Photo: Nur Yilmaz

What happens when a roof vent is covered by snow?

After a really heavy snow, that vent can become blocked and prevent air pressure from regulating your system. Smelly, potentially dangerous gases can back up into your living space if the problem isn't addressed quickly.

putmanplumbing.com - Snow On Your Roof Can Cause Plumbing Problems

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It may be the first day of spring, but it clearly doesn’t feel like it in Frederick County! With up to 12 inches of snow expected in parts of Maryland, there’s a possibility that too much snow could settle on your roof and cause plumbing problems.

How can snow on the roof cause plumbing problems?

Your sewer releases gases through a vent stack located on your roof. After a really heavy snow, that vent can become blocked and prevent air pressure from regulating your system. Smelly, potentially dangerous gases can back up into your living space if the problem isn’t addressed quickly.

Signs that your sewer vent is blocked:

Gurgling in drains. You may hear gurgling or see water bubbling up and out of drains. You may even hear gurgling in your toilet after you flush. This happens because air that should be flowing up and out of the sewer vent has nowhere to escape but through the drains. If your sewer vent is blocked, you may even hear gurgling in drains other than the one you’re using. For example, if you flush a toilet, you may hear gurgling in the tub. This indicates that these two plumbing fixtures share a vent-and it is blocked. In some cases, gurgling noises indicate that there is no vent for that drain or fixture. Slow Drains. A single slow drain may just mean the drain or pipe is clogged, but if all of the drains in your home are slow and you’re also noticing the other issues we’re describing, blocked sewer vents are very possible. Sewage Odors. If you smell rotten eggs coming from your drains and toilets, you’re probably smelling air escaping through the drains due to blocked sewer vents. You may even experience headache, nausea, dizziness and drowsiness due to these gases.

How to Deal With a Blocked Sewer Vent

Of course the best solution is to clear snow away from the vent and melt any snow that has made its way into the vent, but that may not be possible right away during a snow like we’re expecting. An immediate way to prevent gases from entering your living space is to add water to basement floor drains, empty shower stalls and unused basement toilets. This helps because a blocked vent stack causes water to siphon from water traps in the drain line between each fixture and the main stack. As water is pulled from the traps to replace existing water/air flow, it will allow sewer gases to enter the home. More water in the traps prevents that gas from entering. To prevent this problem from happening again, your trusted Middletown plumber can replace your vent pipe with a longer one so it’s less likely to become blocked. Call Putman Plumbing if You Suspect a Blocked Sewer Vent or Any Other Plumbing Problems Hopefully this will be the last winter storm in Frederick County. If you have plumbing problems now or any time this spring, give us a call.

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What are the two types of roof vents?

The two roof ventilation options, intake vents and exhaust vents, should be placed to take advantage of the natural increased speed of air circulation. This occurs through the rising of warm air and the falling of cooler air. Intake vents, such as soffits, are placed lower on the roof, usually under the eaves.

homedepot.com - Types of Roofing & Attic Ventilations - The Home Depot

Intake Vents vs. Exhaust Vents

Correctly balanced ventilation systems use the right combination and placement of intake and exhaust vents. They continually transform the hot and sometimes moist air in an attic into a uniform layer of drier, cooler air all year round. The two roof ventilation options, intake vents and exhaust vents, should be placed to take advantage of the natural increased speed of air circulation. This occurs through the rising of warm air and the falling of cooler air. Intake vents, such as soffits, are placed lower on the roof, usually under the eaves. Exhaust vents like attic fans, ridge vents are primarily placed at the very top of the roof or the highest pitch where hot air gathers. Multiple types of vents can work together to create an equal inflow of cool air and outflow of hot air in your house. For example, ridge vents and gable vents function as both intake and exhaust vents. Make sure your home has a balanced roof venting system to increase your home’s livability, reduce your energy costs, make your roof last longer and cut down on costly repairs. Tip: For proper roof ventilation, roughly every 300-feet of attic space should be vented.

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