Stuart Wright from EnviroVent provides expert guidance on how to properly vent your bathroom to prevent moisture build-up, mold, mildew, and foul odors. He discusses various ventilation options, including using a recirculating exhaust fan, a dehumidifier, a ductless mini-split system, a window, and using a window.
To air well in winter, open the bathroom for a maximum of ten minutes at a time, shock-ventilate the room, and turn the heating down to save energy. There are several ways to vent a windowless bathroom, such as using a ceiling vent, floor duct vent, extra ducts, venting through the joist, choosing the right bath fan, and using a circulating fan.
The best type of ventilation system for a bathroom is an exhaust fan, which removes moisture and odors from the bathroom and vents them. To improve ventilation, consider installing a fresh air intake ventilation system, a humidifier, or a ceiling fan. Common basement bathroom venting options include installing a ductless bathroom fan, making use of a window, using a ceiling vent, or installing a new bathroom exhaust fan.
To direct moist air outside instead of into the attic or other interior spaces, you can vent through an exterior wall, the roof, or soffits. By following these tips, you can ensure proper ventilation in your bathroom and prevent condensation, mold, and unpleasant odors.
📹 How to Vent a Bath Fan Through the Roof | This Old House
This Old House general contractor Tom Silva shows how to properly install a roof-mounted bath-fan vent. (See below for a …
What is the alternative to an extractor fan in a bathroom?
To maintain proper bathroom ventilation, follow these steps:
- Open the bathroom door while showering or bathing.
- Add a fan to blow air out the door or window to keep steam moving.
- Wipe walls and droplets after showering.
- Clean up any puddles and dry them thoroughly.
- Store towels away from excessive moisture.
- Use a dehumidifier during and after showering.
- Take cold showers for refreshing relief.
- Keep the shower curtain closed almost entirely to prevent moisture trapping.
- Open windows in the bathroom when possible (weather-permitting).
These steps will help protect your home and plumbing by ensuring proper ventilation and preventing excessive moisture. By following these steps, you can ensure a clean and comfortable bathroom experience.
Can a bathroom be vented out a wall?
Wall mounted vent fans are less common and may be difficult to install, especially in brick veneer houses. Ductless fans use charcoal filters to remove odors but don’t remove excess moisture. To remove moisture, the fan needs to vent outside. To maintain a bathroom vent fan, consider using a fan that automatically cuts on and off using a moisture sensor or replacing the wall switch with a timer. Maintaining a bathroom vent fan is essential for maintaining its effectiveness.
What happens if a bathroom is not vented properly?
Inadequate bathroom ventilation can result in the proliferation of biological organisms on surfaces such as tile, grout, drywall, and wood. This can lead to the development of unpleasant odors and structural damage to walls, floors, and ceilings, as observed by Traci Fournier, the vice president of operations at One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning.
How do you vent moisture out of a bathroom?
To improve bathroom ventilation, install a new exhaust fan, upgrade your bathroom window, use recirculating fans, inline fans, under-floor bathroom venting, soffits, and energy recover ventilators. Poor ventilation can lead to moisture damage, mold and mildew, respiratory issues, and allergic reactions. Recognizing common signs of inadequate ventilation is the first step in addressing the problem. Installing a new exhaust fan, upgrading your bathroom window, and using recirculating fans, inline fans, under-floor bathroom venting, soffits, and energy recover ventilators can help protect your home’s structure and your family’s health.
How do you vent a bathroom without an external wall?
In the absence of an exterior wall or window, a ceiling vent represents the sole viable option. However, the installation of a ceiling fan is a superior choice, given the tendency of hot, steamy air to accumulate in enclosed spaces.
How to vent an internal bathroom?
To prevent mould in a windowless bathroom, you can use a room dehumidifier or ventilator, or open the door and windows in adjacent rooms. Regular ventilation is crucial, with humidity levels between 50-70%. Investing in a hygrometer can help monitor humidity levels. Avoid making mistakes when airing, such as opening the door first and then the windows, as this spreads high humidity and encourages mould growth. Additionally, forgetting or delaying airing after showering increases the risk of mould growth.
This allows condensation to settle on fixtures, tiles, and walls, causing it to dry slowly. To prevent mould formation, wipe the bathroom dry promptly and air it thoroughly after showering. This will help prevent the growth of mould and ensure a healthy environment for your bathroom.
What happens if a bathroom is not vented?
Inadequate bathroom ventilation can result in the proliferation of biological organisms on surfaces such as tile, grout, drywall, and wood. This can lead to the development of unpleasant odors and structural damage to walls, floors, and ceilings, as observed by Traci Fournier, the vice president of operations at One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning.
