Did you know that ventilation is an essential component of any plumbing system? Though most people think of ventilation as an HVAC concept, it also plays an important role in plumbing. A well-designed plumbing system will include plenty of ventilation to help it run smoothly and efficiently. If you’re interested in learning why venting is important and how you can improve your system, explore our guide to plumbing ventilation.
What Is Plumbing Venting?
Ventilation in plumbing doesn’t consist of big fans or giant gaps in your pipe. Instead, plumbing vents are typically a small section of pipe that attaches to your drain system and then runs outside of your house. The vent will have an open top that allows air to properly flow through your plumbing system. Most vents are not noticeable beyond a small section of pipe sticking out of the top of your roof.
Some home plumbing systems are designed to function with a single vent while others may have a separate vent involved with each plumbing fixture. There are also a variety of different vent caps and valves that can affect how air flows in your system. Whatever style of venting your home has, your ventilation system must work with your needs.
Benefits of Proper Plumbing Ventilation
Plumbing ventilation is the unsung hero of your home’s plumbing system. When it’s installed correctly, homeowners can enjoy many benefits. Installed incorrectly or clogged plumbing ventilation, on the other hand, can wreak havoc in your home. Here’s what you need to know.
Protecting P-Trap Seals
One of the most important functions of your plumbing ventilation is to keep your P-trap seals intact. The P-trap is a small bend of pipe that sits right at the base of each plumbing fixture in your house. It holds a small amount of water that forms an airtight seal between your drain and the main drainage system in your home.
Without a vent, this seal does not remain intact. When you flush a toilet or run a sink, the water moving in the drain creates unequal levels of pressure that pull nearby water along with the draining water. This can siphon away the P-trap seal and leave it empty, allowing sewer gasses to move into the home. When you add a plumbing vent, it sits in between the seal and the main drain line. This introduces some air into the system that breaks the siphon and keeps the water in your P-trap in its proper position. By keeping P-trap seals intact, your ventilation keeps your entire plumbing system as intended.
Preventing Unpleasant Smells
Though it’s probably not something you think about much, the drains in your home connect directly to a sewage system or a septic tank. Without a seal of water at the base of each drain, the methane gas sitting in the drainage system can start to rise. Some types of broken ventilation can even actively suck up sewer gas and release it through your sink drain or toilet bowl.
When this happens, stinky sewer gas will enter your home. Most people describe it as smelling like rotten eggs, but others report scents of sulfur or raw sewage. These types of gasses aren’t just smelly: They can also be dangerous. Plumbing ventilation is essential to ensure that your home is filled with fresh, clean air.
Keeping You From Getting Sick
Plumbing ventilation’s role in protecting the p-trap also helps to protect your health. The gasses that can flow through a faulty p-trap do more than just make your home stinky. Some can also cause major health problems.
Sewer gasses can include methane, hydrogen sulfide, and other dangerous chemicals. Prolonged exposure to these gasses can cause respiratory irritation. It can also lead to headaches, nausea, fatigue, and irritated eyes. Though it’s rare for a modern plumbing system to be so poorly ventilated that it causes health problems, it can happen if your system is designed very poorly.
Helping Your Drains Flow Properly
A plumbing vent pipe’s ability to regulate air plays an essential role in drainage. If you don’t have a spot where fresh air can flow into your system, your pipes could develop a vacuum, which slows pipe draining. Since the vacuum is pulling the water in your drains, the water won’t rush down your pipe the second you flush the toilet or unplug the tub but will instead slow to a trickle.
Slow-moving drains can be more than just an inconvenience. Your plumbing system is designed to have water moving at a certain speed. If it slows down, debris is more likely to get trapped in pipe bends and narrow spaces. Waste can start to build up, and eventually, it can block your drains altogether. This can lead to other issues like sewage backing up in your tub or your toilet overflowing.
Preventing Loud Noises Inside Your Pipes
Without ventilation in your plumbing, water can get pulled around your house every time you drain something. For example, if you flush a toilet on the second floor of an unventilated system, other toilets can be affected as the water flows down, pulling some of their water out of their bowls as the waste flows through. An unvented system can have both backflow and siphoning that moves water into areas where you don’t necessarily want it and out of spaces where it belongs.
This water movement is inconvenient and could increase your water bill, but it can also create a variety of distracting noises, including bubbling or gurgling sounds that appear seemingly randomly. In other words, proper plumbing ventilation is critical for maintaining a safe, hygienic, and peaceful home.
Signs Your Venting Might Not Work Correctly
As you can see, plumbing vents play an important role in keeping your drains and water traps functional. Unfortunately, your system could fail in several ways. Some homeowners end up with poorly designed ventilation that doesn’t properly address the layout of their drains. Others have vents that get clogged, preventing proper function.
Foul smells are the most common sign of poor ventilation. These occur when sewer gas flows back into your home. You might also hear strange gurgling noises or notice that your toilet tank slowly empties throughout the day. Sometimes, you’ll see small bubbles in the water sitting in your toilet bowl. In some cases, a malfunctioning vent trap can also lead to slow-moving drains or dirty water flowing out of your drains. These signs of a plumbing malfunction can often indicate poor ventilation or another issue with your drain, so you need to get them checked by a plumbing pro as soon as possible.
For help with your home’s venting system, turn to Cal’s Plumbing of Tucson for an initial plumbing inspection. Our team has plenty of experience updating plumbing systems to help them vent better. We also provide a variety of other plumbing services including drain cleaning, water heater installation, and water leak repairs. To learn more about Cal’s Plumbing, contact us now.
