Are Air Admittance Valves as Good As Vent Out Roof

[DanMcD]

We are remodeling or Kitchen and want to put a garbage can under the sink on the left hand side. This will not allow us to connect to an existing air vent that goes out through my roof. I was told we could use an Air Admittance Valve.

How good are these and do they work well for a long time? Are they reliable and fully accepted by licensed plumbers?

 

[Jadnashua]

There must be at least ONE atmospheric vent in your system. Some places do not allow an AAV if there is a convenient way to vent it out the roof. Wanting a waste basket there may not fly with the inspector. But, they do work. They must remain accessible since the rubber valve in there will eventually fail and it will need to be replaced.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[DanMcD]

There must be at least ONE atmospheric vent in your system. Some places do not allow an AAV if there is a convenient way to vent it out the roof. Wanting a waste basket there may not fly with the inspector. But, they do work. They must remain accessible since the rubber valve in there will eventually fail and it will need to be replaced.

My bathroom has a big (4-5inch?) pipe vent up through the roof. The batroom is only 15 feet away from the kicthen sink. Whta happens if the AAV rubber part fails? Do you get smeels and water overflow?

 

[Reach4]

Smells, yes. Water overfill, no.

 

[Gary Swart]

AAVs are screw on/off. If it fails, just get a new one and screw it on. This is why they must be easy to access. The do not fail frequently, but I have no idea about life expectancy. I wonder if a normal vent would be better in your situation. Shouldn't be too hard to tap into that big vent already there.

 

[Jadnashua]

My point being, though, that if there's an existing vent under the sink, the inspector may require you to use it. An AAV is always a second choice. Now, if you were moving your sink, and no longer could use the existing vent, depending on how hard it would be to actually make it work, the inspector may allow an AAV. Wanting to put something underneath the sink cabinet probably wont' have much sway with an inspector.

 

[TorontoTim]

How on earth does a garbage can prevent the routing of a 2 inch vent (can likely get away with 1 1/2 inch) from your kitchen sink? Buy a different garbage can if you really can't find the 2 inches behind it or whatever the problem is.

 

[hj]

AAVs CAN solve problems, but they can create other ones also.