Questions tagged [drain-waste-vent]

A drain waste vent is used to allow drain water to flow freely by permitting air the enter the system, usually through a vent stack or an air admittance valve. Use with the [plumbing] tag

A drain waste vent is a component of a home's plumbing system that is responsible for allowing drain water to run freely by allowing air to enter the system, and thus prevent a siphon effect. Since sewers are filled with gases that range from unpleasant to dangerous, vents must either allow gasses out where they can dissipate (like a roof stack vent) or use a device like an air admittance valve (that allows air in, but not out)

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What can I do about my drains constantly getting blocked?

The one thing I have tried to do about this is use those foaming and non-foaming drain unblockers regularly. That has just been money down the drain, pardon the pun. I suspect that unblockers only work if the blockage is in trap (the first bendy bit…
RomanSt
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How do I replace this cast iron toilet flange?

I have a big old gawd awful cast iron (at least I think it's cast iron, the house was built in 1940) toilet flange that is in sorry shape. See? There will never be a better time to replace it - as we have the floor above and ceiling below it open,…
The Evil Greebo
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How can I prevent or remedy "bio slime" accumulation in a sink drain?

The drain in the sink which we use for mouthwash consistently gets clogged by a very repugnant slime. I've tried all the common drain unclogging products (Drano, Liquid Plumber) as well as some non-standard remedies (e.g., boiling water, vinegar +…
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Does a plumbing vent need to penetrate the roof? (Can it penetrate a wall?)

We're going to move our washer/dryer to the garage (the front loader needs to sit on concrete to keep it from shaking our house to the ground). I'll need to add a washer drain to the garage for the washer. Because this will need a p-trap, my…
DA01
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Does my toilet drain poorly because of bad venting?

I have been in the house for about a year and the toilet has always had poor drainage. It doesn't overflow but there's hardly any suction at all when you flush it. The tub next to the toilet drains very slowly and will gradually fill up when using…
Phaelax
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Sink tailpiece doesn't line up with trap

After installing a new bathroom sink, the drain tailpiece doesn't line up with the trap coming out of the wall. I've seen flexible accordion hoses for this, but I think that violates code (P3002.3.1). I live in California. My tailpiece is 1.25"…
Elliott B
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Can I vent my bathroom exhaust fan into a plumbing drain vent?

I installed a bathroom fan in the ceiling. My bathroom is in the room right next to the laundry room. The washing machine has the standard drain pipe vent of a pvc pipe venting to the outside through the roof. To avoid cutting another hole in the…
cmccall
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Do I need a vent for extending a drain to a new bathroom addition?

I am building a new full bathroom on what used to be my back porch. I am planning to extend the existing drain at a cleanout and to run it outside the house underneath the floor. I need to know if I need to add a new vent to the extension, or if I…
mogrify
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Why are loop (Chicago) vents typically built with three elbows?

Loop vents, for use where direct vents aren't feasible (such as in kitchen island cabinets), are typically drawn, built, and described as comprising three elbow fittings--two 45-degree elbows and one 90. This results in a peaked shape that…
isherwood
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What is this tube sticking out of my roof?

I'm not sure what kind of vent this is for, but I'm wondering if its supposed to have a cap to protect from rain. Sorry for lack of description. I'm completely ignorant to whatever this is. If it helps at all, I have two turbines on my house plus…
hack3rfx
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Can a plumbing vent go up and then back down to the connection with the vent stack?

I am changing the location of all the fixtures in my bathroom. This move will put the toilet and sink on the opposite wall from the stack. I was originally planning on running a vent up the wall with the sink and across the ceiling to connect back…
auujay
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Can PVC be encased horizontally in concrete

I have an unfortunate "this is the only way this is going to work" situation with a DWV repair, resulting in the repair portion of the drain pipe, having to run 4 feet horizontally (yes, at the correct slope of 1/4"/ft) before turning up into the…
tpcolson
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Can I use a PVC cleanout plug in a Cast Iron Cleanout?

There's a cleanout plug on this pipe that I simply can't get loose. I've tried liquid wrench, PB blaster, heating up the area with a torch, everything I can think of. All that's really left is to go after the plug with a drill and a saw and just…
philosodad
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New Vanity: Sink Won't Drain Completely

My wife and I just replaced the vanity in our bathroom. To fit the new sink, we had to cut some new PVC. Here's a picture. All the plumbing works, without leaks, except that it will not drain completely out of the sink. After the sink stops…
michaelkoss
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What causes tub drain to gurgle when toilet flushed?

Recently, the drain in my second floor tub makes a gurgling sound when I flush the toilet, which is located right next to the tub. They are obviously on the same drain line. I know that there is a vent line going up from the bathroom through the…
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