# Vent Required for Waste Stack?



## danfan13 (Mar 31, 2011)

Does a waste stack require a vent other than the wet vent for the bathroom group? In other words in a 3 story apartment building on the upper floor can I use a 3” ¼ bend to catch the wet vented bathroom group or must I use a sanitary tee and continue the waste stack thru the roof?

2012 IBC Plumbing Code.

904.1 states that each building drain must have at least one vent that extends outdoors.

I can not find any code language that requires a waste stack to be vented other than the fixture vent.

See attached drawing.

Please help me with this as I have never beed ask to do this in 21 years of apartment plumbing in 30 plus jurisdictions throughtout 2 diferent states using this plumbing code with some real smart and tough inspectors.

Thank You


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## themavinator (Apr 15, 2009)

Here in ohio you can do that. Our code is based on ipc. But minimum size on that vent is half the diameter of the building drain so that may make what you're trying to do impossible if that building drain is bigger than say 4"


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## titaniumplumbr (Jun 11, 2014)

I don't know your code but if i understand you Correctly it sound like you have a revent system if so you vtr should be the waste stack


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## nhmaster3015 (Aug 5, 2008)

When did this forum become the amateur hour? Pretty basic stuff there for a licensed plumber.


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## titaniumplumbr (Jun 11, 2014)

Be nice


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## titaniumplumbr (Jun 11, 2014)

You know if you ever have questions you could ask your inspectors what they will allow


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## themavinator (Apr 15, 2009)

nhmaster3015 said:


> When did this forum become the amateur hour? Pretty basic stuff there for a licensed plumber.



If its so basic just give a simple answer instead of ripping people. If the op is an older plumber he may have never plumbed a stack that way.


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## nhmaster3015 (Aug 5, 2008)

themavinator said:


> If its so basic just give a simple answer instead of ripping people. If the op is an older plumber he may have never plumbed a stack that way.


Really? I'm an older plumber. Been at it for 40 years. :thumbsup: pretty basic question there for someone with a license. Too basic :laughing:


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## Ghostmaker (Jan 12, 2013)

IS it a waste stack vent? That is a specific venting method.


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## CaptainBob (Jan 3, 2011)

If I am interpreting the IPC properly the venting showing on the diagram is adequate. Compared to MN code, it looks pretty hokey. Here it would have to be plumbed completely different to meet code, each fixture would have to be vented individually.

Why do you ask if you have been plumbing it this way for the last 21 years? Is the inspector in the area this job is requesting it?


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## HonestPlumb (Jan 25, 2015)

*Vent Required for Vent Stack*

In the National Plumbing Code book it states that you have to equal the total cross sectional area of the building drain with the same amount of vent through roof. In other words if you have 4" building drain coming in,the area is 16".
So you have to a minimum equal to that with your VTR's. 1-4" , 4-2" , 1-3" and 2-2", 1-3" an 1-2' and 2-1 1/2". They just recently allowed 1 1/2' VTR's. Anyone remember the old "Hoar Frost" term ? Or am I showing my age ?


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## HonestPlumb (Jan 25, 2015)

*Vent Required for Vent Stack*
In the National Plumbing Code book it states that you have to equal the total cross sectional area of the building drain with the same amount of vent through roof. In other words if you have 4" building drain coming in,the area is 16".
So you have to a minimum equal to that with your VTR's. 1-4" , 4-2" , 1-3" and 2-2", 1-3" an 1-2' and 2-1 1/2". They just recently allowed 1 1/2' VTR's. Anyone remember the old "Hoar Frost" term ? Or am I showing my age ?


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## danfan13 (Mar 31, 2011)

Thanks for all the replies even from the smart ass.

Yes it is a certain building department in North Carolina that sees it differently than everyone else has for the last 21 years.

I even got a written agreement from the IBC and this building department still disagrees.

Moving on from this one .

Thanks again ALL


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## titaniumplumbr (Jun 11, 2014)

It only matters what the inspector says


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## Ghostmaker (Jan 12, 2013)

You do need 3 inch out the roof 12inches above and below the roof. Your distance from the wet vent to your tub is limited to 8 foot max. Your 1st and second floor lav can be 1.5 inch vent. Your lower bath must be 2 inch if greater then 40 foot out roof.


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## nhmaster3015 (Aug 5, 2008)

Not if he's under the IPC he doesn't. Vent to toilet is unlimited. Your trap to vent distances are UPC. IPC, you need one vent, 1/2 the diameter of the building drain which means that if your drain is 3"" you only need a single 1-1/2" vent through roof. You only need to increase its diameter if in a snow or frost region or if your state amended it.


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## Ghostmaker (Jan 12, 2013)

nhmaster3015 said:


> Not if he's under the IPC he doesn't. Vent to toilet is unlimited. Your trap to vent distances are UPC. IPC, you need one vent, 1/2 the diameter of the building drain which means that if your drain is 3"" you only need a single 1-1/2" vent through roof. You only need to increase its diameter if in a snow or frost region or if your state amended it.[/QUOTE
> 
> *916.4.1 Branch vents exceeding 40 feet in developed length. *Branch vents exceeding 40 feet (12 192 mm) in developed length shall be increased by one nominal size for the entire developed length of the vent pipe.


