How to Clear Drains Through the Roof Vent

The roof vents, or the plumbing vent pipes that you can see coming out of your house’s roof, perform two vital functions in your house’s plumbing system. The vent pipes allow outside air to flow into the pipes, maintaining an air equilibrium as air is washed down the pipes and into the septic tank or sewer system. The vent pipes also give an escape route for the sewer gases that become trapped in the drainpipes. A clogged vent pipe may not allow waste water to flow down a plumbing fixture’s drainpipe.

Things You'll Need

• Ladder
• Flashlight
• Flexible retrieval tool
• Drain auger
• Garden hose with high-pressure attachment

Instructions

1. Climb onto the roof using a ladder, being careful to place the ladder on a flat and stable surface. Locate the vent opening that sits near the clogged plumbing fixture drains.

2. Remove any debris, such as bird nests or balls, from the pipe’s opening, or slide the cap off the pipe. Shine a flashlight down the vent pipe, and look for any obstructions in the pipe.

3. Reach down the pipe with a flexible retrieval tool or a drain auger to pull out any debris from the pipe. If you cannot pull the debris out, break it up with the retrieval tool or auger to dislodge the debris from its position in the pipe.

4. Spray water down the vent pipe with a garden hose that has a high-pressure attachment on the end. Stop spraying water down the vent pipe once you hear the water flow down the vent pipe continuously. Replace the cap on the pipe, if one was present, and climb off the roof using the ladder.

References

• Plumbing Knowledge: How to Check and Clean Plumbing Vents
• Ask the Builder: Clog Free Vent Pipes
• The Family Handyman: How to Clear Clogged Sink Drains