A crucial part of your home’s plumbing system is the vent pipe. It would help if you understood what it is and how it functions as a homeowner so that, in the absence of a skilled plumber, you can identify problems.
Benefits Of Vent Pipes
1. Drain pipes and supply lines are the parts of a household plumbing system that most homeowners are familiar with. Drain pipes are a medium through which water flows out of your home and into your sewer system. On the other hand, a water supply line is responsible for bringing the water in.
A plumbing vent pipe works with your drain pipes, except it has a different responsibility; the plumbing vent pipe regulates the air in your plumbing system. It is also known as a vent stack. It does this to ensure that waste and water flow through the pipes that drain out of your house.
2. Your plumbing vent pipe is also responsible for removing sewer gases. It is not strange for such gases to flow from the sewer system into your home, and this accumulation of gases results in a putrid smell and poses a potential health risk.
That is why the vent pipe for your plumbing is located on your roof, and it is positioned in a location that is not near any air conditioning systems or windows to prevent fumes and smells from entering your home.
Types Of Vents
Before using a new plumbing installation, such as a sink, ensure adequate ventilation. The various vent pipe types and their typical locations are described in the following sections.
- True vent: This is the most popular form of venting system. It is a vertical pipe attached to your drain line in a vertical position. Because it does not have any water running through it, the air escapes through the roof.
- Common vent: Make use of a shared vent between two fixtures positioned on opposite sides of a wall, such as sinks installed back-to-back. A sanitary cross provides the connection between them and the stack.
- Re-vent pipe: This sort of pipe, also known as an auxiliary vent or re-vent pipe, is attached to the drain line or the back of the plumbing fixture. It climbs up and then circles back around to reach the main vent that leads to the roof.
- Air admittance valve (AAV): In reality, this is a valve, and it is the one that opens whenever wastewater is drained. It allows air to enter while simultaneously relying on gravity to prevent gases from entering the chamber. These vents typically serve more than one fixture at a time.