Tip of the Week: Plumbing Drain Vents

Most of you know that your plumbing drains have a vent…more often than not, every drain in your house such as a kitchen sink, bathroom sink, toilet or shower will have a pipe that extends up through the roof.

The purpose of the pipe is two-fold. First, the obvious. It helps vent out any stinky gasses that you or your drains may generate…and as you can imagine, this alone, is worth its weight in gold.

The 2nd and lesser known purpose is to avoid a vacuum when flushing or running water down the drain. Without the vent pipe, the water would gurgle, spew and slowly drain as air escaped in whatever way it could!
These pipes are usually vented out of the roof. Many of today’s flashings built to keep water from seeping through around the pipe are made with a rubber gasket or seal that surrounds the pipe above the roof. This seal should fit tightly around the pipe.

As this rubber gasket ages, the seal begins to crack and shrink. This allows water to get through the seal and into your attic space…eventually onto your drywall and into your living space.

If you have a leak in a kitchen or bathroom (laundry room too!), chances are this seal has been compromised. The fix is usually not very expensive and it could help keep that issue from becoming a bigger problem.
If you have leaks in any area, give us a call we’re happy to get up and check it for you…Today’s roofs are not for the faint of heart…they’re steep and dangerous…so don’t be a goof, stay off your roof!