My main drain to the sewage seems to have a partial clog. Plumber says he is on his way to snake it. My question is that when we were looking for the source of our problem, We found a round overflow/vent that was in a utility closet and had been covered with plywood. It was pushing water out from underneath the plywood when large amounts of water was pushed through the pipe. The house was built in the '30's and we have only lived here a year. My question is shouldn't this vent be connected to the outside somehow? It just doesn't seem very sanitary that this thing is just covered with some plywood. What about leaking gases, the smell and such, not to mention the water when the pipe is not flowing well. The plumber is on his way and I just don't want my house torn up or be taken advantage of because of my plumbing ignorance! Thanks in advance for your help!
2007-09-06 04:10:01 · 7 answers · asked by Really now 4 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
Thanks for the advice! The device is not actually a pipe. It is about 8 inches in diameter, round, with vent cut outs all around it...Not really sure what the heck it is, much less what is called. Any idea?
2007-09-06 04:30:34 · update #1
Thanks Just Wondering....never thought about capping it off. There is a water line also in that closet. Not sure if they had a sink in there at one time or what. Do all houses have to have the vent line through the roof to pass inspection? Just wondering myself if there will have to be a new exhaust/ overflow put in. The closet this is in is beneath my staircase on an outside wall...Can't really go straight up. Can we make a 90 degree angle then go up with it?
2007-09-06 04:41:47 · update #2
Of course it is anybodies guess what previous owners may have done in the last 76 years, but it is very unusual to have a sewer vent pipe going anywhere but up inside the cavity of a wall, and then terminating above the roof line. It is more likely (in my opinion) that there was at one time a fixture of some sort in that location and the owners at that time were either too ignorant, too cheap, or too lazy to properly terminate the line. It is clearly not sanitary and all of your concerns with that lack of sanitary conditions are justified. You should have this looked into further and at the minimum get it properly capped off. If it is in fact a vent, it needs to be extended to above the roofline where it belongs.
After reading the additional information you provided, it sounds like the fitting is very possibly an old toilet mounting ring and the utility closet was at one time a water closet.
2007-09-06 04:31:58 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If the pipe you discovered is truly a vent then it shoud indeed go to the outside. The sewer gasses that will come through it are potentially very harmful to you and your family. If you can extend the pipe to the roof and beyond, by all means you need to do so. Have your plumber look at it and decide the best course of action.
You can route it to a side wall, just make sure there is a slight upwards angle to the pipe, not a straight 90 degree and you should be fine.
2007-09-06 04:23:33 · answer #2 · answered by Daniel C 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
that sounds like a clean out port rather than a vent. it should have a sealed cover on it not just plywood. no water should come out . another possibly is it could be a floor drain meant to catch over flow from the washer. waist water some times backs up through these and lots of people just cover then with plywood.
2007-09-06 04:41:42 · answer #3 · answered by snow 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There usually isnt a vent in the sewer line. It was probably and old drain line. Cap it. Even if it is a vent you dont really have to run it outside. I have worked on 100 year old homes that have no vents at all just a stack.
It sounds like it could be some sort of a catch basin? Could be clogged between the catch basin and the sewer?
More info please
2007-09-06 04:39:08 · answer #4 · answered by Brian M 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
it should have been vented to the outside,smelly yes harmful no,vents are very important to a drainage system,you could use a mechanical vent out side is best.the sewer mach should clear your drain just fine.
2007-09-06 04:39:34 · answer #5 · answered by tom the plumber 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
North Carolina is likely one among the worst places to circulate, why'd you progression there from Canada? circulate to Southeastern Virginia (like Norfolk), our inhabitants in sixty 5% african american. And we bypass complicated.
2016-10-04 02:15:05 · answer #6 · answered by geissel 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ask the plumber. Most are honest and helpful. He will advise you and explain things. Then the choice of what to do is up to you.
2007-09-06 05:54:12 · answer #7 · answered by John himself 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