Venting pipe right near window/front door

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Hi all

Hoping for some advice here. We live in a home built about 100 years ago.

They placed the venting pipe right near the front door (ground level, about 6 inches off the ground) as well as under many windows right where we often sit. As a result we often smell sewage when I do laundry or the first floor bathroom toilet flushes. You don't smell it in the house at all--only outside briefly and then it goes away.

This is a stinky and embarrassing problem we are looking to fix. A plumber said there was not too much we could do about it because it would be very $$$$ to move and there isn't an obvious place to move it to anyway. I did some research and see what most homes have then on their roofs; guessing that's not an option here.

One person suggested getting some kind of carbon type filter cap that can go on top to filter the smell.
Someone on reddit suggesting having the whole house trap replaced with a more updated solution and then it could be capped. Thoughts?

We also have a basement full bathroom--not sure if that effects anything or not.

Thanks
 

Sylvan

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I had a home in Riverdale also over 100 years old (Bronx) that belonged to some Nuns (sisters of charity ) with the main house trap and FAI located under a window in 6 foot deep pit right outside the foundation wall

For the vent (FAI) I installed 2- 90 deg ells end of the foul smell

I do not understand what replacing the main trap has to do with vents as the fresh air inlet (FAI) in NY is normally located within 4 feet of the building house trap (upstream)

There is something else going on here and I would strongly suggest you have the main sewer upstream and downstream water jetted to remove 100 years of grease and other deposits inside the piping

Snaking will not scour the sewer back to its original design

You may also check the vent through th roof to make sure it is clear

One of the homes I work in was built in 1865 and still has the original cast iron
 

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In NYC for example the pipe located 6" above grade is the fresh air inlet (min height) and it is half the diameter of the building house drain BUT not less than 3"

If your getting whiff of sewer smell it usually means partial stoppage downstream or the house trap needs to be cleaned of all the debris that accumulated over the decades and it is causing a slight reduction in flow and the back pressure is forcing sewer fumes through the vent inlet making it an outlet for a few seconds
 

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There are carbon filters made for that purpose. Sometimes I use an Air Admittance Valve (AAV). Either a Studor Maxi vent or a Studor Mini vent depending on pipe size. If you do an AAV there should be some way for positive air pressure to still vent out of the waste system so I would not do that unless you have other roof vents. If it is 6 inches off the ground, are you sure it is not a clean out?

Zabel Filter
https://www.zabelenvironmental.com/odor-control.html
 
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There are carbon filters made for that purpose. Sometimes I use an Air Admittance Valve (AAV). Either a Studor Maxi vent or a Studor Mini vent depending on pipe size. If you do an AAV there should be some way for positive air pressure to still vent out of the waste system so I would not do that unless you have other roof vents. If it is 6 inches off the ground, are you sure it is not a clean out?

Zabel Filter
https://www.zabelenvironmental.com/odor-control.html

I am an amateur on this stuff-so not sure of anything! Plumber tells me that it is a vent for the sewer gases--only going by what he was saying. When we first moved in, we did have some type of clogged that came out through here--does that mean it is a clean out or just a vent? Or can it be both? Assume I know no prior plumbing knowledge! Thanks for your help.
 
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In NYC for example the pipe located 6" above grade is the fresh air inlet (min height) and it is half the diameter of the building house drain BUT not less than 3"

If your getting whiff of sewer smell it usually means partial stoppage downstream or the house trap needs to be cleaned of all the debris that accumulated over the decades and it is causing a slight reduction in flow and the back pressure is forcing sewer fumes through the vent inlet making it an outlet for a few seconds

THanks for the reply. WE had the whole house trap cleaned out about 2+ years ago after a clog--sewage ended up through said pipe (what I thinking is the venting pipe but now Im not sure) into the front yard. Good times.

Assuming that the trap doesn't need to be cleaned out more than that. Hoping so!
 

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System like this maybe?
Fig-111-The-Main-Trap-and-Fresh-Air-Inlet.jpg


You need a vent that can not only admit air but expel air. I wonder if you could run a vent up high with an architecturally acceptable cover... Maybe look like a masonry chimney...
 

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Now that we know

1- There was a sewer stoppage 2+ years ago

2- We also know for a fact that "water seeks its own level"

3- So now we can give an expert opinion that because the waste did rise through the FAI we can safely assume the drain cleaner did not bother to use a garden hose down the FAI to flush any debris back to the sanitary system that would have certainly went up the fresh air inlet vent pipe and left debris such as toilet paper inside the pipe reducing proper circulation
 
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Now that we know

1- There was a sewer stoppage 2+ years ago

2- We also know for a fact that "water seeks its own level"

3- So now we can give an expert opinion that because the waste did rise through the FAI we can safely assume the drain cleaner did not bother to use a garden hose down the FAI to flush any debris back to the sanitary system that would have certainly went up the fresh air inlet vent pipe and left debris such as toilet paper inside the pipe reducing proper circulation
ok so does that mean you would also suggest another clean out?
 

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No, you do not need another cleanout

What should be done is take a garden hose and flush the fresh air inlet pipe and have someone remove the trap cleanout closer to the house side (inlet) and look to see if any debris such as toilet paper etc starts entering the main trap
 

Sylvan

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There are carbon filters made for that purpose. Sometimes I use an Air Admittance Valve (AAV). Either a Studor Maxi vent or a Studor Mini vent depending on pipe size. If you do an AAV there should be some way for positive air pressure to still vent out of the waste system so I would not do that unless you have other roof vents. If it is 6 inches off the ground, are you sure it is not a clean out?

Zabel Filter
https://www.zabelenvironmental.com/odor-control.html


In civilized areas a "Cheater vent" is not acceptable for very good reasons
 

Sylvan

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System like this maybe?
Fig-111-The-Main-Trap-and-Fresh-Air-Inlet.jpg


You need a vent that can not only admit air but expel air. I wonder if you could run a vent up high with an architecturally acceptable cover... Maybe look like a masonry chimney...

FAI = Fresh Air INLET Vent through the roof is the outlet . AKA Vent terminal

Cold air is denser then warm air . Colder air enters the FAI as waste draws air in and this air picks up heat inside the drainage system and this foul air rises to the vent terminal

If there is a whiff of foul air it normally means the main sewer or house trap has some debris restricting the air to do its job

The code state a minimum of 6" above grade . I usually install the FAI about 24" above grade because of snow blocking the inlet
 

Sylvan

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web381x381.jpg


We use this type return bend in certain areas such as Manhattan to stop the morons from blocking the FAI with cans bottles etc

ALSO LESS CHANCE OF CRITTERS ENTERING also used on vent terminals
 
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