How to Troubleshoot Sewer Vents

Clogged sewer vents may put your health at risk.

Depending on the season, there are a number of reasons your sewer vent may be blocked. During the summer, a bird may have built a nest over the top. Leaves may have dropped inside during the fall; they build up until they block the vent. Winter blockage can be from ice buildup. A blocked sewer vent needs clearing. If you do not, it will allow sewer gas to come into your home. It also causes the drains to slow, but worse, the gas can build up and become an explosive hazard.

Things You'll Need

• Tea kettle
• Ladder
• Long stick
• Fiberglass insulation
• Duct tape or twine

Instructions

1. Fill a tea kettle with water and place it on the stove. Allow this to heat until the water boils.

2. Place a ladder firmly onto the ground closest to where the sewer vent is located on the roof. Make sure that the ladder is steady and secure on the ground to avoid accidents.

3. Climb the ladder carefully. Take with you a very long stick and the tea kettle of boiling water.

4. Remove the cap from your sewer vent if it has one. Check to see what is blocking the opening. If it's a bird nest, remove it. For a blockage caused by ice or leaves, move on.

5. Pour the tea kettle of hot water into the pipe. This should melt the ice buildup. You may have to repeat the step several times before the ice melts. If leaves are blocking the sewer vent, take a hose up to the roof with you. Run the water full blast down the sewer vent. This will help shift the leaves away.

6. Place the stick into the sewer vent to see if you can knock the ice free if the previous procedure didn't work. Be careful not to drop the stick down the pipe.

7. Wrap fiberglass insulation around the sewer pipe section that runs through your attic for winter protection.

8. Secure the insulation with duct tape or twine. This will help keep ice from forming.

Tips & Warnings

• If your sewer pipe is under trees, put a sewer vent cover over the top.

• Retrieve a dropped stick by adding one preventative measure. Simply use a power drill to make a hole through one end of your stick. Do this about 1 inch below the end. Thread a long piece of twine through the hole and tie it firm. If your stick does slip from your hands, grab the twine and pull the stick out of the pipe.

• When climbing ladders, be extremely careful to avoid falling and accidents.

• Exercise caution when climbing a ladder with hot water in one hand.

References

• North Dakota State University Extension: Sewer Vents
• City of Clive Public Works: Sewer Backup Mess
• North Dakota State University Extension: Check Sewer Vents for Ice Accumulations