How to make ventilation in a closed bathroom?
To improve indoor air quality, create your own air exchange by causing draughts in the bathroom and other rooms. Keep doors closed to ensure damp air is channeled directly to the open window. Use a hydrometer to check the air humidity level in the bathroom and know when to ventilate and when to close the window again. A fan helps transport air from the bathroom.
A dehumidifier, which does not provide air exchange, can improve indoor climate by extracting moisture from the air. Electric dehumidifiers are the most effective and take up minimal space. Some models come with an integrated hygrometer that automatically measures moisture content in the air. Chemical dehumidifiers are not always efficient and can pose a risk if you have young children or pets. Instead, arrange small boxes or sachets filled with salt or cat litter to extract moisture from the air and are harmless.
How to ventilate a closed bathroom?
To improve the ventilation of a small bathroom, consider opening a window, placing an exhaust fan, or keeping the door open. Before implementing any bathroom ventilation ideas, consider your specific needs and preferences. The location of the exhaust and the type of technology you want will determine your final choice. Consider the following 20 bathroom ventilation ideas in India:
- Open the window: If there is no window, place an exhaust fan or keep the door open.
- Place an exhaust fan: If there is no window, place an exhaust fan or keep the door open.
- Keep the door open: If there is no window, keep the door open for some time.
- Consider the location of the exhaust and the type of technology you want.
- Choose the right ventilation system: Choose a small, handy, and easy-to-install modern ceiling panel for apartment bathrooms without a widows’ space.
How do you ventilate a closed bathroom?
To improve the ventilation of a small bathroom, consider opening a window, placing an exhaust fan, or keeping the door open. Before implementing any bathroom ventilation ideas, consider your specific needs and preferences. The location of the exhaust and the type of technology you want will determine your final choice. Consider the following 20 bathroom ventilation ideas in India:
- Open the window: If there is no window, place an exhaust fan or keep the door open.
- Place an exhaust fan: If there is no window, place an exhaust fan or keep the door open.
- Keep the door open: If there is no window, keep the door open for some time.
- Consider the location of the exhaust and the type of technology you want.
- Choose the right ventilation system: Choose a small, handy, and easy-to-install modern ceiling panel for apartment bathrooms without a widows’ space.
Can you vent a bathroom without a fan?
Installing a fresh air intake vent in your bathroom can be a cost-effective and effective alternative to an exhaust fan. This vent improves air circulation, controls humidity, and provides natural ventilation from outside air. Although expensive and require a professional fitter, it is becoming increasingly popular as homeowners opt to avoid the long-term effects of humid air. It is worth considering for a long-term investment, especially if you struggle with excess humidity in your bathroom.
📹 How To Plumb a Bathroom (with free plumbing diagrams)
Grab Your FREE Cheat Sheet: 1. *** 2 Free Bathroom Plumbing Plans: https://hammerpedia.co/diagram 2. *** Free Toilet Venting …
This fan works very well. youtube.com/post/Ugkx7yWIKcrbA9KMHkGSfcgxW2lsjHT6B8Sh I replaced my old fan as our radon levels began to spike. When I remove the old fan water poured out of the fan. Must have entered in through the out spout. Replaced with this unit and levels dropped a bit but still over 4.0.Did some more digging and found that we had a small hole under our waste pipe that was allowing some water and radon in.Patched the hole and the levels dropped almost overnight.I really would recommend the radon sensor. It gives real time readings. Without it we would have never known that we had this issue.
Always love it when Tom Silva steps me through a project I’m about to take on. After perusal this article, I installed a couple vents on my roof. If you’re thinking of doing the same, here are a couple notes you might want to consider: My shingles were much less cooperative than the ones in this article (breaking the seal (2:50) without breaking any shingles required a lot of patience). Remember that your initial nail location is a bit arbitrary, so you can make it easier on yourself by adjusting the location so that the top edge of your shingle cut-out is right at the bottom of a shingle course. It looks like Tom only removed the top layer of shingle. Other articles want you to go deeper. I don’t know what’s right, but be sure to give this point some thought. Tom’s vent cap didn’t have a duct flange attached to it. This made it easier to slide into place (maybe he got away breaking fewer seals because of this), but it also introduces a condensation risk: moisture-laden air will be flowing (under pressure) through the open area between the flange nailed to the roof and the the vent cap and the plywood sheathing. A simple fix for this is to add sealant between the flange and the plywood. Incidentally, my vent caps had flanges already attached, but the attachments seemed pretty leaky so I sealant where they connected to the vent cap.
Thank you so much for what you do. We live in a large city and there’s so much demand the roofers wanted $680 and 8 weeks waiting to install a roof vent. Having renovated several houses ourselves we knew this was a very simple job and couldn’t believe people pay that. We trust the This Old House Brand and we’re able to install the vent confidently based on your article.
