Adding in missing plumbing vents

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awesomerobot

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I've been living in a fixer-upper for a while... I've been fixing a lot that was previously done wrong.

I've finally gotten around to ripping out our first floor bathroom (two full bathrooms) and I'm noticing some plumbing issues. Mainly that there's what seems to be a vent pipe terminating into my wall. So yeah, there are no proper plumbing vents in this house. Surprisingly I haven't yet had any problems, but now that I've got a bathroom torn out it seems like I should fix it correctly.

I've made a diagram of the existing... situation. The large pipe is 4" PVC, and the smaller pipes are 2" PVC — I don't have wall access into the second floor bathroom at this point, but from what I can tell by the first floor, everything is converging into a single 4" pipe.
Opy4P.png

I also put together what I'd guess a solution might look like (the vent pipes in yellow). The diagram is a bit rough, but is this in the right ballpark?

kvpZU.png

Could I alternatively vent out through the second floor roof and add an AAV to the first floor sink? (I can have one AAV according to local code)


NjMzjR1.png
 

hj

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If your drawings are "accurate", then you might as well tear the whole thing out and start over because NOTHING is according to code and it might be more difficult to add the proper vents to it. ONE aav will do nothing to make the system work properly.
 

awesomerobot

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Ah yeah — I suspected as much. Thanks.

I had a plumber out to install a drain for a washing machine in my basement and he said as far as he could tell nothing was to code. Kind of pissed off that my home inspector didn't mention a thing about the plumbing in our home inspection. A lot of it is exposed in the basement, and according to my plumber it is somewhat obvious. Replumbing every waste pipe in my house wasn't on my bucket list.
 

Terry

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What decade was the home built in?
And leaving an open vent in a wall?
Sometimes a homeowner will have an open vent, or a missing p-trap, and just assume the musty smell belongs to the home. It's often the sewer gas from the plumbing.
 

Absaroka Joe

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What is your objective? To bring this home up to code and live there for some time or just patch it up and flip? If you are going to stay, then permit the job and work with the inspector to do it right. They are there to help you...at your expense of course. And it could be very expensive. Venting is not overly complicated, get a code book and read it for sizes and locations.
 

awesomerobot

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The home was originally built in the 1920's, but it was gutted and flipped in 2007. I bought it as a foreclosure 2 years ago — I was made aware of some issues from our home inspection that we've since had fixed, but as I've been learning some more about our waste plumbing lines... I'm really surprised that our inspector didn't at the very least notice a lack of vent in the roof (or anywhere else)... but I guess I just need to move forward and get it done.

I have no plans to move, so I'm in it for the long haul. The good news is that I've had no problems with the plumbing over the past 2 years, so while I'm concerned (and already have a bathroom gutted... thank god we have 2), I can take some time to get this right. I guess I'll get a code book and start to weigh what I can do myself versus what I'll need a plumber for.
 
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Plastic plumbing can be done by a careful DIY, you may get local help from a licensed plumber on pre-design and post-inspection after.

You can't live in a home with sewage smell and p-traps that keep being sucked dry.

Get some temporary AAVs in place to buy time. It's your health. I don't know how slow or fast you work, but even 1 night of sewage-free sleep is worth the $30 for a AAV.
 

awesomerobot

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Did a little more research and it turns out you can't even pull your own permits in Boston and all plumbing work needs to be done by a licensed plumber. I can't even relocate a faucet on my own (legally). Guess I'll have to put it on hold to save up some $$$$. Luckily I've had no problems (or smells) for now.
 
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