Toilets need to have a vent. In fact, it’s not just toilets, all your plumbing needs to be vented. Of course, the vent lines should be completed when the house is first built. However, if you’re planning on adding an extra bathroom to your home you may need to improve the plumbing system by adding a vent for your new toilet and associated appliances.
Why A Toilet Needs A Vent
Plumbing fixtures are all designed with a small trap under them. This is shaped like a ‘U’, ‘P’, or an ‘S’. The point is to trap water below the appliance. Water effectively blocks gases in the sewers from rising up and into your home.
This shows you how effectively water can trap gas, including the air. Unfortunately, that creates a problem every time you pull the flush or allow water down the drains. The water will push the air away in front of it and struggle to suck enough water in behind itself to move the waste smoothly through the pipes. Remember, there is water in the toilet as soon as you flush, making it difficult to draw air in.
The result is drains that don’t move well and you’ll hear gurgling sounds every time you pull the flush.
The vent allows air to enter near the toilet, it helps move the waste smoothly along, maintaining equilibrium inside the pipes.
How To Vent Plumb Your Toilet
If you don’t have plumbing experience the best idea is to contact a reputable plumber Sydney and get them to do the work for you. They have the expertise, and tools, and will have the job completed much faster.
If you decide you would rather do it yourself it’s a good idea to make sure you are aware of the latest plumbing regs.
Air needs to be supplied to the waste plumbing system as close to the toilet trap as possible. But, it must be after the trap, not before.
The simplest approach is to attach this where the waste exits the toilet and heads to the sewers. In most systems, it seems logical to join the toilet waste to the main sewer pipe via a 90° or 45° bend. However, this joint should be a ‘T’, allowing you to extend the pipe above the roofline of your property.
Yes, that means it needs to go through the roof. It is important to put a cap on the pipe that allows air to be sucked in while keeping the rain out.
The other side of the ‘T’ heads straight to the sewers as normal, giving you the best possible flow of waste from your toilet. It’s simple, yet essential. But, that doesn’t mean you should be doing it yourself, a professional plumber is a better option.
Additional Point
It should be noted that all the bathroom appliances need to be vented, which means you need to make sure air can get to the sink and shower waste pipes, again, after the traps. You will notice the difference in the efficiency of the appliances.