Leak - main plumbing waste stack
Just noticed water dripping down the stone basement wall by the main stack. I think my tenants were both showering in separate bathrooms and then someone flushed a toilet. Perhaps the sudden rush of water overwhelmed the waste pipe? I noticed evidence of dripping water in the past few months, but this was the first time I saw active dripping. To further complicate matters, I fear this may be exacerbated by improper venting of the bathroom on the top floor. I believe the plumber used an air admittance valve inside the wall rather than venting up through the roof. Not certain though…..it might have been for a single appliance. I don’t want a bandaid solution . I need a professional to troubleshoot and repair the problem the right way. To look at the stack., the roof vent, etc. Any thoughts or recs?

slimc
in General Discussion 1 year and 2 months ago
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hschallh | 1 year and 2 months ago
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It’s important to look at the venting system. Sometimes, using a special valve called an air admittance valve (AAV) instead of the usual vents that go through the roof is okay, but not always. It depends on how your plumbing is set up and what the rules are in your area. A plumbing expert can check if the AAV is okay for your house or if it’s causing issues.

cate | 1 year and 2 months ago
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I agree with everything HomeInspector said. As well, you can glance at the vent pipe and see if it appears to be in good condition or if it looks as if it’s crumbling, rotting, and melting away. Does the water look and smell like snow melt or sewage? You can also test it by doing lots of flushing and seeing what happens.

lkrshacmzcy | 1 year and 2 months ago
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^ Call him up!!

lkrshacmzcy | 1 year and 2 months ago
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^ Call him up!!

slimc | 1 year and 2 months ago
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I’ve been considering hiring you for multiple issues I’d like advice on….so this may be the right time. Thank you for all of your contributions thus far.

justinromeu26 | 1 year and 2 months ago
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At this point in this “investigation”, it is not about what the source of that leak is (it could be either/or or both and you might be correct). if i were working in a building right now as part of the management team or if you were paying me on your site right now to find that leak, the first place i would go to is that boot around that pipe on the roof. i would do that first because it is the “low hanging” fruit and honestly, i have worked in hundreds of buildings including several where i was responsible for all systems including plumbing and in truth, statistically, we see far more trouble with the roofs and roof flashings and boots around pipe penetrations (ask Umanish and Ridgewood Sam on this forum about this; they have first-hand experience dealing with such issues) than we do the vertical waste lines themselves (very rare).
When water flows down a vertical pipe, it goes down the sides, spinning like water in a flushing toilet, with a column of air going up the middle. so when a toilet flushes or a shower runs, there is always water running down along th e inside of the pipe joints. can three people flushing and showering make that worse? I suppose.
if i were working in a building and had a leak like this and cut a wall open first to look (before going on the roof) and i were wrong, my bosses would chide me for poor judgment. it costs nothing to look. It is easier to fix the roof, so you want it to be the roof (i offer consultation ask ridgewoodsam and umanish what they think of my services).

slimc | 1 year and 2 months ago
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Home inspector, I would guess that if it were a slow consistent leak. This was more of a sudden thing that flowed then ebbed. Btw, your advice on the baseboards was spot on.

justinromeu26 | 1 year and 2 months ago
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Could be snow melting around a roof vent and coming in through damaged flashing and running down pipe. Snow built up can make it over pipe boot/flashing.

colonialrevival | 1 year and 2 months ago
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Vent it through the roof. John Hlad Plumbing and Heating.