Slow draining and gurgling plumbing fixtures could be a sign of a clogged roof vent.
Vent pipe on roof clogged.
Sometimes these clogs comprise materials like wet wipes and feminine hygiene products which homeowners commonly flush even though they are really not designed to go down the drain.
This long pipe is called a plumbing vent sewer vent plumbing stack vent or roof vent.
Your plumber may need to access the blockage through the vent on the roof pushing a plumbing auger down through the system to grab onto the offending material and pull it out.
Clogged vent pipe symptoms.
The vent system those plumbing pipes that stick out of your roof may be clogged instead.
This kind of blockage is the hardest to remove.
Vent pipes allow air into the plumbing line to balance the pressure in the pipe as water goes down the drain.
If your plumbing vent pipe gets clogged regularly there may be other factors involved.
Bird or rodent carcasses.
You know the black plumbing pipes that stick up out of your roof.
Climb the roof with a garden hose and spray water.
This blockage keeps air from traveling up the vent pipe properly.
Clogs can also form at the 90 degree or t joint in your pipes where the pipe from your sink drain or toilet joins your main sewer line inside your walls.
Keep your vent clear.
When wet leaves and other debris get stuck inside your vent pipe it doesn t take long before there s nowhere for the air to go.
A clogged vent pipe.
Your vent pipe can become clogged from a variety of things.
Start by trying to clean the roof vent and main drain with a hand held drum auger.
Because most drain vent pipes are up near the roof sometimes debris from the roof can even clog a pipe.
When a vent becomes clogged it shows up within the home as everything from ghost flushes at the toilet to sinks that simply won t drain properly.
Bird s nests debris and rodents are all known culprits for clogging vent pipes.
And on homes that do not have a main drain cleanout accessing a clogged main drain through the roof vent could be your best option.
There s another piece of your plumbing system that could be to blame.
If tree branches hang over your roof trim them back.
Ongoing stoppages and slow flowing drains can lead to sediment forming inside the drain pipes.
When a plumbing vent pipe or vent stack is blocked negative pressure builds up in drainage pipes and water flow is interrupted.
If removing the trap improves the flow from any nearby fixtures that have been draining more slowly than usual the vents are probably blocked.
When the vent pipe is clogged it shows up within your home in a variety of ways from ghost flushing from your toilet to a sink that won t drain properly.
