How To Unclog Plumbing Vent Without Getting On Roof

The plumbing vents on our homes tend to get clogged sometimes. But since they are on the roof, you may think the only way to fix them is by getting up on the top. Well, that’s not entirely true.

You can approach to solve the problem without getting on the roof too. For example, some fear heights or don’t want to risk themselves by getting on the top, or the idea of getting on the roof to clear the clog might sound troublesome. 

This is why this article will cover how to unclog plumbing vents without getting on the roof.

What is a Plumbing Vent, And What Does It Do?

A plumbing vent aims to maintain or stabilize the air pressure in our home’s plumbing system. In addition, the plumbing vent removes all the gas and odor in the drain pipes through the pipe attached at the top of the roof.

Is Your Vent Clogged?

Before you start the process of unclogging your plumbing vent, be sure that it actually is clogged or about to be. Even if your vent isn’t wholly blocked, here are a few ways to tell that it’s almost there and signal you that it’s time to unclog it.

• Your bathtub stinks, or you can hear the sound of the toilet flushing from your bathtub
• It smells like rotten eggs or maybe even worse in your kitchen or bathroom. 
• The kitchen or bathroom sink will make sounds of gurgling.

One more thing to know, the width of your plumbing pipe has factors here because sometimes the plumbing pipe may not be large enough for the drains to run to it. 

No matter how much you keep up with your regular maintenance like trimming tree branches (so that leaves and or branches can’t enter the vent) and pest control can’t keep the lines clear.

Generally, if you have a 4-inch-wide pipe, you don’t have anything to worry about, but some households have a single 2-inch stack, so they still may face clogging issues despite having a plumbing vent. 

So, getting a broader stack is the recommended action to do here.

First Things First

Before starting, you need to acquire a couple of tools first, which are mentioned below.

• Drain Snake or Auger Drill
• Industrial Waterproof Inspection Camera 
• Gloves
• Hacksaw

How to Unclog Plumbing Vent Without Getting on Roof

Getting up to the roof to unclog your vent every time a blockage can be quite unpleasant. So here is the solution laid out to you step by step. 

Step 1

Locate the vent inside your home, which is usually a white PVC pipe located above the kitchen sink or your bathroom. 

Step 2

Wear your gloves, take the hacksaw and cut a portion of the pipe because you need to run the drill downward and upwards inside the vent, so make sure you leave adequate room for the drill on the entry point. 

Step 3

Be careful, though, while sawing that you don’t cause any unnecessary cracks, preventing future leakage on your Drain-Waste-Vent system. Now take your industrial inspection camera to inspect the problem within the vent.

Step 4

Before you run the drill, make sure you get more than 100ft because you will operate the drill from the ground. Now start running the drill depending on where the clog is located. 

First, turn your auger handle clockwise so that it can elongate the cable inside the pipe. If the reason for the clog is dead animals, leaves, or debris, then your clog should be upwards or run the drill towards it. 

Turn the drill handle counterclockwise after breaking up the clog to take back the drill. Repeat if necessary.

Step 5

Time to repair your pipe. Take a measurement tape to measure the pipe’s diameter to have the exact estimation and gather the required tools required to close the open vent pipe permanently.

Step 6

Now the final step, First remove the burrs with a knife from both ends of the pipe. Then apply PVC glue to both open ends of the vent pipe and the ends of a PVC coupler. 

It is vital to make sure that the coupler is the same as the vent pipe diameter. Make it additionally lengthy to be sufficient to seal the gap. You can also use PVC cement with rubber to repair the pipe. 

Before You Go!

What about the clog caused due to the cold weather for which the reason could be ice or snow? The risk is relatively high getting on the roof during winter; consequently, you could slip and fall. So, it is not recommended at all. But no worries, we got you covered on that too.

Here are some ways that you can apply to unclog your frozen vents.

• Hair Dryer:​ Use it to warm up the pipe in your attic, which gives your pipes sufficient heat to melt the pipes and saves you from damage to the pipe by starting a fire.
• Heat tape:​ Consider adding heat tape on the pipe in the attic, which is indeed a great way to keep the pipes warm and end icy buildups.
• ​Insulation:​ Insulating the vent pipe is also another way to keep the pipes warm and stop building ice in the pipe.
• ​Hot water:​ Pouring hot water in the sinks can send hot water vapors up the vent, causing the ice or snow to melt.

Final Words

Having a clogged plumbing vent in your house isn’t really a pleasant situation for a house. Disgusting smells sink, overflowing and even causing health-related issues.

Now that you know that unclogging the plumbing vent is quite an easy process, if you follow the mentioned way and you can do it without getting on the roof and risking yourself.

But if you still are hesitant or not confident enough about doing the whole process yourself, professional services are always there to help you out.