Do vent pipes always need to work there way up vertically?
Question:I am adding a new bathroom in my basement and the vent for the shower will run parallel between two ceiling joists. When i reach the wall i will have to 90 down and then 90 back parallel along the wall. Will this affect my venting when i 90 down?
Answers:
I'm a plumber and 1/2 these answers confused me for crying out loud. Horizontal vent lines are perfectly acceptable provided they do not turn horizontal less than 6" above flood level of the fixture being served. They are piped the same way as a drain line would be, so any water flows towards the sewer. I would be more concerned with how the vent connects to the shower from what you describe, from the sounds of it you are either using a running trap or, you have a horizontal vent line below flood level.
Oh, and the vent cannot be less than 1/2 the size of the pipe it serves. with 2", you can vent a 4" line.
yes
absolutely. Please consult a professional plumber. Vent gas is toxic and in most cases you really cant smell it but it will make you sick, very very sick
Not at all. As long as the 90 is above any traps and drains and cannot fill with water you will have unrestricted air.
Additional... Being as how there are some pretty stupid people on FindHomeAnswers giving advice about things they know nothing about, as is evidenced by my 2 thumbs down, I refer you to the last paragraph on this link.
http://www.bobvila.com/howto_library/dra...
yes, when you turn down, then back up, you will be creating a trap.
As I understand your question, you will have a ventpipe that runs from the roof; down a wall; across the space between the first floor, floor and the ceiling of the basement; then turns to run down another wall to hook up with the shower drain. If this is a correct description of your situation, then it is perfectly fine for you to do things this way. If the vent pipe ever loses elevation then moisture can collect in the low spot restricting flow in the vent, or plugging it altogether, creating a siphon when water flows down the drain which would cause the trap to empty, leading to escaping sewer gasses. I worked with plumber and have these two rules of thumb for you regarding vent pipes: The total cross-sectional area of all vent pipes must match or exceed the cross-sectional area of the sewer main as it crosses your foundation. And, any horizontal runs in the vent system should have a fall rate toward the sewer system of 1/8-1/4". If you have a 4" main leaving the house, then you must have ventpipes that stick above the roof line that have a cross-sectional area of at least 4pi or 12.57 sq in. If a piece of vent must run along a joist then the end closest to the roof end of the vent must be 1/8" higher for every foot of run. I hope this helps.
The reason for a vent to allow sewer gases to escape the home and to allow air into the plumbing system to allow the drainage system to work properly. Vent pipes should always go upwards. They can have limited horizontal runs but never downwards.
Irish is right. Sewer vents allow stink out. They also allow air IN so water can drain down the pipes. Some people here are cunfusing this with furnace or appliance vents. They can run downward for a limited distance. but then it should go horizontal , NOT UP AGAIN, that would creat a possible water trap.
just make sure your pipe is raised 1/4" per ft. on the run,you need drainage for any moisture that might sit in pipe.
As long as you have unrestricted air flow to the drain pipe, you should be OK.
I would spend the money to run the design by a plumber first.
I would not think so for a shower vent.
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