Importance Of Venting Your Plumbing System
For waste to flow in the drains without complications, it takes more than gravity and flushing water in your toilet . A vent, which is another important player in waste movement, is also needed. A vent is a pipe that leads from your plumbing system to an outdoor area.
Why You Should Have A Vent
If your plumbing system lacks ventilation, you should have vents installed because of the following two reasons:
- Vents get rid of sewer gases
As is well known, sewer waste does not possess a pleasant smell. This smell is usually in form of gas which must be let out into the open air. In addition to taking sewer gases out of the drains, vents also aid in taking oxygen in. Oxygen aids in breaking down waste through aerobic processes.
- Vents help in maintaining neutral pressure
Without a neutral pressure in the drains, water and waste would not move properly. If there is no water in the pipes, there is a neutral state of air pressure. But when water starts to flow, it pushes and compresses the air to create a positive pressure downstream. Back upstream, a vacuum is created. This vacuum is dangerous as it can pull back on the waste. A vent lets out the positive pressure and at the same time allows air to flow behind the waste stream to prevent a pull back of the waste.
Wet Venting And Dry Venting In Vent Installation
Installing a vent can be quite complicated, so if plumbing is not your expertise, consider seeking the services of a plumber. There are two ways you can install vents in your plumbing systems: dry venting and wet venting. Dry venting refers to connecting each fixture to its own vent. It requires a lot of effort, and hence, it can consume more time.
Wet venting is the connection of a waste pipe to another pipe in the plumbing system that acts as vent. For instance, the drain from the bathroom sink can also act as a vent pipe for the toilet. Due to serving multiple purposes, the vent pipe may have to see an increase in size. But if you want to save money and time, wet venting is the way to go.
The area where a vent is supposed to be located depends on the building code of your area. However, most codes state that a vent stack should be fixed near the appliance, preferably within a five foot radius. A vent stack is a pipe that connects to the main vent at the roof while appliance in this case refers to bath tubs, toilets, sinks and showers.
For more information, contact Multiple Trades & Maintenance or a similar company.