Cleaning A Vent Pipe From The Attic

The vent pipes are part of the drain waste vent or dwv system of a house or building and they do not carry water inside them.

Cleaning a vent pipe from the attic.

How to clean plumbing vent pipes. How to unclog a vent pipe. Sluggish drains aren t always caused by obstructions in the drain lines. The plumbing vent also known as a vent stack helps regulate the air pressure in your plumbing system.

The pipes in the second category form the home s drain waste vent dwv system. Instead they serve to equalize air pressure within the dwv system and also release sewer gases into the outdoor air as all vent pipes terminate through the roof. Before you clean a dryer vent on the roof vacuum out the vent behind the dryer since it s easier to clean out the length of the vent from the ground floor. The warm moist air inside the vent tends to condense on the colder walls of the pipe and the water droplets catch lint which also gets wet and sticks to the pipe.

The vent pipe can also be blocked and when this is the problem your plumbing system will not function as it should. Although it might seem counterintuitive you often can fix them by climbing to the roof. Signs of a clogged vent pipe are like the symptoms of a blocked drain but what are the. Vent pipes allow air into the plumbing line to balance the pressure in the pipe as water goes down the drain.

Once the vent is exposed use a vent brush first clean the exterior surfaces. Clogged vent pipe symptoms. To do it yourself start by clearing debris from around the pipe. While it s easy to appreciate the role of the drain and waste pipes the role of the vents may not be as obvious.

Because working on your vent pipe is difficult at best taking preventative steps before you encounter a problem is your best course of action. Still if a blockage is in place you have two options. Just as drain pipes remove water and waste from your home the plumbing vent pipe also known as a plumbing air vent removes gas and odors. It also allows fresh air into the plumbing system to help water flow smoothly through the drain.