How To Clean Out Roof Vent Pipe

The top of the vent pipe extends through the roof.

How to clean out roof vent pipe.

Once the vent is exposed use a vent brush first clean the exterior surfaces. Unfortunately the best place to clear a blockage in a vent pipe is from the roof. If one drain in your house is slow it may make sense to assume that it is blocked. When a clog occurs in a vent pipe you normally climb atop the roof to attack it but you can also try to clear it out from within the house.

Clear vent from inside. When the vent pipe is clogged it shows up within your home in a variety of ways from ghost flushing from your toilet to a sink that won t drain properly. Your vent pipe can become clogged from a variety of things. How to clean plumbing vent pipes.

Although it might seem counterintuitive you often can fix them by climbing to the roof. This old house plumbing and heating expert richard trethewey employs his detective skills to find and clear a stubborn clog. The vent system those plumbing pipes that stick out of your roof may be clogged instead. You need enough room to access your vent pipe which must be pvc not cast iron.

This can be a sign that air that should be flowing out of the vent pipe is entering the drain and the bathroom vent pipe clogged. Turn the hose on to full power and lower it into the vent opening. Working up on the roof can be a dangerous task to say the least. If climbing onto your roof is below your pay grade you can also clear a vent from inside your attic.

Look inside the vent opening and clear out any debris you find. Pvc is the white plastic pipe commonly used for plumbing and drainage. Then get on the roof and peel back any shingles that may be covering the vent as well as the guard. It s also possible that the main sewer line is blocked and if you suspect that this is the case you should call.

Because clearing vent pipe blockages can be a real pain in the you know what you can take some preventive steps. Step 1 look up on the roof from the ground below and locate the vent pipe s position. Sluggish drains aren t always caused by obstructions in the drain lines. You won t be sorry.

Before you clean a dryer vent on the roof vacuum out the vent behind the dryer since it s easier to clean out the length of the vent from the ground floor.