Vent pipes are one of the essential pipes for our plumbing system, helping to remove gases and unpleasant odors from inside our home, as well as sewage and sewage, safely and securely to the sewer pipe. Vent lines also ensure that the atmospheric pressure is optimal in your waste system.
As useful as a vent pipe is, when it gets blocked, it becomes one of your worst nightmares. There is no doubt a foul smell around the house or you hear gurgling or bubbling in toilets and sinks.
Today, we’re going to look at how easy it can be to diagnose and unclog your vent yourself. We’ll also highlight what plumbing equipment you need and how to keep yourself as safe as possible when working on your roof.
Equipment required
- Safety gear including rubber gloves, goggles and roof harness
- Safe ladder
- A snake run with a camera and flashlight is highly recommended
- Auger or hydrojet, depending on the blockage
- Another person nearby to help test the plumbing system throughout the process
Step by step on how to unclog a vent
1. Diagnosing the problem
Because our plumbing system is so interconnected, it’s critical to identify where the clog is in order to focus your efforts effectively. You don’t want to disconnect difficult pipes from your roof only to discover they weren’t the problem.
So how can you tell if your vent pipe is the problem? Consider the following three symptoms of a clogged vent pipe:
- Odor: The most obvious symptom of a blocked vent is odor. A clog creates a vacuum, which draws the sewer gases that the vent line would normally omit back into your system and through the plumbing network.
- Rattles: Whether it’s the toilet or the sink, gurgling sounds around your home can mean air is trapped in your system, most likely as it approaches the vent line.
- More than one pipe is slowing down: If various drains in your home are draining slowly, this may also point to the vent line as the culprit, as the pressure in your system is out of balance. If only one drain is slow, it’s probably just that pipe that’s clogged.
2. Secure your workspace
Most often, Unblocking your vent will mean you’ll be traveling on the roof of your house and work from top to bottom. You need to secure your roof and make sure it can support your weight and any tools you use. Consider a harness if the roof is very high off the ground. Always make sure the ladder is secured in place.
Wear rubber gloves and goggles to protect yourself from hazardous waste that may spray upwards during the unclogging process.
A simple but often overlooked tip is to choose a day with calm weather. Unfavorable conditions such as wind or rain can hinder your work.
3. Drain the snake with a camera
Remove any vent pipe covers or hoods. Take your snake drain and gently feed it into the vent pipe. We recommend using a snake drain with a camera and flashlight as this can give you insight into the type of blockage you are dealing with and the general condition of the pipes.
For example, seeing tree roots penetrating the pipe can permanently damage the structure. Additionally, a camera view can help you see if the clog is specifically in the vent line or elsewhere in the plumbing system.
4. Break the clog
If you’ve found debris in the vertical section of the pipe, it’s time to unclog it. Gently insert a water hose into the vent pipe, and turn it on. Try to maintain enough water pressure to wash away any debris on the hoof, eg grease, oil, wipes, etc.
If your clog is made up mostly of leaves, bird nests, or tree branches, the water might be enough to change the clog and fix the vent line problems. If this is the case, install a vent cover.
5. Snail or jet
If the clog is made of a more difficult material that won’t move with water pressure, you may need to use an auger or sewer jet.
A drain auger is a specialized drain snake that rotates the metal cable, causing significant pressure on the material and breaking off the entrained debris.
Similarly, a sewer jet maintains high water pressure (much more than a garden hose) to remove obstacles using force. The only downside to a jetter is that it may not move easily on the vent pipe, especially if there are bends or pivots.
6. Check for clogging below
After unclogging the duct, insert the camera back into the vent to see if there are further clogs further down the riser. Once you’ve reached the end of the pipe and can see its connection to the external sewer, you can check the rest of your plumbing system.
One at a time, ask someone to start flushing your toilets. Keep a close eye on the pipe using the drain snake camera. Make sure the water is flowing through the pipes and running clear. Any discoloration or debris in the water may suggest there is an obstruction elsewhere in your network.
If the water runs clear, reaches the bottom, and exits the vent line, you have successfully repaired and unclogged the vent line.
7. Can I use a drain cleaner?
This is a crucial question for both homeowners and plumbers, especially when it comes to vents. Typically, a drain cleaner is a chemical solution that can easily break down and dissolve common clogs when poured directly into a system. As such, there is no need to feed the drainage equipment on the pipe.
But vent pipes help remove harmful chemicals and toxins from our plumbing system. And if you pour in drain cleaners, these harsh chemicals can linger and rot in your system, and fumes can back up.
Additionally, drain cleaners are only a temporary solution to some blockages. Only by inserting a camera into the pipe can you diagnose whether tree roots or animals are causing structural damage to the pipe.
If the vent line clogs up quickly after that, stop relying on the drain cleaner.
8. If the roots are the problem, you may need professional help
The above methods will work on most vent blockages and is a relatively simple process. But if you see either young or established roots, you may need the help of a professional plumber or tree surgeon.
As Roger Wakefield demonstrates in the video above, tree roots can cause serious damage to a vent line that normal unclogging won’t fix.
Standard solutions for root blockages include:
- Change of ventilation material – for example from cast iron to safe PVC
- Removal and uprooting of nearby trees
- Rerouting or repositioning the vent pipe
- Changing the location of nearby drains that are connected to the pipeline VENT
Extended tips
- Make sure the vent pipe is the cause of the blockage – remember, check for foul odors, noises, and multiple pipes that are slowly clearing.
- Remember your personal safety when working on your roof or attic. Secure your work space and try to unblock the vent only when weather conditions are favorable.
- Finding roots or foliage in the vent pipe is a bad sign that your plumbing system has suffered a significant break – this is a particular problem for cast iron pipes
- If bird nests or stray tree branches are the main clog problems, install a protective cover at the top of the vent.
- Vent caps can also prevent vermin such as rats from entering the plumbing.
- Be careful growing trees nearby – leaves can accumulate inside drain pipes. Trim all overhanging tree branches to prevent this. Remove tree species known for extensive root networks.
- If your vent line is constantly getting clogged, you may need to replace it with a thicker line, especially if you have multiple sinks, toilets, and more.
- Remember that the vent helps regulate and eliminate unpleasant odors and odors from your home. If you detect a suspicious odor, contact a professional.
Conclusion
Vent pipes are the backbone of a healthy plumbing system. They not only help remove excess water and debris from our pipes, but ensure proper pressure in our systems.
Vent pipes also remove unpleasant odors and toxins from our pipes, taking them where they belong – outside of our homes.
So when a vent line is blocked, we know it pretty quickly. You will notice sinks and toilets gurgling, water draining slowly and an intolerable smell develops.
Cleaning the vent is relatively simple. The right equipment, such as a plumber’s snake or auger, means you can diagnose and change the clog without much effort.
If you have any more questions about how to unclog your vent, don’t forget to leave a comment below. But when in doubt, remember:
- A drain snake with a camera provides vital information about what is causing the blockage.
- Flush toilets or turn on sink faucets on a case-by-case basis to ensure water flows freely.
- Chemical cleaners are only a temporary solution to blocked drains.
- If the culprits are tree roots or a dead animal, this may require more extensive pipe repairs.