Is a grill on a chase necessary?

A chase running up the three floors of our house has a decorative grill about four inches wide that runs up one side all the way to the ceiling on each floor. On each floor, the chase is inside the bathroom and inside the chase is the vent stack and who knows what else.  Does the decorative grill need to be there?  I would rather close it up. Other than access, is there another reason to have it?  Does the chase need airflow?

brooklynhome

in Plumbers and Plumbing 13 years and 5 months ago

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jockdeboeraia | 13 years and 5 months ago

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I have no idea why there is a full length grille other than a heatin pipe. Maybe sometime in the past the system was redone and it was disconnected.

brooklynhome | 13 years and 5 months ago

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I do see a small pipe in there, but no heat comes from it when the boiler is on.  I will have to ask a plumber next time they are here.  My big concern is that is looks and smells dusty and musty in there and the smell is coming into the bathroom.  Thanks for the replies!

dazednconfused2 | 13 years and 5 months ago

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I still agree with Jock, even after reading your reply.  It sounds like a heat riser for the bathrooms.  There is no other reason to install that “grill”.  Even though the opposite room may have its own heat riser, it may be that this one was run just for the bathrooms because they often have no radiators.  Having an exposed pipe providing heat for the bathroom is VERY common.  Sometimes people enclose them in exactly the way you describe so one can’t touch them.

brooklynhome | 13 years and 5 months ago

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It is not a heat pipe inside there as no heat comes from the chase and the heat pipe is exposed in the room next door.  It seems like a little chute with some kind of wiring?piping? inside and I can kind of see that that the back of it is not sheetrock but just the inside of the house.  What I am calling a “grill” is actually more like a metal decorative screen.  Thx for any insight.

jockdeboeraia | 13 years and 5 months ago

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It sounds like that is your heating pipe for the room. A ventilation vent is much smaller and for something that goes though multiple floors of a multiple family should have a fire damper on it.