Richard
Elite Member
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2000
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- Knoxville, TN
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- International 1066 Full sized JCB Loader/Backhoe and a John Deere 430 to mow with
I understand that every plumbing drain is supposed to have a vent somewhere within 5 feet (or something like that)
Ok...find/dandy....
I'm just trying to better understand how the vent works (yes I've got a poor draining tub and the lack of a vent seems to be the logical reason why)
If you have a clothes washer and its pumping out water I can see how a vent would help because there might be no air coming into the system from the washer... meaning.... as the washer pumps water out, when it stops pumping it will otherwise create a vacume of sorts.... because no air can enter into the system... I think I've got that.
A tub is what is confusing me...
Seems to me that if you have a tub that is draining, not only can the water simply go down the drain but, there is nothing for the water to pull a vacume agains since the drain is exposed to the air in general.
Heck...the more I type, the poorer I think I'm asking my question....
If you have a hose connected to the house (washer analogy) and turn the spigot off, then the water will drain very poorly from the hose as the air has to come in from the END of the hose to allow the water to bypass it and work its way out. If you crack the hose open at the spigot and allow air to enter the hose then the water will drain out rather quickly.
I understand that logic.
Now...
If you attach the same hose on a "sink drain" that happens to be elevated 5 feet into the air (the sink is the bathtub) and remove any obstruction at the outlet side... the water will STILL quickly flow out of the sink, down the hose and out of it because there is nothing enclosing the sink to draw a vacume to fight the draining process.
Seems to me in the first picture you must have a vent but in the second picture you don't need a vent. By that logic, I ask...
Why would you EVER need a vent on a tub/shower drain??
I'm asking this in part because I know I do not have one, I've got a poorly draining tub and have been told I NEED a vent. You see my logic above and I don't really want to rip my walls & attic apart to install a vent to only not actually need one and still have a poorly draining tub.
How far off base am I?
Ok...find/dandy....
I'm just trying to better understand how the vent works (yes I've got a poor draining tub and the lack of a vent seems to be the logical reason why)
If you have a clothes washer and its pumping out water I can see how a vent would help because there might be no air coming into the system from the washer... meaning.... as the washer pumps water out, when it stops pumping it will otherwise create a vacume of sorts.... because no air can enter into the system... I think I've got that.
A tub is what is confusing me...
Seems to me that if you have a tub that is draining, not only can the water simply go down the drain but, there is nothing for the water to pull a vacume agains since the drain is exposed to the air in general.
Heck...the more I type, the poorer I think I'm asking my question....
If you have a hose connected to the house (washer analogy) and turn the spigot off, then the water will drain very poorly from the hose as the air has to come in from the END of the hose to allow the water to bypass it and work its way out. If you crack the hose open at the spigot and allow air to enter the hose then the water will drain out rather quickly.
I understand that logic.
Now...
If you attach the same hose on a "sink drain" that happens to be elevated 5 feet into the air (the sink is the bathtub) and remove any obstruction at the outlet side... the water will STILL quickly flow out of the sink, down the hose and out of it because there is nothing enclosing the sink to draw a vacume to fight the draining process.
Seems to me in the first picture you must have a vent but in the second picture you don't need a vent. By that logic, I ask...
Why would you EVER need a vent on a tub/shower drain??
I'm asking this in part because I know I do not have one, I've got a poorly draining tub and have been told I NEED a vent. You see my logic above and I don't really want to rip my walls & attic apart to install a vent to only not actually need one and still have a poorly draining tub.
How far off base am I?