No main vent out roof?

[doodle1]

I have been browsing around this site for several days trying to find the answer to my question, havn't really found anything so I will just put it out there.

We have inherited the house I grew up in. I don't know how old it is, my dad moved it into town over 30 years ago. We have started doing some work on it and had to change out the water lines. While spending so much time under the house, I got to looking at the drainage/vent lines. There is NO line that runs out the roof. There is however a line that runs up the side of the house approx 8-9 ft that connects with the drainage lines. Does this serve the same function? Does this need to be changed? And do you have to have a vent pipe that goes out the roof?

I can remember the toilet bubbling whenever the washing maching was draining, but thats about all I can remember. My dad has passed away so I cant ask him the reasoning for doing it that way.

Sorry if this is too vague. Thanks for your input.

 

[Cass]

It is hard for us to say but absent a vent pipe above the roof line or in the attic where I have seen them terminated...you would need a knowlageable plumber to come out and look over the system and he could let you know for sure...

 

[Sponsor]

 

[doodle1]

Ok thanks, anybody else ever run into this?

 

[Ian Gills]

I have seen very often in England vent pipes that run up the sides of houses and terminate above the roof level, but do not run through the roof like here in the US.

I have also seen the odd vent in the US that terminates in the attic with an air admittance valve, although I would not be happy with that.

This is just what I have seen, not whether it is right or wrong in America.

 

[Sjsmithjr]

Around here you would only see an exterior vent on a house that did not originally have indoor plumbing. Typically, it is a flat vent coming off the bath group with the kitchen sink plumbed to a dry well.