How to Deal with Your Home's Old Copper Vent Pipe
In the event that you've been poking around within your loft or peering at the rear of a crawl area lately, you might have seen a copper vent pipe snaking its way up through your roof. While most contemporary homes rely on white or black plastic for their own plumbing systems, viewing that familiar precious metal glint is a sign that your house has its own history—and likely some top quality bones. Copper had been the gold standard for a long time, and honestly, many plumbers still think it's one of the best materials ever used in residential construction.
But having an old system means you need to know what you're taking a look at. A vent pipe isn't carrying drinking water to your sink; it's carrying sewer gases out of your house and letting fresh air flow in so your own drains don't gurgle. When that pipe is made associated with copper, it acts a bit differently when compared to the way the PVC things you see at the big-box hardware stores today.
The reason why Your House Has Copper Vents
In the mid-20th hundred years, in case a builder wanted to do things right, they used copper. It was durable, it didn't crack under pressure, plus it lasted intended for decades. Most associated with the time, you'll find a copper vent pipe in homes built involving the 1940s and the 1970s. Just before that, builders generally used heavy forged iron, that was a nightmare to install since it weighed a lot. After the 70s, everyone switched in order to plastic because it was cheaper plus required way less skill to build.
The cool issue about copper will be that it doesn't just sit generally there; it actually manages temperature changes really well. If you live somewhere with getting stuck winters and sizzling summers, copper expands and contracts without becoming brittle like old plastic may. Plus, there's some thing satisfying about viewing a solid metal pipe sticking out of the roof instead than a part of cheap PVC that might weaken in the sunlight over twenty many years.
Spotting Problems Before It Stinks
Although copper is tough, it's not invincible. In the event that you have a copper vent pipe , you have to keep an eye out regarding a few particular issues. The biggest the first is corrosion. Right now, you might think, "Wait, isn't copper supposed in order to be rust-proof? " Well, it doesn't rust like iron, but it may definitely corrode.
Because these water lines carry sewer gases, they are constantly exposed to moisture plus hydrogen sulfide. More than thirty or forty years, those gas can actually eat aside in the metal through the inside out. In case you see a weird green, crusty buildup on the exterior associated with the pipe—plumbers frequently call this "pitting"—that's a sign that the metal will be thinning. Eventually, you'll get tiny pinholes.
A person might not notice a pinhole drip in a vent pipe as quickly as you would certainly in a drinking water line because there's no water bringing out out. Instead, you might just get the faint, annoying whiff of "sewer smell" in the attic or even near a specific wall. In case you scent something funky, proceed check that copper vent pipe for green places or white powdery residue.
Are you able to Repair a Copper Vent Yourself?
If you find a leak, you've got a choice to make. If you're handy with a blowtorch, you may actually solder a patch onto a copper vent pipe . This is one of the benefits of metal—you can fix it. With plastic, once this cracks, you generally have to reduce the whole section out and replace it.
However, soldering a vent pipe isn't very exactly like soldering a small water series. These pipes are usually usually much larger—think two or three inches in diameter. That takes a lot of heat to have the solder to circulation. If you aren't comfortable swinging the torch around within your wooden walls studs, this may be the time to call in a pro.
An additional option that's become really popular intended for DIYers is using "no-hub" couplings. These are essentially thick rubber fleshlight sleeves with stainless-steel clamps on the finishes. If you have got a bad section of pipe, you can cut it away using a hacksaw, slide a new piece of pipe in, plus tighten those clamps down. It's not as "permanent" sensation as a soldered joint, but intended for a vent pipe that isn't below high pressure, it works like an elegance.
Mixing Copper with Other Materials
Here will be where things get a little challenging. Let's say you're renovating your bathrooms plus you want to replace some older leaky drains with PVC, but a person want to keep your main copper vent pipe because it's still who is fit. You can't just glue plastic to copper. It doesn't work that method.
The greatest mistake people create is connecting various metals straight to every other—like connecting a galvanized steel pipe to a copper one. This leads to something called "dielectric corrosion, " which is a fancy way associated with saying the metals have a chemical reaction that makes all of them rot away extremely fast.
To join your own copper vent pipe to a newer PVC program, you'll wish to make use of those rubber changeover couplings I stated earlier. They behave as a link between the 2 materials, preventing all of them from touching plus ensuring the seal is airtight. It's a simple fix, yet skipping it may lead to an enormous headache a few years down the road.
Dealing with Clogs and Blockages
Since the copper vent pipe leads straight to the roof, it's basically an open up invitation for particles. I've seen every thing from bird nests to tennis projectiles stuck inside these types of things. When a vent gets clogged, your drains start acting weird. You might hear the "glug-glug" sound whenever you flush the toilet, or your sink might drain painfully slowly even though the pipes are usually clear.
Mainly because copper pipes have a smoother inner surface than outdated cast iron, these people don't catch locks and gunk quite as easily. Nevertheless, they can still get scaled upward over fifty years. If a person suspect a clog up, you can usually clear it simply by running a plumber's snake down from the roof. Simply be careful—if the copper is older and thin, you don't want in order to go slamming a heavy-duty power auger through it and accidentally punch the hole in the particular side of the pipe.
The Discard Value Factor
I have in order to mention this mainly because it's a regular topic of conversation when folks start tearing out old domestic plumbing. Copper is costly. Should you ever decide in order to replace your entire copper vent pipe system with PVC, don't just throw the old metallic in the trash.
The particular "plumbing copper" (often called Type Michael or Type DWV) could be sold with a scrap yard for a decent chunk of switch. It won't pay money for your entire restoration, but it might include the cost of the new PVC and also a nice dinner afterward. Simply make sure a person clean off any kind of heavy solder globs or old lead bones if you would like the greatest price.
Final Thoughts on Maintenance
If you have got a copper vent pipe , my best advice would be to simply leave it only unless it's giving you problems. If this isn't leaking so you don't smell anything weird, it's performing its job perfectly. Copper is a fantastic material that will was built to last, and within many ways, it's superior to the plastic stuff we make use of today.
Every once in a while, maybe once a yr, just take a quick peek in the particular attic during a heavy rainstorm. When you see drinking water trickling down the particular side of the particular pipe, it's generally not the pipe itself that's the particular problem—it's the "boot" or flashing on the top where the pipe stands apart. Those silicone seals dry out and crack way before the copper vent pipe will ever fail. A bit of roofing caulk or a new $20 rubber collar can save you from an enormous ceiling repair later on.
Owning an older home along with copper plumbing will be a bit such as owning a classic car. It requires a little more specialized knowledge, plus you can't constantly find parts with the corner shop, but the high quality is undeniable. Deal with that vent pipe well, and it'll maintain your house smelling fresh and your own drains running smooth for another few decades.