Had my entire roof replaced a few years back and I’m dumbfounded to discover when replacing the exhaust fans in my bathrooms that the contractor never bothered to connect the ducts! Now I have to climb up there and do it myself. Lord give me strength fixing other people’s laziness throughout the years.
I watch a lot of home improvement articles and the thing that strikes me the most about TOH and especially Tommy, is the fact that they are so non-judgemental. There are too many content creators that have to denigrate the previous work. Thank you for helping maintain a sense that trying things and fixing mistakes is ok and not out of reach.
If someone has already provided the following, excuse me for duplication. This is a superb article. Thank you for publishing it. A vent hood that is very similar or perhaps the very one shown in this article is the Nutone Broan RVK1A. The collar (part that connects the hood to the flex ducting) is included and removable, which makes a retrofit situation easier or possible. Many other vent hoods have integrated collars that are not removable. I haven’t tried, but I imagine that it would be tough to get a hood and collar inserted into existing shingles. I spent most of my morning trying to find a vent hood online and in frustration went to my well stocked True Value in Ashland, WI. Fortunately they had the Broan RVK1A for $22. I opened the package to inspect it. Perfect! I got everything else I needed for this project there and will wait for a cooler day. I”m not a pro, but I think it would be best to not cut and lift your shingles when they are hot. Getting on the roof when it’s hot is not only uncomfortable, but it’s most damaging to your roof. Also, you will need a 5″ hole saw and arbor to make the hole for this Broan hood. 5″ is necessary because you need that much space to insert and turn the collar into the vent hood.
I’m a new homeowner and just discovered this series – I can’t express how grateful I am for it. I am learning so much about the anatomy of my home, and the teaching style here is clear, concise, and instills confidence in my ability to tackle projects I’ve never done before. I don’t know if Tom actually monitors these comments, but THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
I have a soffit bath vent and my plan is to replace/open the soffit and put in vented vinyl but I will now stay far enough away from the soffit vent/bathroom. A gable vent/fan w/thermostat is also in my plan. Major part of the soffit is up wind from this B/Vent as the bath is on the corner of the building. So glad to see this issue, prior to my project. I have no interest in being on the 2nd floor roof of any building.
Wish I had done this 12 years ago when we bought our place and discovered it had been vented into the soffit like this one. I just had a Mould remediation company come to remove / treat my attic. Cost me just under $3,000.00 to have that work done. Builders who take shortcuts cost the home owner LOTS of money and aggravation. A simple proper roof vent would cost a tiny fraction of what I had to pay.
The problem with the vent duct going straight up is any condensate from the bathroom moisture will be dripping right back down into the bathroom. I had the first hand experience of it. It gets worse during the winter when the warm moisture meet the cold temperature at the outlet and start dripping back. That is why all the bathroom vent manufacturers’ manuals said the vent outlet needs to be lower than the fan.
He used Geocel 2300 Tripolymer Sealant to seal the vent to the roof, but Sherwin Williams bought out Geocel and changed the formula (not as good as it use to be) so I would suggest NPC Solar Seal #900 (Clear) instead, also that 4″ Roof Exhaust Vent is not the best option out now, IPS Snap Cap is a better option with less problems plus its easier & faster to install.
I seen a some articles and was told not to run the bathroom exhaust ducts vertically up the roof because during the cold evenings the warm exhaust will build up condensation inside the duct and drip back down into the exhaust fan and on to the bathroom floor. Always run bathroom exhaust horizontally, but not to the soffit. Any suggestions?
Thanks Tommy, The vent boxes we purchased had a 6″ collar at the bottom which can go through the roof. I see yours had just an open area. Can I use the one with the collar or should I go back and get your type? If I use mine, it looks like I connect the exhaust duct to the vent box and not the roof. Maybe mine could slip off if I don’t connect and screw the exhaust hose to that collar. HELP
Great article! Always enjoyed and appreciated your shows! A quick question: should I replace my old 3″ sheet metal pipe for an old bathroom fan with a new 4″ flexi insulated vent duck to an existing roof turbine hole near by the roof ridge? Thanks a lot! I am in the middle of replacing my old fan with a Panasonic FV-0511VFL1.
Great article. My elderly mother needs a new roof on her home and the bathroom vents weren’t correctly done after the last room was put on. We exchanges notes and talked about the vents and she got some quotes. One roofer wanted to do bathroom fan soffit vents like the owner did here before Tommy showed up. Just sent this article to her to watch. The new roof is supposed to go on this Fall.
