Roof Vent And Wall Cleanout

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.

Roof vent and wall cleanout.

A drain needs an open airway for water to go down properly. Cleanout plugs shall be brass or plastic or other approved materials. Birds usually deceased but sometimes nesting. Brass cleanout plugs shall be utilized with metallic drain waste and vent piping only and shall conform to astm a 74 asme a112 3 1 or asme a112 36 2m.

Disconnect the dryer duct. The vent goes up through the roof and the waste water goes down to the sewer or septic system. A drainpipe attached to the p trap goes into an opening in the wall. Cleanouts with plate style access covers shall be fitted with corrosion resisting fasteners.

The vent opening doesn t give you access to waste lines for individual fixtures however. Step 1 look up on the roof from the ground below and locate the vent pipe s position. Through the stack sewer gases are carried up to the roof through vent lines. If any shingles are covering the vent or the screws that attach to the guard peel back the shingles.

The plumbing vent stack. Drain pipes take the wastewater to the soil stack. It doesn t cover the vent pipe above the fitting. Start by trying to clean the roof vent and main drain with a hand held drum auger.

This isn t really my field but if the roof is difficult to work from then installing a wye fitting with a cleanout adapter and plug in the attic is a good way to be able to snake down from the wye. You know the black plumbing pipes that stick up out of your roof. Pull the dryer out from the wall unplug it and disconnect the duct pull the dryer out from the wall. It needs to be vented.

Once you have safely ascended onto the roof examine the area around the vent guard. Behind the wall where you can t see a vent line and drainpipe lead to a soil stack which is the control center of the wastewater system. Slow draining and gurgling plumbing fixtures could be a sign of a clogged roof vent. If a blockage develops in the soil stack you can clear it from the roof.

When a clog occurs in a vent pipe you normally climb atop the roof to attack it but you can also try to clear it out from within the house. Unplug it and if it s a gas dryer turn off the gas valve as well. One or more of the following can collect in a vent line and completely clog it. So here s the deal.

The top of the vent pipe extends through the roof. And on homes that do not have a main drain cleanout accessing a clogged main drain through the roof vent could be your best option.