It can be pretty easy to get overwhelmed by the terminology of any profession, especially when it comes to a plumber in Toronto. To address some of this problem, we will talk about what a drain stack is in plumbing. In the remainder of this article, we will let you know what a drain stack is and what it does for your plumbing system.

What is a Drain Stack?

A drain stack is a vertical pipe that travels through your entire home that acts as the center of your plumbing system. You may also hear other people call it your plumbing vent or vent stack.

No water runs through the drain stack. Instead, it contains a combination of pure and impure air.

What Does it Do?

A plumbing vent regulates the air pressure in your system. It allows fresh air to enter your plumbing system, helping the water run through the drain pipes with greater ease.

The plumbing vent also removes the unwanted smells of the sewers. So if you are ever replacing shingles on the roof and find a stinky vent, that is likely what you are smelling.

What Happens if the Drain Stack Fails?

Typically, drain stacks fail if there is some blockage in the vents. Your plumber in Toronto sees this happen in older homes that have not cleaned their vent often enough.

When you have a faulty plumbing vent, you will hear gurgling noises with negative air pressure inside your drain stack. You may also find your toilet could start overflowing. Standing water in your sink or bathtub is another bad sign.

You may also start to smell the sewer, which isn’t a pleasant experience for most people.

How Do You Fix a Bad Drain Stack?

Below are a couple of things you can do to fix a lousy drain stack:

• Use a plunger to see if you cannot force the air and water pressure to cause the clog to come out of the drain stack. This will only provide a temporary solution, so you will need to follow up with later solutions.
• You can use a drain cleaner if you suspect that the clog might be somewhere in the pipe. However, this will not solve the problem located in your drain stack.
• A plumbing auger, sometimes called a drain snake, can get into the plumbing vent to physically root out the blockage. You can rent drain snakes at hardware stores.
• Professional plumbing services will be able to pinpoint the problem and take care of it for you. These services have access to a variety of tools that can locate and diagnose the issue.

It is a good idea to try and work your way up from the bottom if you aren’t experiencing a plumbing emergency. If you are experiencing a plumbing emergency, skip to step four.

Conclusion

A drain stack provides a balance of air and water pressure inside of your house. Without it, your bathroom would regularly overflow and smell like sewage, which isn’t a great thing to go through. Any plumber in Toronto worth your time will be able to tell you the same thing.

If you suspect your drain stack is failing, contact a professional service today for a quote. If you hear a gurgling sound, we can prevent this minor plumbing issue from turning into a flood.