I don’t see the problem going out a soffit especially if it is perforated, gable vents, and ridge vent. There will be too much air flow, not enough warm wet air, and too large of a space to worry about dew points. If you are in an area that snows more than 6 inches a 50-80 cfm fan running for 10-20 minutes will not melt the snow and the moisture may come back down the duct. Also those doghouse vents will dam leaves and pine needles causing excess moisture around the vent and damage the sheathing with time.
Tommy, if you have a soffit vent that goes around the entire house and a full ridge vent, do you need to install an attic fan? Seems like in the summer, it can get over 125 degrees in my attic in North Carolina. So because we store lots of stuff in this attic it may be drying out and becoming useless. So do you think a ventilation fan with a thermostat would help? Thanks
I live approximately 35 miles east of Nashville, TN. My home was built in 2005, and the bathroom vents are not ventilated like this. So I got to looking at the roofs in our neighborhood. There are no roof vents at all like this on other houses. Then I get to looking at new construction homes, and there are no roof vents like this. But I want to do this to my home for proper ventilation. But with no other homes with ventilation vents on their roofs, I have to ask myself should I do this or not? As a matter of fact, the ductwork for my bathroom vents are just laying over to the side at the soffits. It really looks shoddy.
Very professional work ! …Meanwhile in snowy Canada we usually install the bathroom fan exhaust in the soffit because during the winter you would have to clear the snow off that roof vent every snowfall and sometimes that would be several times a day….. we block like 16 inches of soffit each side of the vent to make sure that the moist warm air doesn’t go back in the attic.
Why not caulk around the pipe that he has protruding out of the roof before he installs the vent hood as a precaution? And why not caulk (or tar) around the vent fixture after its installed for the same reason? By not caulking under the lower edge, if you get an ice / snow build up, the melted water can actually go uphill if there is an ice dam frozen below it – the vent will cause the roof to be slightly warmer where it is located. And how does he think that the roof is venting at the apex – through the roofing felt and shingles?
Very informative in regard to improper initial installation and proper installation . However, they explained the problem of installing vent in a vented soffit thus causing vapor to enter the vented soffit,therefore causing mold growth on the roof sheathing etc. Nothing was mentioned on what they recommend for the removal of the mold that already started to grow. Stopping the vapor penetration into the vented soffit doesn’t stop the mold that already started to grow.
That screen is now plugged with lint, and there is no easy way to remove it. I bet every bath fan in the USA operates at about 30% of capacity due to the screen getting stuffed with lint after about four years of use. If you know of a vent with a removable screen, please comment and share. I was able to snake 10 ft of vacuum cleaner hose into my ceiling fan vent and clean the lint off. Wow, the fan actually worked for the first time since I bought that house.
Thank you so much for this article! I’d found so many on replacing exhaust fans but nothing on how to install a new one. I recently purchased a 50 year old home with no bathroom exhaust fans, but after spending 14k on plumbing repairs plus another 1k on furnace work and radon mitigation, my savings are tapped for a while, so I plan to do a lot myself. I feel much better about doing this repair myself after perusal!
Better hope you’re not in the snowbelt if you vent hoods through roofs. Blowing that hot moist air directly onto a snowy roof creates horrible icedamns that will destroy the shingles, gutters and even the overhang structure if they get too big. I would instead leave the fan vent as it was, but direct the exhaust outward and remove the soffit venting in that vicinity to prevent attic mold growth.
Will someone tell me why everyone puts vents out the roof ?? Why not the sides of the house ?? In this case the warm moist air is coming OUT but in the case of vents its suction. I just dont get whats wrong with a simple 5 feet of vent as opposed to a 20 m vent out a roof which means cutting a HOLE in my roof
A word of advice from the experienced here. Don’t put the vent above a window as shown in this article. Bee’s find their way into those vents and make a nest inside the flex tube then you’ll have a constant stream of bee’s in and out of the vent and all over the window. On a short run bee’s can enter your bathroom/house thru that flex tube and bathroom fan fixture so its best on a short run to make it longer by leaving extra flex tube and curve it a time or two. Long flex tube runs are of little problem as bee’s tend to build their nest closer to the exit and stay in that area. Just sayin.
Quick question. If you have 2 layers of shingles on the roof and your putting this vent on. Do you just lift up the newest roof layer drill hole and slide hood under. Or do you lift both layers of shingles back drill hole place hood under all layers of shingles. Any one know. I would appreciate any help…thanks
Tommy, since you nailed the ductwork section to the roof before installing this new roof vent cap, do you risk that exhaust air working against you. Seems like this discharged air could force its way along the sides inside the cap and try and escape under the roof shingles. Couldn’t you attach that duct directly to the roof vent cap? I am planning this project because my vent cap has a 6″ collar to attach the ductwork. Your thoughts, Thanks, Bill
From bitter experience, I disagree with that location IF you live where snow accumulates on the roof. Venting bathroom fans to the roof melts the snow, which then refreezes just below the vent. Eventually, it builds an ice dam high enough to prevent the melt water from escaping. Under the right conditions, it will back up and seep around the collar of the duct, back into the attic. It then may drop into the ceiling, or refreeze into an icicle which will melt later. Soffit venting is the right location in snowy areas.
