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What can you do about frozen sewer roof vents and what is the cause?
Wiki User
∙ 8y ago
I have had the same problem and researched coming up with a couple of different ideas. Firstly the pipe freezes at the roof outlet due to condensation of the warm gases as they reach the cold outside air, condensation continues until the pipe finally freezes right over. Most people climb up and pour hot water down the pipe. this will work but you will have to do it continuously during cold snaps.
A better solution would be to go into your attic and wrap batt insulation around the vent pipe up to where it goes through the roof. In most cases this should solve your freezing problem of the pipe on the roof. If it does not then take a tin can larger then the diameter of your pipe and fit it over the pipe, cut a hole in the bottom the size of the pipe to allow gases to exit, then fill the tin can with insulation. this has solved problems for lots of people.
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Wrapping the vent pipe with insulation and putting a tin can over the exterior pipe is a clever solution! I think a better looking, and more permanent solution would be to install a frostless vent cap or flashing. (sometimes called roof caps at Plumbing wholesale shops) on the vent pipe. These frostless caps consist of two separate pieces of galvanized metal. One is the base which is nailed to the roof and the vent pipe passes through it. This piece forms the waterproof seal. The second piece is a cylinder which slides onto the pipe and over the base with a lead cap you tighten onto the pipe. When completed the cylinder is connected to the vent pipe and is free to rise and fall with the vent pipe, and it also insulates the vent pipe from the elements and allows air from the attic to circulate around the vent pipe. These vent caps are more expensive than the rubber roof caps but are worth the difference if you live in a very cold climate. I've seen frostless caps that can also be ordered in various colors to match roof colors at shingle suppliers.
The easiest and most efficient way to prevent hoarfrost is to increase the vent terminal to at least 4" diameter.
Wiki User
∙ 8y ago
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What is the purpose of the ventilation pipe in a plumbing system?
It allows the drains to flow freely and the stench of the sewer to be sent to the highest point in the roof. That is why p-traps are installed, so the sewer gasses go to the roof vents and not through the water in the traps.
Why should sewer vents be 12 high?
They Shouldn't be If the roof is weather protection only then the vent terminal should be 2ft if the roof is used for promenade Then it should be 7 ft
can a clogged vent pipe cause leaking onto the roof and bust a joint in the sewer line?
Yes
You have an extremely high sewer vent on the end of the sewer line on your home can you reduce the height of this vent and what is the standard height for these vents Home is in NSW?
Yes it can be shortened, making sure that the top of the vent is at least one meter above the highest point of the roof.
Do some roof shapes cause the wind to carry sewer fumes down at the other side of the house?
Oh YES
Where are your sewer vents?
A vent pipe is located afte a fixture trap to remove dangerous fumes from the system and exhauts them through the roof terminal as the fresh air enters through the fresh air inlet
What clogs toilet vents?
Birds nests or squirrel nests on the roof in the vents
What is the purpose of having roof vents?
The purpose of having roof vents are the following; preserving the life of the roof, reducing the moisture inside the roof, maintaining the right ventilation inside the roof to avoid molds and moisture and for aesthetic and style purposes as well.
How can you clean roof sewer vents?
Very rarely will a roof sewer vent need to be cleaned. On the occasion that you need to remove debris or a nest, the best way is to try a shop vac. Then you could try a hose to clear any other items down thru the drain pipe. These methods should be adequate to remove 99% of the blockages. Never try to snake a roof vent! There are too many dangers and problems that may occur from trying to do so.
Do roof vents make a house colder?
Roof vents are used to ventilate humid air out of the attic area of the house to increase the air conditioners ability to cool air down or the heaters ability to heat the air. Roof vents can also suck humid air into the attic and eventually rot the roof over time if the air flow is off balance though.
Are gable vents necessary if there are roof vents?
Gable vents are actually counter productive when used with ridge vents. It is better to have ventilation at the soffits which will create a draft drawing in cooler air and exhausting it through the ridge.
How come your 40-year-old house that has had no plumbing problems did not have any smoke come back up out of the roof pipe when a smoke bomb test in the manhole sewer system was conducted?
This could have occured if the sewer lateral line has a belly (low spot) in it. It would cause the line to be full of efluent thus keeping the smoke from flowing up to your roof vent.
