Sewage pump with AAV

[Joshua L. Frederick]

New addition. Basin/sewage was vented with cheaper AAV. I know it's not right, but how & why, and how would you put in your report.

Thanks in advance!

[Gerald C. Wilcox]

I would first be concerned that the work had been installed by a licensed plumber and the appropriate permits were pulled. If not have the system evaluated by a plumber and recommend repairs as needed. The AAV would have to be monitored in any case to make sure the valve closes properly.

[Wayne B. Wilson]

I would check the size, I would think it should be bigger to handle the volume of the pump is putting out .

[Marcel Gratton]

Originally Posted by jfrederick

New addition. Basin/sewage was vented with cheaper AAV. I know it's not right, but how & why, and how would you put in your report.

Certain AAV are allowed in some province (s) in Canada in some circumstances.

That check valve should be installed on the horizontal though...

[James H. Bushart]

Check your local codes. The UPC does not allow the air admittance valve. It is a mechanical device that has no way of alerting the user when it has failed...and its failure allows the entrance of potentially deadly airborne viruses/bacteria into the home, along with potentially harmful gases.

[Nick Gromicko]

Marcel writes:

That check valve should be installed on the horizontal though...

The valve in the PIC in post #1 is a cast iron "swing" valve which can be installed either vertical or horizontal.

[Joshua L. Frederick]

Here's what I came up with..........

Plumbing: Sewage pump—
LOCATION(S): West crawlspace.
The sewage pump vent appears to have been installed with sub-standard (less-than-professional) practices. The sewage basin is vented with what appears to be an undersized AAV (Air Admittance Valve).
While the AAV may work on individual fixtures vents, the vent from the ejector pit must properly breathe out as well as in for the system to work in the way it was intended. This configuration may not allow this to happen.
An air admittance valve's ability to breathe is measured in Drainage Fixture Units or DFUs. The higher the DFU rating on the valve, the greater amount of air that can enter the DWV system. DFU loads are assigned to plumbing fixtures dependent on the volume rate of discharge, the duration of operation and the time between operations.
To ensure proper breathing capability, determine all fixtures to be vented and calculate the total DFU load, then select the appropriate AAV for the application.
More information:
http://www.reevesjournal.com/Articles/Feature_Article/de5e25f351248010VgnVCM100000f932a8c0
http://www.toolbase.org/Technology-Inventory/Plumbing/air-admittance-valves
Recommendation: It is unknown if AAV is even permitted in this application, and sewage basin may have to be properly vented to the exterior. Recommend consulting with a qualified plumber and/or authority having jurisdiction in this area about the installation and repair/replacement as necessary, before close of escrow. NOTE: The bathroom toilet and utility/bar sink seemed to have low functional drainage, as noted in the BATHROOM section of report.

[Marcel Gratton]

Originally Posted by gromicko

Marcel writes: The valve in the PIC in post #1 is a cast iron "swing" valve which can be installed either vertical or horizontal.

And there I thought that all check valves *swing*...