Nice, thanks. That would last for 2, 3 winters where I live in Maine. Then again, we don’t ‘engineer’ our homes to that degree, so that a bathroom vent could ever cause mold in the attic thus requirin’ you to go do a $600 repair like that….but yup, we’re just backwoods hicks, keep on goin’ folks….
Great vid on the Braun vents I am putting in. Get a hook blade for the exato knife Tommy, it will cut thru the shingles like butter. All three of my bathrooms have no exhaust fan. A little sick of opening windows for 28 years…..and I wish my shingles lifted up so easy, mine were baked on for 10 years.
The only part he left out in this article is just the …. hardest part! And definitely the most important….. How the hell do you get up there and then move in like you aren’t one mis step from your death or the end of your life as you know it. One mistake, and you are staring out the window like Bob Sacamano, saying, “My name is Bob!” Hahahahaha
Interesting!!! I believe the flippers, who worked on the house we bought, vented one bathroom fan into the attic. They replaced the entire roof I’m told. They chose not to put any soffits anywhere. There are two large gable vents at the ends of the main peak. One bathroom vents out to a wall and you can see the little flapper. I cannot see anywhere near the other bathroom (or else where) where another flapper exists. Have to figure something out
Good morning Tom- My wife and I just bought a duplex that is over 30 years old. We having difficulty changing the stove hood l. The house was built without the hood vent up on the roof. All the smoke coming from heavy cooking start to go all over the cabinets. My wife and I do not know how to install a new pipe so that we can have a new vent that take away all the smoke from heavy cooking to the roof. We have been wanting so bad for some help if possible to have your expertise showing us or helping us having the vent the ventilation installed on the roof. My wife and I thank you so much in advance
Are vents typically every other truss? I bet that was a budget p.o.s Broan vent fan and the exit is left and right, directly into the adjacent truss. That should have been directed down or straight out. Also, put in a silent and hard core blower like the Panasonic squirrel cage blowers. Same price, silent and powerfull. smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B076Q7V5WX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
so my problem with that type of roof vent is that we get a lot of snow. The snow covers the vent. When you turn on the extractor fan during a shower it exhausts warm, damp air which then freezes the snow in front of the vent. The next time you use the fan it melts the ice a bit and the ice builds up more. Eventually the vent becomes non functional and the ice does damage to your shingles. Is there a way to replace those vents with ones that stand up higher from the roof? I need a solution before next Spring when we will be reroofing.
We had water coming though our bathroom fan a year or two after buying this house. I went into the attic to find it was completely damp… Everywhere was caked in ice (in MN), and it had warmed up suddenly, causing it to melt. Turns out, our roof mounted bathroom vents were the cause. They had installed the roof vents, drilled the holes. Then instead of the rest of what he did, they put a 4 inch duct flange into the end of the hoses, then they screwed those directly onto the inside of the roof. The moist air was passing directly in contact through the hole in the roof. This eventually caused enough mold and damage in that spot that the screws started to let go just enough that they were venting directly into the attic. It’s amazing how easily one idiot with no common sense or work ethic can ruin a house. Oh, and we had it inspected too, and the guy did go in the attic. So, in this weird post covid age, DO NOT waive the inspection, but more importantly, find a good one.
My upstairs bath just has a window, but the bigger problem is the downstairs bath fan vents into the second floor joist space! Ive got to figure out how to run a duct to the nearest wall, then up a flight into an inaccessible attic, and THEN to a dormer roof. Oh, wait, I just had an idea. If the joists run the right way, I can come out in the closet of the adjacent bedroom and then through the gambrel roof. There is no attic there. Cross fingers on the joist layout. Anyway, this article is very helpful.
i do have a soffit vent in my bathroom fan. i watched this article and went and bought the same one. I live in the Northern part of PA. and we get a lot of snow and wind.would there be a problem with this if it is placed on the west side of the roof, where the prevailing wind and snow comes from? Thanks JPM Erie Pa.
One major drawback is in northern climates when the roof is snow covered blocking the vent and the sub freezing temperatures freeze the damper either shut or open which will cause condensation to run back into fan saturate the ceiling and drip, saw this many times in my 21 year Home Inspector career.
