Cheater,Vents,the,ugly,truth,t homerepair how to Cheater Vents, the ugly truth

This year when you go up into the attic to get the Christmas decorations take a look around the attic to see if there is any frost on the roof ceiling or rafters. If there is then you have a moisture problem that should be taken care of. Moi Elegance and style are mostly the factors why timber flooring is well-liked to home builders. Aside from that, timber flooring is one of the most gorgeous and long-lasting flooring options that any homeowner could make. It's going to add val

In the last while I have come across several cheater ventson recent inspections.  They are usuallyblack like the abs drainpipe but they may be chrome too,  about 4 inches long, closed at the top   with slots for air around the bottom, andaround the same diameter as the plumbing pipe they are attached to. I usuallyfind them under the kitchen sink or in a basement laundry area. Many times Iwill find them in add on bathrooms by master bedrooms, new  kitchen islands, anyplace that someone mayhave added plumbing during a renovation. On a commercial inspection I found a chrome model in a building North ofOrillia and only days later I found one of the black models installed wellunder the kitchen sink in a log home I inspected not far from Gravenhurst.    This cheapie type typeof vent is illegal for use in residential and commercial use and can be verydangerous. In the vent unit itself is not CSA approved for use in residentialor commercial applications. They normally sell for 7 to 12 dollars at the homerenovation stores. The packaging states quite clearly for use in recreationalvehicles and mobile homes only. They are meant to be used in trailers andcamper units. Better units are referred to as draw vents in the plumbing tradesand there are some draw vents available on the market from plumbing wholesalerscosting from 30 to f50 dollars that are CSA approved and are approved for usein limited circumstances under the plumbing codes.  Normally any drawventing is never approved in new construction and only approved by plumbinginspectors in renovation work where it would be impossible to vent the sink orother fixture through an adjacent wall as  might happen with a kitchen island that sitsin the middle of a large area.  Draw vents, orcheater vents as they are commonly referred to, are often installed by homeowners where a wall or ceiling would have to be broken open to run the separatevent pipe to the main stack or where it would necessitate installing anotherstack as when a new bath is added at the other side of the home from theoriginal. It's an economy thing and a very bad choice. These  7 -12 dollar venting units will fail, whenthey do it may only stink up the building but it may also be much worse; itcould be the cause of an explosion or fire or even the loss of a life.  In simple terms drawvents work with a spring that holds a flap closed under normal conditions. Whena flow of water goes past the short pipe the vent is mounted on, the suctionopens the flap and lets water continue to flow past because it has equalpressure on both sides, gravity is pushing the water down the pipe. When thewater stops flowing past, the suction stops and the spring forces the flapclosed stopping sewer gases from coming back up the fixture and into the home.  A normal ventingpipe also equalizes the pressure and lets gravity push the water past the ventpipe opening so the water flows out of the fixture. The vent pipe then allowssewer gasses to flow up the vent pipe and out of the home into the open airabove the roof. Note the difference between the two. One is open to the air theother has the sewer gasses filling the pipe and blocked from escaping at all.  When a spring orflap gasket fails on a draw vent the sewer gasses enter the home, stinky atbest. But, it can be far worse. Sewer gasses cause many deaths each year andnot just among sewer workers. Due to several deaths at just one site, Torontohydro workers were issued gas testers and it became mandatory for any workerentering a below grade vault, where electrical lines often share space withsewer lines, to test for sewer gasses before entry.   Sewer gas is afoul-smelling combination of gases with a predominant presence of methane gas.It is produced by decaying organic material, residential waste and industrialwaste, all often found in sewage and septic systems. These dangerous gases,when breathed in, can suffocate the victim to death. They are also highlyflammable.  But an odour may not benoticeable as a by-product of sewer gas can also be carbon monoxide, which isodourless, colorless and just as deadly.  If a pipe to afixture with a cheater vent has a direct connection to the sewer or septicsystem, when it fails the fixture can vent gasses through the fixture trap orthe failed vent. If that fixture is the bathroom between several bedrooms itcan and has caused nausea and eventual death to sleeping people.   If that fixture is in the basement near thefurnace, or near any open flame appliance like the living room fire place,escaping gasses could cause a fire. If the gasses had the chance to build upbefore the furnace or fireplace came on automatically..Boom!   When I aminspecting a home, cottage, or commercial building I am on the lookout forthese types of improper installations. They usually indicate an unskilled orunknowing homeowner handyman type of repair or renovation. That always puts myguard up while inspecting the rest of the building.My clients deserve no less.