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## justme (Jul 4, 2012)

nhmaster3015 said:


> Not if he's under the IPC he doesn't. Vent to toilet is unlimited. Your trap to vent distances are UPC. IPC, you need one vent, 1/2 the diameter of the building drain which means that if your drain is 3"" you only need a single 1-1/2" vent through roof. You only need to increase its diameter if in a snow or frost region or if your state amended it.


Almost all the cities here in Texas put a kibosh on the unlimited vent to toilet. Plus on commercial work here you shall have at least one full size VTR no matter what.


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## nhmaster3015 (Aug 5, 2008)

Ghostmaker said:


> nhmaster3015 said:
> 
> 
> > Not if he's under the IPC he doesn't. Vent to toilet is unlimited. Your trap to vent distances are UPC. IPC, you need one vent, 1/2 the diameter of the building drain which means that if your drain is 3"" you only need a single 1-1/2" vent through roof. You only need to increase its diameter if in a snow or frost region or if your state amended it.[/QUOTE
> ...


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## pianoplumber (Apr 19, 2014)

In Minnesota, a soil or waste stack of three or more branch intervals needs to be served by a stack vent, main vent, or vent stack.
Not sure if this is a twisted or simplified wording of UP or IBC.
So, not sure if this helps.


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## Ghostmaker (Jan 12, 2013)

nhmaster3015 said:


> Ghostmaker said:
> 
> 
> > branch vents, emphasis on the word branch.
> ...


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## paultheplumber1 (May 1, 2014)

Southern RI u can go 2" through the roof. In the city areas they still make u go 3" through the roof no matter what. Even though the code says 2" is acceptable.


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## Chief Inspector (Apr 28, 2011)

*Basic plumbing principles*

All stacks (waste or soil) that extend more than 2 stories will have a positive pressure build-up at its base or where it connects to a horizontal drain. This is especially true when water closets are conneted to the stack (soil). Therefore, a vent stack is used to relieve (or vent) the base of your soil stack. It is in many model codes, but not the IPC. 
The stack vent (top of stack) should not be reduced as allowed in the IPC,
because it reduces the ventilation capabilities of the stack to remove sewer gas that IPC does not concern itself with...too bad.
I've got more if you want to talk.


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## GAN (Jul 10, 2012)

Illinois will allow for a max of 5 floors without mandating an offset in the waste stack. Nothing may connect within 2' of the branch. A relief vent at the point of horizontal to vertical transition and a yoke vent at or near the the vertical to horizontal branch connection. Size of the relief vent to be the same size as the soil stack,
IDPH Plumbing Code section 890.1540, Illustration 890. Appendix K illustration CC


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## plumbdrum (Nov 30, 2013)

GAN said:


> Illinois will allow for a max of 5 floors without mandating an offset in the waste stack. Nothing may connect within 2' of the branch. A relief vent at the point of horizontal to vertical transition and a yoke vent at or near the the vertical to horizontal branch connection. Size of the relief vent to be the same size as the soil stack,
> IDPH Plumbing Code section 890.1540, Illustration 890. Appendix K illustration CC



Same here in Ma, is your code based off of the UPC?


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## GAN (Jul 10, 2012)

plumbdrum said:


> Same here in Ma, is your code based off of the UPC?


Not sure. We have had an Illinois Plumbing Code adopted State wide by the General Assembly since prior to the 1970's.

Got a good link. Sucks it is not in PDF from on the States site, each section has a link. You can download the full version though.

http://www.ilga.gov/commission/jcar/admincode/077/07700890sections.html


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## plumbdrum (Nov 30, 2013)

Ma has its own adopted code, but it loosely based on the UPC


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## pianoplumber (Apr 19, 2014)

The original poster asked if he could use a quarter bend from a branch to dump into a stack and use the fixture vent as the stack vent. 
If your code says something like " stack vent shall be a CONTINUATION of soil or waste stack,..." that means a sanitary tee or wye connection at the top of the stack in a vertical position.
Using the vent from a water closet (a tee or wye laying on its back) would give you a horizontal offset to your stack.
(And a fixture connection too close to that offset?)
Too confusing


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## h2omanipulator (Feb 14, 2015)

danfan13 said:


> Thanks for all the replies even from the smart ass.
> 
> Yes it is a certain building department in North Carolina that sees it differently than everyone else has for the last 21 years.
> 
> ...


NC has their own version of code, 3 years behind IPC with our own amendments, waste stack is required to continue from highest point through roof as a vent stack.


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## curtis2kul (Sep 14, 2008)

h2omanipulator said:


> NC has their own version of code, 3 years behind IPC with our own amendments, waste stack is required to continue from highest point through roof as a vent stack.


After looking through chapter 9 of the NC plumbing code, I do not see anything requiring a "soil stack" to be vented with a stack vent. The only requirement for a stack vent is for a "waste stack". Thats my interpretation.


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