What region are you in installing the insulated line ? And being is some homeowners think that you guys hold final authority concerning these types of things How many feet from the fan to the vent is it? Because if it’s over 12 or a 24 foot run, condensation could build up in the line even if it is insulated, no? And how would a 3 foot run build condensation in a line that’s not insulated? In new jersey?
probably could of left the vent where it was and put the insulation around the vent piping and covered the vents right next to either side of the soffit to reduce chance of the moisture coming in from the vent without causing problems when heavy snow and ice accumulate on the roof. I’m not an expert at this stuff but I just picture snow being a huge problem with the roof setup when it wasn’t an issue where it was. Just where I work there’s a problem with youtube solutions that come up with DIY customers that you learn about over time .. you need to look at a few different ones for any given problem and see where problems come out of each one so you can understand all the things you need to meet in order to avoid problems. YouTube has good ideas but there’s always someone who does the job you are trying to do all the time that sees the flaw in it, if the flaw is not significant for the area you live and is cost effective, it might be worth considering. But nothing is universal for these sort of things. in this case heavy snow is not factored in so this might work fine in the Carolina’s but not in new England.
I am having zero suction in my 2nd floor bathroom fan I just replaced motor and still nothing .. it would appear I have vents like this where there in the sofet outside .. I don’t know if it’s clogged or what there seems to be 2 of them next to each other so I don’t know which one is for my bathroom and it’s very high up off the ground .. I haven’t no idea what to do or who to call
Who is even selling those pieces of junk? The new vents have a top and bottom flange which prevents moisture from being blown UNDER the shingles. I’m not sure where this guy purchased that vent but most these days have a 4″ duct connected to it which prevents you from sliding it under the shingles so this article really isn’t helpful.
I am a 250lb guy with one of those little extendable ladders…Please do a article on that harness/ how did you even get up there.. I feel like I would be comfortable to cap off my water heater chimney, fix my downspout, and properly vent my bathroom exhaust fan if I had the equipment to support me if I fall.
Hi Tom, i did the same as you have shown in your article, but i am still having problems in the winter time with water dripping down inside the insulated pipe vent. I did have new roof vent installed when i reshingled my roof. The vent has a flapper also for any back draft of cold air. My vent pipe is roughly 4 ‘ straight up to the roof vent. Any suggestions ? i thought maybe more insulation around the vcent pipe may help. Thankyou for any suggestions. Brian …
Hi, What if I have two bathrooms, each have an exhaust fans, Do I create one whole for each or there is some type of system I have to create that takes care of both exhaust fans? the other question is that I also have to vent out an exhaust fan that is located in the first floor bathroom. The house is being expanded and the window of the first floor bathroom is being removed. By code we need to install an exhaust fan. The limitation for distance between the fan and out side has to be at 25 feet. thanks.
Here’s my scenario. Off grid tiny house. Will be doing a rain catchment for multiple use in the house. Question – how many vents do I need if the gray waters from the toilet will go to a main septic tank and every other water (kitchen, laundry, tub and sinks will go to a smaller “mini-septic” system?
I’m just reinforcing the already positive comments by saying, your diagrams are sooo helpful. It’s one thing to know your craft but to be able to explain it and SHOW it for an average Joe like myself, makes a world of a difference. The visualizations paired with your narration, were splendid. Thank you!
my bathroom has sink, bath, laundry on grey water septic system. toilet on black water. i never seen ne thing like that in ur designs. i assume that laundry is like adding another sink or should it be larger? i assume 2″ and the drain going out to the field should it also be larger then 2″. is the a max distance and the drop must be 1/4″ per ft? and the black water min for drop the same? my horizontal distance to the black water tank is about 50ft.
This can be designed in a much easier configuration. There is no need for the vent behind the toilet and technically there is no need for the cleanout as shown because a toilet can be used as a cleanout to meet code requirements and since the toilet is the first fixture, there can be up to 8 feet of pipe before there is a requirement for a vent to be introduced. If I was installing this on a slab. I would drop a straight piece of pipe from the center line of the closet flange into a longsweep 90* which would travel at a 45* towards the main trunk line shown . This would lead to a 45* fitting. The next fitting would be the 3″ x 2″ (or 4″ x 2″ depending on pipe used). The 2″ line would lead to a 2″ 90* elbow which I would offset from the center line of the sink 15″. This allows for a 2″ x 1.5″ x 1.5″ “Tee” to be installed which is going to give you flexability in where your sink drain can be located. I carry the 1.5″ line up through the upper sill plate and either connect to the 3″ mandatory vent in the attic or use a 3″ x 1.5″ adapter 18″ below the roofline before extending the vent through the roof using an approved flange. If there is a basement, the only change would be that a 3″ “Y” with a cleanout would be used instead of the 3″ 45* fitting.
