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Drain, Waste & Vent Systems
Main Drain Pain
Just as your body requires attention to prevent illness and maintain
health, so does your home – especially when it comes to ensuring your
home's main drain system keeps on doing its job. Plumbing and drain
experts offer the following at-a-glance tips, plus some easy-to-follow
steps you can take throughout your home to help prevent major, main drain
failure in the future!
DWV: The Drain, Waste, and Vent System
What comes in must go out, and half of plumbing is about getting rid
of waste. Drains, waste lines, and vents – commonly called the DWV system
– are the least visible and least glamorous elements of your home's plumbing.
But this "tree" of branching pipes that carry off liquid and solid wastes
is just as important as the incoming system. It safely removes waste for
treatment and provides a critical barrier that keeps sewer gases and bacteria
from entering your home. Chances are that you'll never have to deal with
your DWV system, apart from clearing the occasional clog. But when it's
time to extend, improve or repair your plumbing system, you'll need to
understand it.
Drain and Vent Lines
The trunk of the DWV tree is the soil stack; all drains and vents feed
into it. Every plumbing fixture must have a drain and a vent – an upward
extension of its drain line that runs up through the roof and is open
to the outer air.
Vents
- Vents allow sewer gases to flow up the soil stack and exit the DWV
system without coming into your home through plumbing fixtures.
- When a fixture is far from the soil stack, it may have a separate
vent line.
- These distances, and the needed vent diameters, are closely regulated
by codes. So always check before you add or replumb a fixture.
Drain lines
Drain lines are classified as soil lines or waste lines.
- Soil lines carry both liquid and solid wastes, such as human wastes
from toilets and garbage from kitchen sinks.
- Waste lines carry only liquid wastes, and are connected to showers
and lavatories.
The main drain
The main drain is the pipe from your home to the city sewer or septic
system. The most common blockage is caused by roots from surrounding trees
and bushes.
Common causes:
- Roots
- Sludge build-up
- Foreign object
- Damaged pipes
- Belly
- Misaligned
- Collapsed
Recommended solutions:
- Open with a cable or jetter device
- Inspect with in-line sewer camera to identify problem
- Repair or replace
Recommended prevention:
- Treat with Vaporooter®
- Install an access
How Vents and Traps Work
At first glance, drains seem to work even without traps and vents. Plenty
of do-it-yourselfers leave out these key components, without understanding
their importance.
- Traps hold enough water to form an airlock against sewer gases.
- Vents equalize pressure to aid drainage and allow sewer gases to escape
to the outer air.
- Without a properly functioning trap and vent, high or low pressure
in the drains may create unsafe conditions. If you suspect improper
venting, schedule an appointment with a plumbing professional.
High pressure
- Without venting, high pressure in the drains may force sewer gas out through traps and toilets.
- You'll probably hear gurgling and bubbling in the fixtures.
- You may also smell the vile bacteria odor mixed with sewer gas.
Low pressure
- Without proper venting, lower pressure in the drains may cause siphoning
in the traps whenever you drain fixtures.
- If the traps are dry, sewer gas vents directly into the house.
How Cleanouts Work
- Drain lines have removable cleanout plugs fitted to pipe tees or wyes
to facilitate cleaning.
- You'll usually find a large cleanout near the connection of the soil
stack and sewer line. This cleanout is a more efficient way of rooting
out the sewer line.
- To clear internal house drains, smaller cleanouts are located at least
every 100 feet in modern plumbing systems. You may find such cleanouts
on outer walls at the ends of plumbing runs or in the basement.
- In older homes, DWV connections were made with molten lead, which
required special tools and training. Today, no-hub couplers have largely
done away with this method of joining cast-iron pipes. If your older
home needs DWV repairs or improvements, you'll find these to be a real
timesaver – not to mention the way they help you avoid exposure to molten
lead.
What You Can Do to Avoid Problems!
Here are some preventive maintenance steps that will help you guard against
future problems with your home's main drain.
Kitchen sink
- Reduce the amount of cooking grease and fats going down the drain.
- Wipe greasy pans with a paper towel before washing.
Garbage disposer
- Follow manufacturer recommendations for proper usage.
- Run ample water before, during and after disposer use.
- If the garbage disposer is not functioning properly, depress the unit reset button, typically located at the bottom of the unit.
Bathroom sink
- Run ample water when washing soap, shaving cream and toothpaste down the drain.
Tub or shower
- Install a strainer to catch hair and foreign objects.
Toilet
- Avoid storing or placing small objects on the toilet tank or around the toilet.
- Keep the seat cover closed.
Laundry
- Keep your washer's lint trap clean.
- Install a lint catcher on the laundry drain hose and clean it regularly.
Water heater
- Follow manufacturer recommendations for proper use.
- Drain regularly according to manufacturer recommendations.
- Inspect for signs of leakage and rust.
- Listen for unusual noises.
Because it's really never seen, your home's main drain can easily be forgotten. That is, until it's not working properly!
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