What Is a Plumbing Vent, and Why Is It Important?

If you’ve ever asked yourself, “What is a plumbing vent?” you are most likely not the only one confused about what that part of your plumbing system does. Since you depend on your indoor plumbing to keep your home running smoothly, understanding the plumbing components can help you navigate and prevent problems. 

If you think you have a plumbing issue that requires an emergency plumber in Hillsdale, NJ, we can help. Contact Gladiator Services at (201) 571-1715 for fast, responsive plumbing services.

What Is a Plumbing Vent?

The vent pipe carries the air that regulates the air pressure in your plumbing system. The air is necessary to ensure the waste and water flow out of your house and into the sewer or septic tank. 

The plumbing vent sits on your roof to allow fresh air to enter the plumbing system and remove the sewer gasses and odors from the system. The vertical vent pipe attaches to the drain line and helps maintain the proper atmospheric pressure in your plumbing. 

Why Is a Plumbing Vent Essential to Your Home?

Dangerous sewer gas and odors will build up without plumbing vents and stop the water from flowing through your plumbing system. The air coming into the vent and gravity work together to push the waste and water out through the pipes to the sewage system. 

What Can Happen When Your Plumbing Vent Is Not Working Correctly?

Serious problems occur when your vent pipe is not working correctly. The answer to what is a plumbing vent lies in the issues that arise when it is not functioning as it should. You will know something is not right when your plumbing does not work or only drains slowly.  Some problems are:

1.    Blocked Vent

Remember, gravity supplies pressure to move the waste and water through the drain pipes to the sewage system. When the plumbing vent is blocked, the water flow is interrupted because of negative pressure. You can clear the blocked drain, but it will become blocked again when the plumbing vent stops up.

2.    Slow Flowing Drains

When your drains continually stop up or drain slowly, build-up called sediment can fill the pipes. Once this happens, the sediment can damage your pipes, resulting in an expensive pipe repair to get your system back to working order.

3.    Gurgling Sounds

Gurgling sounds in your plumbing system indicate trouble that needs professional attention. These sounds mean that you have a plumbing air vent block. Left unchecked, a vacuum forms, and you will begin to smell foul odors and stinky sewage gasses. This is an emergency that requires immediate plumbing service. 

4.    Empty or Dry Toilet Tanks

If the plumbing vent gets clogged, your toilet tank won’t fill with water, and you can’t flush. The lack of air pressure in the plumbing system stops the water from flowing, so you won’t have water for flushing.

5.    Foul Smells

Sewage produces a harmful gas called methane. There are traps within the plumbing system that prevent methane from entering your home. Methane is dangerous because it is odorless and colorless, so you don’t know it is there. It causes symptoms like dizziness, headaches, and nausea.

6.   Ice and Snow

In the winter, ice and snow can clog the main vent on the roof, and when ice builds up, it will sometimes trap the air in the vent. A Gladiator Services plumber must remove the ice before the vent maintains neutral air pressure so your plumbing fixtures work correctly.

Most Common Plumbing Vents

Every plumbing fixture in your home must have a vent to ensure it is working properly. The fixture will not drain if the vent is clogged. Here are the customary drain vents:

• Main Plumbing Vent: The main plumbing vent is also known as the true vent. This is the vent that sits on the roof of your home and connects to the main drain line. No water runs through this vent because it allows air to filter in while odors and gasses evaporate. 
• Common Vent: This is a vent that connects two drains, such as when bathrooms are back to back in your home. Inside the wall is a common plumbing vent that allows both drains to operate correctly. 
• Auxiliary Vent: This vent attaches behind a plumbing fixture and makes its way up to the main vent on the roof.
• Air Admittance Valve: The AAV valve usually serves more than one drain to allow air in, and gravity keeps odors out. As water and waste flow down the pipe, it creates negative air pressure, which lifts the sealer, letting the waste flow away freely.

Preventing Clogs in Your Plumbing System

Preventing clogs in the bathroom is essential to maintaining your toilets, sinks, and showers. A Gladiator Services professional plumber can clean hair, soap scum, and other things that fall down the drain. Also, watch what you flush down the toilet. Only flush toilet paper and human waste in the toilet, and remember to place all feminine products in the trash. 

In the kitchen, don’t pour grease and oil down the sink as this will clog the pipes and cause them not to flush the waste away properly. Place leftover food in the garbage to throw away. Never flush coffee grounds since they are quick to clog up a pipe.

When You Need Trustworthy Plumbing Service 

You can rely on Gladiator Services to handle any plumbing need with exceptional care and skill. Our plumbing technicians understand what is a plumbing vent and how to keep it in perfect working order. We know how important your plumbing is to your home, so we make sure to have plumbers available 24/7. 

Gladiator Services's plumbers are here to address any plumbing needs and can handle any plumbing issue regardless of the size or nature of the problem. Contact us at (201) 571-1715 or get an online quote from our website. We are here to help!