I would like to know if you can run plumbing from a new kitchen sink into the plumbing of a bathroom in same floor. Basically, I would like to install a small kitchenette in the third floor of my house which is my mom’s suite area. However, the bathroom and future kitchenette site are on opposite ends of the 3rd floor. So since there’s already an existing bathroom on the third floor, I’m curious to know if plumbing can be run from there to the other side of the floor and into a sink.
Thanks for the great article. Question: What if I were to build two bathrooms back to back, with each bathrooms toilet and sink separated by the same wall — can I tie in each sink and toilet into the same pipes? Or do I have to build an extra thick wall, each containing exact replicas of the piping? Hopefully that makes sense.
Thanks for making these awesome articles and providing great content for everyone! This is great for the motivated DIY who wants to do things right. I’m doing a bathroom remodel in the near future and the new layout will be identical to bathroom #3. The only problem is that it’s on a concrete slab and I can’t figure out where to put the cleanout. Can I extend the 3″ pipe backwards (against the flow of water) to the nearest stud bay and have a cleanout inside the wall behind an access panel? I want to do this right with a permit, and screwing up the cleanout will probably fail my inspection.
Hi, do you have any plumbing diagrams for DWV under concrete slabs? The main difference I see are the cleanout locations. A cleanout under the floor (like in this article) works fine for a crawl space, but not exactly for a concrete slab. Also, for renovations you have much less access under a concrete slab than you would under a crawl space.
Great article,im a plumber from Baltimore, it has been rare to say the least in all the complete trash I’ve found on YouTube that your article was so spot on. There are more ways to do the same rough-in and if you introduce flood level rim at it’s height of 42″ or optional 6″ above the fixture being served it would round out a very well explained article. Nicely done
I’ve been perusal you for what seems a couple years. I remember when you started making these article series to put out there. It’s great to see that you finished them. Great info for plumbing. Main thing is…you created it…you did it Bro! I would love to chat with you about your system, how the subscriptions are going, etc. I recognize I no one to you though. Electrician Dave
Hi Sir, does the UPC and IPC allows a vent connection to the horizontal drain to fitted with a sanitary tee? Because in you diagram, it shows a wye connection. I am quite confused about the code that says, you cant have a sanitary tee in the change in direction from vertical to horizontal connection.
why are you individually venting everything? You can wet vent the tub and toilet through the lav. The cleanout at the end of the 3″ line isn’t necessary there either since you can pull the toilet to snake that branch out. The only place your design would work is in a basement bathroom anyways, with that 3″ TY into the 3″Y you already have about 10″ of drop from the toilet flange to the bottom of the Y so good luck grading the 3″ branch to a stack in a joist space without dropping your ceiling. Sorry but this is NOT how you rough in a bathroom.
LOL. I just had the most discussing bathroom problem I have ever encountered . Blamed my need for a plumber on a leaking walk-in shower, it was installed in 2006. Called BF and they said its only a one year guarantee, Called afraid of mines plumber who said he’d be out the next day, never showed or called. I call another company with contractor for employees ..He showed up after 3 appointment times being rescheduled in one day. Just look at the issues and said ..17, K for a new bath. Call the final company and they came out to find that the down trap lid rusted through. OMG.. BF should have removed that when they hooked up to the main drain.Turns out the main line was plugged all the way to my toilet. Whoever built the home in the 30’s, added the down trap in the bathroom, some one re-did the bathroom and covered its access. I never knew homes had these thing or needed to be serviced.Take it from me.. you don’t want to be around the clean out when a 50 pounds of human waste comes gushing out of it…Get your sewers rodded every two years… not 7….
A couple things, why cant the w/c use the lav as a wet vent ??? another 2 things Im UPC so uncertain but guys from IPC areas have told me that when tying 2 vents together I dont agree with this but they say a vent can drain to either side and the santee can be right side up if it grades back toward the main stack, to me its wrong. UPC says the vent must grade back to the source and IPC I think says it must have grade to drain but dosent specify to which side it must drain back
Hi, Do you do custom layouts? I am a home remodeler so I have plumbing knowledge/experience. However I am currently doing a full bath addition so i just want some assistance with layout. I can send pics or drawings or the jobsite. I would be happy to pay if its reasonable. these article/diagrams are great thanks for your great skills!
Interesting, but different from UK spec.. e.g. 4″ piping required from toilet to 4″ outside vented stack, which does away for the need for the 1 1/2″ vent pipes. Also, the use of AAvs, air admittance valves, to stop draw-out is acceptable, but rarely needed with a 4″ vented stack. Nice vid all the same.
