If you have a leak in your roof that is causing water to come in, you could have a stack vent leak. Water coming in through the roof can be detrimental to your home since it promotes rot, attracts pests, and can damage your interior walls.
Unfortunately, your nose may be the first to identify the smells that can come with a leak, which means it’s time to safely head up to the roof to check things out. Another indicator to listen out for is a “drain gurgling” sound coming from your ceiling or walls. Our Tampa plumbing experts want to point out that if the smell coming from your leak smells like sewer gas, it could be dangerous and unsanitary to do a home repair.
The first place to check for a leak in your vent stack is around the base of the vent stack. This is the most obvious to spot and the easiest to repair. In the best-case scenario, you may have had a poorly sealed rubber boot that only requires caulk to reseal.
Sometimes the boot can be accidentally closed off or blocked. Some vents have a screen that slides open and closed, and if it is closed, it can cause a backup. Pests such as birds or squirrels can bend or block the vent from opening freely. If your vent is too short, it can be blocked by snow or heavy downpours and cause a backup that will inevitably lead to a leak. Making sure your vent is free of blockage, especially in the winter months, can save you from a lot of problems down the road.
If detective work is needed, a Tampa drain cleaning expert can help identify the source of the problem if it is farther down in the piping by pressure testing the drain waste vent system.
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