Plumbing Stack Vents

[Pettrix]

I am trying to design a new home that will keep the pests (scorpions, centipedes, crickets, etc) from coming inside the home. Here in AZ, scorpions, crickets, roaches, etc, mostly come in through the bathroom vent fan duct work that exit out the homes roof. I figured out a way to stop that in the new home by having the bathroom vent system all connect to a HRV system and then only have one side vent through the wall with a bug screen. VentZone Central Ventilation (requires flash to view) - iaqsource.com In addition to being a better design, it will also bring in fresh air into the home with the HRV. As this home will be VERY air tight.

Now for the next area, it's bathroom plumbing stack vents. Is it common to have roof rats, bugs or field mice try and enter through those plumbing stack vents? If so, what method can be used to stop them from going inside of those vents?

 

[hosspuller]

Instead of stack vents, install air admit valves. The purpose of the vents is to protect the level of the water in the plumbing traps. The valves do the same.

see here >> Why Use an Air Admittance Valve? | eHow.com

 

[Pettrix]

I also found this:

Vent Pipe Filter, Stop Septic Odor, Activated Carbon Vent Filter

 

[Pettrix]

Instead of stack vents, install air admit valves. The purpose of the vents is to protect the level of the water in the plumbing traps. The valves do the same.

see here >> Why Use an Air Admittance Valve? | eHow.com

Why is it that most plumbers I talk to really dislike AAV's? I am inclined to believe that it might be a monetary reasoning behind it as AAV's are less expensive to install due to the lack of plumbing pipes and roof penetrations needed with conventional venting systems.

Here is an answer as to WHY:

http://www.nachi.org/forum/f22/good-article-air-admittance-valves-68530/

 

[dmccarty]

...

Now for the next area, it's bathroom plumbing stack vents. Is it common to have roof rats, bugs or field mice try and enter through those plumbing stack vents? If so, what method can be used to stop them from going inside of those vents?

How about a piece of screen held over the vent stacks with a pipe clamp? Simple and cheap. To make it look better you could cut out a end of a cap that would fit over the vent stack and hold the screen in place. I don't have a problem with critters in the vent stack but our combustion air for the wood stove is a 6 inch PVC pipe running from outside the house, under the slab and popping up behind the stove. I took a 6 inch cap, drilled a bunch of holds in it for air flow. Then I put a bunch of screen/wire mesh in the pipe to keep out bugs and put on the cap. Has worked just fine keeping the bugs out but letting air into the house for the stove. Now, if I could just keep the bugs out of the firewood.....

Later,
Dan

 

[dmccarty]

...

Now for the next area, it's bathroom plumbing stack vents. Is it common to have roof rats, bugs or field mice try and enter through those plumbing stack vents? If so, what method can be used to stop them from going inside of those vents?

How about a piece of screen held over the vent stacks with a pipe clamp? Simple and cheap. To make it look better you could cut out a end of a cap that would fit over the vent stack and hold the screen in place. I don't have a problem with critters in the vent stack but our combustion air for the wood stove is a 6 inch PVC pipe running from outside the house, under the slab and popping up behind the stove. I took a 6 inch cap, drilled a bunch of holds in it for air flow. Then I put a bunch of screen/wire mesh in the pipe to keep out bugs and put on the cap. Has worked just fine keeping the bugs out but letting air into the house for the stove. Now, if I could just keep the bugs out of the firewood.....

Later,
Dan

 

[KYErik]

I Like the screen idea- simple and effective.

I recall being 10 or 12 years old and finding a tree frog swimming in the upstairs toilet on one hot, dry summer day- we later found another frog shriveled up in a window sill. The ends of the tree limbs/leaves just barely touched the roof and the tree frogs were climbing down the humid PVC stinkpipe. I suppose the upstairs toilet stack was the first horizontal "cave" they encountered and they decided to stop off and "explore". It ended up being quite the misadventure for the frogs. The one in the toilet "won" a free trip to the septic tank- but he was a fighter- it took 2 flushes to send him on his way...

 

[Pettrix]

I read that mosquitoes can make their way into the plumbing stack and lay their larvae in the plumbing water traps that are not used. They can also lay their eggs inside of septic tanks by making their way into the septic vent pipes.

 

[motreefarmer]

All of the buildings codes in the nation required vents for plumbing fixtures. The purpose of the vent is to keep sewer gases out of the house and also to help in the draining of water/waste from the fixture. For example, if the house doesn't have any vents, the water/waste would go down the drain but it would gurgle every time because it trying to get air to help it drain itself. It's cheap but effective. You might look at vent caps for RV's to help keep critters out of the vents. Those vents have some sort of screens inside of them to keep bugs out. But no one can build any type of building that can stop 100% of all bugs and small critters out.

 

[dmccarty]

I read that mosquitoes can make their way into the plumbing stack and lay their larvae in the plumbing water traps that are not used. They can also lay their eggs inside of septic tanks by making their way into the septic vent pipes.

I can't imagine that mosquitoes eggs or larvae could survive in a septic system. We use all of our plumbing so having mosquitoes using the traps to lay eggs is not an issue.

Later,
Dan