vent freezes, it blocks the plumbing stack vent. If this happens, your drains’ pressure will become unbalanced. This causes the water inside the traps to be sucked out. Also, harmful gasses like carbon monoxide, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, and sewer gases might enter your home. You can prevent this by having a plumbing service to protect your system from freezing. The plumber will go into the attic and wrap insulation around the vent pipe, which protrudes into the roof. However, opening the attic hatch in the cold season or frigid conditions will allow some hot air to enter the attic.
Did you install the drainage system at your home yourself? Was that plumber you hired inexperienced? Although the drains are working fine, you could be in for some serious issues down the line. The pipe sizes are different based on the use. The routes via the pitch of our drains and wall framing could have a significant bearing on the performance of your drains. You could even think your drains are clogged when it is a vent problem. If you install the pipes at an incorrect pitch, even for just 0.25 inches, that is enough to cause issues with your drains. Always hire a licensed plumbing service when repairing or installing your drains.
Even that small leak from corrosion and cracks could make your plumbing system and vent pipes fail. When this happens, smells will start entering your home. You also might begin hearing some gurgling sounds and noticing slow drains. If you notice either of these, have a plumbing service provider help locate any cracks, damage, or loose fittings in your vent pipes.
Just like with a frozen vent, clogged plumbing vents also will result in issues like slow drains and odors. Birds’ nests, debris, leaves, and mice could obstruct the vent pipe. But why wait until it reaches this point when you can have regular preventative plumbing servicing? When the plumber comes for the plumbing service, one of the things they’ll do is inspect the drains, including the vents. If they notice a clog, they will remove it to ensure that your plumbing vents are properly functioning.
The plumbing codes are different regarding which plumbing vent pipe you can use depending on where you reside. Hence, consult your local plumbing service about the vent pipes you could use for your Florence, SC home. The most common plumbing ventilation options include wet vents, vent stacks, and air admittance valves. All these have their benefits and specific use cases. Do you know the plumbing vent used at your home? If you don’t, confirm with your plumber during the next maintenance visit.
To keep your drains moving smoothly and fast, ensure that your plumbing vents are correctly installed, damage free, and compliant with the local plumbing codes. This is critical for keeping the toxic sewer gases from finding their way into your home. Do you need your South Carolina plumbing vents repaired, serviced, or even replaced? Contact us at Benjamin Franklin Plumbing of Florence today.
See our previous blog post on this topic here!
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