From: "ron kulick" <ron.kulick@execnet.com>
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: drain vents might be
Date: 25 Jul 92 12:38:08 EST
Reply-To: "ron kulick" <ron.kulick@execnet.com>
Distribution: misc
Organization: Executive Networks Information

           In article <1992Jul21.195607.16618@eos.arc.nasa.gov>
               phil@eos.arc.nasa.gov (Phil Stone) writes...

PS>I suspect that the drain vent(s) in my house might be clogged
PS>in some way.  All the sinks drain slowly,

  Do you know what material (galvanized, cast iron, PVC plastic) the waste
lines are made from? You *can not* tell for sure by looking at the main
waste line in the basement.
  The best way to tell is by looking at the trap on each fixture and
seeing what kind of pipe is attached to the *larger* end of trap. This is
the end that goes behind the wall.

  If the pipes are made of galvanized steel and the house is over 10 years
old, there is a good chance the pipes are clogged with scale and rust.
This would account for the slow draining for that particular fixture.
Using a hand snake will usually clean the line enough for a good drain.

PS>and after toilet flushes
PS>or during prolonged draining (showers, etc.), a "snuffling" sound
PS>can be heard from somewhere in the house.

  How does the bowl flush? The water should swirl in a counter-clockwise
direction as it goes down, and make a "sucking" or "glug, glug" noise when
it reaches the bottom of the bowl. Then the water level in the bowl should
start to rise as the tank refills.
  The shower drain also might be made of galvanized steel pipe. This will
be harder for you to find out since the trap for showers and baths are
installed below the floor and above the ceiling below.
  The "snuffling" sound you mentioned has got me stumped. If you can find
out where it's coming from it would help.

PS>How can I confirm this,

  It's very rare for a vent line to be clogged on the horizontal run
behind the walls. Vent clogs are usually located in the main vent stack.
This stack usually runs straight down from the roof to the basement, but
can contain offsets along the way.
  If you're lucky you can take a high powered light and look down the
stack to see if anything is clogging it.
  Another way to do this is to take a drop light and lower it into the
stack. I CAUTION you about using this method. If you do use this method
make sure that none of the fixtures in the house are in use, or will be
used during this test.
  The reason being is that some homes are built with what is called a "Wet
Vent". This is a method of using the main waste stack as the vent stack.
What this means is the waste water goes into the same stack as the air for
the vent system. If you lower a drop light into a system like this and
someone uses ANY water...well you know what happens when water and
electricity come in contact with each other!

PS>and if the vents are clogged, how can they be cleaned out?

  Depends on what is blocking the vent. I've found a fishing pole with a
heavy test line, 10oz. weight, and a sturdy hook will do the trick.
<seriously>


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