2" vent stack

Grallert · January 28

This is probably a dumb question? If there is such a thing. I'm looking at plans drawn in 1924. I'm trying to find the source of a very intermittent leak or drip. Very intermittent but over the years and recently it's wet the ceiling. I'm lucky to have the plans for this building but obviously there have been changes over the last 100 years. One place I'm looking at is labeled as a vent on the plans and it looks original BUT it's trapped. Are vents ever trapped?

delcrossv · January 28

Trapped where? Sure it's not a sink drain?

Mad Dog_2 · January 28

Photo? MD

Mad Dog_2 · January 28

Grallert · January 28

I wish I could copy the plan and post it. There is nothing above it on the third floor or the forth floor. If it were a sink or shower it would be directly above. There is a shower above that was at one time a tub, when the shower was installed the drain moved and is now copper and you can put your hand on it and feel the shower water move through it. Maybe it is the abandoned tub drain and was capped when the shower was installed. I'll take a picture and post it.

Grallert · January 28

Here are a couple pictures. I'm starting to think the wall above and below are not stacked right on top of one another.

The tub in this picture is now a shower.

Here I am in the ceiling below what's shown on the second floor plan. Just under that trap on the block wall you can just make out corrosion from what I assume is the over use of acid. I think just by asking I've answered my own question, or most of it. The two room are not directly stacked and that labeled vent is not as built and was in fact a tub drain. Now likely abandoned. The source of the leak? Not sure. It hasn't leaked since I opened the ceiling.

Grallert · January 29

The new shower drain is now approximately here. There's new copper. Could be that the old drain is abandoned and maybe capped? If there is a blockage down stream it could potentially show at the old tub drain.

Intplm. · January 29

@Grallert What size is the vent pipe serving this bath issue in question? Go out side and look for the the vent stack through the roof. Is it a small two inch pipe? Im guessing it's not. Your two inch on the drawing that you have shows a two inch pipe in question. That pipe most likely is attached to the four inch vent through the roof. Are you able to see the vent pipe in an attic to verify?

To answer your question if vents are trapped? No they are not. That trap serves a current fixture or floor drain, or has been abandoned. Check by running water at different fixtures and listening for the sound of draining water.

You mention that this is an intermittent problem that has been getting worse.

Because it is intermittent I would look to the shower, and or tub. Are the tiled wall's sound? Is the wall sound? Do you have a spray wand in the shower? I would use that to spray your shower wall's to look for a leak. Also when there is a leak as you described, I would also check the roof. The roof flashing around the vent that is through the roof could be leaking. Water has an odd way of traveling. It can track on the outside of pipes and drip onto rafters and back on to rafters etc. so some detective work will be needed.

These two scenarios are often over looked and can often be a cause of your intermittent leak.

And then again there is the wax gasket under the toilets.

Grallert · January 29

Thank you for you response. There is a toilet that is cockeyed I'll plan on getting to it this afternoon. I think house keeping has been sloshing water around it and this could very well be the cause. And because it's so intermittent I am more confident this is the issue. I'm not so confident that that abandoned tub trap has been sealed up correctly. Thanks again for all the replies.

Grallert · January 29

This is my riser diagram. I'm luck to have this stuff. Be a lot harder with out it

floorplans001.pdf

Intplm. · January 29

The prints you have been posting are very interesting. Great to look at. However I would not rely on them as they are one hundred years old, may not be "as builts" and many changes both known and un-known have surely taken place over the years. Its usually best to rely on what you have in place, and work each issue individually.

Grallert · January 29

I am lucky to have found these plans. Yes I've discovered that there a few though not many details that are not as built. Not to mention the unrecorded changes made over the years. I am still surprised and I know I shouldn't be when I find changes to the plans. Still very helpful. My job would be much harder with out them. One of the hardest aspects is, this place is occupied practically 24/7/365. Simply getting into a bathroom to replace a wax ring can take hours. LOL

jumper · January 29

Lead pans are often suspected. I've busted grout to find them intact. After replacing with plastic material; checking that it holds water; and then tiling; shower still leaks. So I don't like tiled showers. I have found leaks in joint between vertical and shower arm. Showers should be outside or in basement so that leaks are tolerable.

2" vent stack

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