How To Look At A House
McGarry and Madsen's home inspection blog for buyers of
site-built, mobile/manufactured and modular homes
Where does rain water go when it gets into a roof vent pipe?
Friday, June 15, 2018
Rain water that runs down a plumbing vent pipe at the roof goes into the house drain system at a point past the traps at the plumbing fixtures that keep sewer gas out of the home, and heads harmlessly out to the sewer or septic tank. The only time that rain causes problems at a roof vent is when the flashing, called a “boot” in the construction trades, is damaged.
Most boots are a malleable sleeve made of lead, like the one shown above, that is folded over the top of the pipe. Squirrels like to gnaw on them, which can create a gap between the vent pipe and the sleeve that allows a small amount of water into the roof sheathing, and possibly even inside the attic. To learn more, see our blog post What is a roofing boot?
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Here’s links to a collection of our other blog posts about PLUMBING PIPES:
• How can I protect my pipes to keep them from bursting during a hard winter freeze in North Florida?
• Can galvanized steel pipe still be used for new water lines in a house?
• How can I tell if I have cast iron pipes in my house?
• Why can't a sanitary tee be used for a horizontal-to-horizontal drain pipe connection?
• What is the difference between green and white sewer drain pipes?
• Is a washing machine drain hose required to be secured at the standpipe?
• What are the abandoned pipes sticking out of the wall in my house?
• What are the code requirements for plumbing vent terminations?
• What are the code requirements for layout of drain piping under sinks?
• What causes a gurgling sound when a bathtub or sink drains?
• What is a "combination waste and vent" in a plumbing system?
• What is a galvanized nipple?
• What is the difference between water service pipe and water supply pipe?
• What are the pipes on my roof?
• Why is old galvanized steel water pipe a problem for homebuyers?
• What does polybutylene pipe look like? Why is it a problem?
• Which water pipes are an insurance problem and possibly uninsurable?
• Can you connect CPVC pipe directly to a gas water heater?
Visit our PLUMBING page for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to the INDEX for a complete listing of all our articles.
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