Working on a report for an inspection I just did this evening…As I was working on the report, it dawned on my that there was no plumbing vent on the roof. After reviewing photos of the roof, and the attic I confirmed that there were none. Not only no vent in the roof, but not venting into the attic either…
How would you report that? Obviously that there was no plumbing vent, but what else would you say beyond that?
I’d simply state that no vent was observed or verified and leave it at that Mark …why complicate it with something you are only guessing at?
· **Repair: **We were unable to locate a plumbing vent projecting up through the roof, meaning that the venting system likely terminates somewhere within the building envelope. This could result in poor drain performance, including siphoning of the traps, which would allow sewer gasses into the house. You should engage a qualified plumber to further evaluate this condition and provide repair recommendations.
Cheers,
that is exactly what i meant by complicating it…
I believe you are better off complicating it to be sure that there is a vent otherwise you face the possibility of a call back if the client finds out down the road. Maybe offer to go back to the home and look for the vent, unless you are sure there is no vent.
Report it , if you can not find it. it may be under the insulation. Did you see any air admittance valves ? How old was the home, Was there p traps or s traps?
did everything flush? no gurgling ? if not the vent may be in a wall hidden by insulation. i do not think you are complicating anything your doing your Job.
James,
What would you report?
FWIW I think Marcel has got it.
It reports the potential defect and warns of consequences if it is not vented correctly.
Marcel:
If an open plumbing vent terminated high in a wall or under fiberglass batts in the attic and its continuation was simply forgotten/missed by the installer, in all likelyhood, drainage and the traps would still function but…on certain days, sewage odour may be evident in the home or attic.
I re-reading this Marcel i’m not really sure… it would depend on a couple things… When i read the initial post I understood it that Mark realized after he had left the property He didnt have a picture of the vent stack and couldn’t actually remember seeing one…In the couse of an inspection i will fill, drain and flush a good number of things and usually get a pretty good idea on how the drain system is functioning at that time. If everything is functioning properly and flowing freely I probably would not make a big deal out of the fact I missed a picture of the vent stack.
On the other hand if at the property during the inspection I looked for and could not find a vent termination I would treat that situation much like your statement…
This is exactly the case. I got home, didn’t recall seeing one, and couldn’t find one in any of my pictures of the roof and attic. Things seemed to be working (flushing) fine, and therefore I didn’t make an issue of it. I’ve made a mental note of what some of the suggestions were for the future. They are very good.
Brian,
You are complicating things;-)…
Cheers,
That’s why I have trained for a number of housing/energy related groups including homebuilder, home designer, architect, appraiser, heritage, IAQ, power, WETT, energy auditing, realtor entities
Brain,
So, how would you word it?
Cheers,
Were there any AAVs
None that I noticed. They are extremely uncommon in this area. I’ve only seen one in three years of inspecting.
The real problem is having to admit that an important item was overlooked during inspection- it does happen to the best of us. If possible I would return and look again; otherwise, I might say…
*“Although the plumbing fixtures appeared to function normally when evaluated, the inspector did not observe any plumbing ventilation openings. Recommend additional review by a qualified contractor and repair, if required.” *
That is a great statement Frank. I will have to keep it on hand.
