How to Clean Out a Plumbing Vent

Use an extension ladder to access rooftop plumbing vents.

Typically located on a home's roof, vent pipes provide a viable alternative to routing or plunging clogs through plumbing fixture drains and clean-out openings. Although a standard drain auger fits into a vent pipe, many homeowners choose to flush the pipe with a garden hose. If you choose to flush the pipe with water, keep in mind that the hose could fail to clear the clog, cause water to build up and flood your home through a nearby drain. To reduce the risk of flooding, use a specialty clog removal nozzle or a powerful hose nozzle to concentrate the spray's strength.

Things You'll Need

• Extension ladder
• Garden hose
• Hose nozzle
• Manual drain auger
• Helper (optional)

Instructions

Flushing

1. Place an extension ladder's feet on a firm, stable surface, such as a concrete slab or walkway. Extend the ladder two to three rungs above the roof's eave line and lean the ladder against the edge of the roof.

2. Attach a hose nozzle or clog removal nozzle to the garden hose. Attach the open end of the hose to a hose bibb. Partially unravel the hose and toss the nozzle end of the hose onto to the rooftop. Carrying a hose while climbing a ladder is dangerous; throw the hose onto the roof before climbing the ladder.

3. Climb to the roof. Insert the nozzle end of the hose into the plumbing vent. Feed the hose into the vent until you encounter the clog or a bend in the drain line. Descend from the roof and turn on the hose's water supply. Alternatively, have a helper turn on the water while you remain on the roof.

4. Flush the vent with water to clear the drain line. Allow clog removal nozzles to fill and release several times; clog removal nozzles slowly fill up like water balloons and release quick, powerful bursts of water. If indoor fixtures flood or water spills from the rooftop vent, immediately turn off the water supply.

Using a Drain Auger

1. Use a ladder to access the roof. Insert the drain auger's corkscrew end into the clogged rooftop vent's opening. Feed the auger's coil into the pipe until the auger's tip encounters the clog.

2. Crank the auger's handle to twist the auger's corkscrew tip and bore into the clog. Continue to bore into the clog until you feel the corkscrew tip penetrate through the clog or until the tip becomes lodged within the clogged debris; if the auger's handle becomes difficult to crank, the tip is probably lodged within the debris.

3. Pull the auger's coil from the vent pipe to clear debris from the vent. Alternatively, crank the auger's handle in the opposite direction to reel the coil into the auger's case. Run water through the vent or nearby clogged drains to check for proper drainage. If drainage remains slow, repeat the routing process.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not use water to flush drains or vents that hold drain cleaning compounds; dangerous chemicals might splash out of pipes or flood into interior plumbing fixtures.

References

• Ace Hardware: Unstopping Clogged Drains, Toilets and Sewers