Are you familiar with the building vent stacks and stack vents in your building? Along with drain lines and potable water lines, your Chicago building’s plumbing system also contains vent stacks and stack vents. These sections of your plumbing system do not carry any liquids. Instead, they are simply there to vent gases and air and to balance the system so that excess air pressure does not stop your drains from flowing.
Vent Stacks
Your vent stacks are connected to your drain stacks and soil stacks. Your soil stacks and drain stacks funnel wastewater, including human waste, soap scum and food particles to the municipal sewer system. The vent stacks funnel sewer gases to the outside and allow fresh air into the plumbing system. Without vent stacks, the buildup of air pressure would result in the drainage system failing to flow.
Stack Vents
Stack vents are connected to the vent stacks and are considered to be the last few feet of the vent stack. This section is connected to the actual vent that allows the sewer gases to flow to the outdoors instead of becoming trapped in your drain lines and/or venting into your building where they can make people feel ill.
Stack Vent and Vent Stack Corrosion
Stack vents and vent stacks can be manufactured from the same materials as the rest of your plumbing system, including cast iron, steel, galvanized steel, PVC and CPVC. If your plumbing stacks are manufactured from metal, they are susceptible to corrosion. The rate of corrosion depends on the amount of moisture present in the gases that are vented through the stack and if the stack has lost its cap, allowing rainwater into the system. As the stacks corrode, they will develop holes and cracks, which will allow sewer gases and other unpleasant smells into your building.
The Harms of Sewer Gas
Sewer gas is not safe to breathe. It is comprised primarily of hydrogen sulfide, which can sell like rotten eggs. If you continuously breathe sewer gas, it can lead to sinus problems, headaches, exhaustion and dizziness. In a building with properly working vent stacks, there should be no smell. If you do smell a foul odor or the smell of rotten eggs, it’s best to get your vent stacks and stack vents inspected and repaired.
Vent Stack and Stack Vent Lining with Nu Flow, Serving Chicago
Our pipe lining technicians at Nu Flow can perform a camera inspection of your vent stacks and stack vents to determine if there are any holes, missing sections or cracks. If there are, we can recommend pipe lining, which involves either spraying an epoxy coating along the inside of the pipe or inserting an epoxy pipe liner, and provide you with a detailed estimate. Pipe lining is a non-invasive, trenchless way to seal holes and cracks to restore the function of your vent stacks and stack vents, and it is often much faster, less messy and more cost-effective than a traditional pipe replacement.
To learn more about our pipe lining services, call us at 815-790-9000.