Rule #1 never use a combination fitting and put a clean out on it unless you have access to it. A man and his cleaning machine need enough room to work under it. Use a sweep elbow instead. You’ll get better drainage and less build up over time. Rule#2 Never use combination fitting and put a clean out on it for horizontal turns if you don’t have access for a man and his cleaning machine to use it. #3 Don’t use a Wye fitting to as an 8th bend and put a clean out on it because it cause the flow to eddy. #4 Don’t use double Wye on toilets in horizontal position. I made these rules because I’ve cleaned drains for over 20 years and observed and documented the location and cause of real life stoppages from toilet paper and foreign objects with cameras. The choice of fittings makes a difference between easy and hard to clean drains weather the waste water will flow consistently or create eddies that cause waste to get stranded on a fitting. Furthermore, the latest gallons per flush is 1.28 gpf. Which means it may take two flushes for the waste to reach the clean out outside the house.
Great article!! So very helpful. I have a dilemma with our current toilet. We are renovating our bathroom and found the toilet area was sitting on 3/4 inch flooring, but the rest of the bathroom flooring was on 1/2 inch. We removed the 3/4″ subfloor and will replace with 1/2″, but the problem is that the toilet flange will now be too high off the floor. Is that flange removable? It sits directly on top of the closet flange (elbow), and if it is, how do we get it to sit flush? Do they make flanges that have a shorter collar? I wish I could attach a picture!
Most of this would not be applicable in UK. The WC pipework must be 100mm (4″) and the vent pipe 76mm(3″) although most soil vent pipe continue up to fresh air in 100mm. The rodding point must also be readily accessible so would not generally be advisable under a tiled/waterproof bathroom floor. Wash basins usually use 32mm (1 1/4″) as there should only be water flowing through but showers are now recommended as 50mm (2″) or 100mm below ground. There are rules about the distance of appliances from vent stacks that are too complex to comment on here. Unfortunately, EU Regs have cocked up traditional UK practice that is exemplary and has worked for more than 150 years.
They call it a 12″ rough toilet because it is measured from the rough wall, not the finished wall. Even with 1/2″ drywall and tile behind tank it still fits. There is no reason to use a 4×3 closet elbow in a wooden floor, they cost more than a 3″ 90. With a concrete floor you can use a 4×3 and pour the concrete around the 4″ pipe and insert a 4″ Street flange into the 4×3 pipe. You can’t use a 3″ street flange or spigot flange inside a 3″ pipe, it has to go into the hub or socket of the elbow and it wouldn’t be below the concrete. So you would have to chip concrete to get a 3″ flange around a 3″ pipe. NO plumber in his right mind would put a clean out in that crawl space, how are you going to get the sewer machine in there silly? And if you got it in there how are you gong to run it with a 24″ ceiling? You can also use an approved mechanical vent in the attic or any accessible location in most municipalities. Not saying you wouldn’t pass inspection but you’re making things more expensive than they need to be.
Drain stub outs actually work better at 16″. 18″ stub outs can create a issue where the lav or whatever sink you are installing to be installed correctly. What do I mean well as of recent deep sinks have been a thing so a 18″ I have found to be an issue. As for water its fine at 20″. One other thing is you can find a 1.5x3x3 wye combo and no need to run a 45* for the sink part. 😉 Other wise nice article.
On a bath room lavatory drain does it have to be 1-1/4″ through the trap so the drain is self scarring? I was taught that using the 1-1/4 adapter from the tailpiece into a 1-1/2″ trap causes turbulence and thus the drain doesn’t work correctly. And that’s why they make 1-1/4″ p traps. Always want to learn more so if I’m incorrect I’d like to know as it would be simpler to just have 1-1/2″ p-traps for everything.
Okay.. this is the best explanation I have found. I do have a few questions though.. I am building a tiny home with snow area so my crawl space is a wonderful 30 inches. Yes it is septic that is down an additional 18 inches. Everyone is telling me I have to have a 1:4 ratio drop and okay but do I start that at the furthest point of plumbing (ie: Kitchen sink?) that will all flow into my 3 inch main drain? and where should I put my vertical drop? to the main septic line>?
I’ll tell you right now, as easy as he makes this look it’s NEVER this easy lol I’ve been plumbing for 8 years now and you can draw it up get to the job and have to reroute it. Also you don’t need to do the 3″x1 1/2″ Y instead a simpler way you can shoot a 1 1/2″ Tee off the vent to the toilet no need for all that extra work in this article because it’s a WET vent then
im renting a 70 year old house in a subdivision. whoever did the bathroom plumbing didnt follow ANY of these measurement standards. toilet bowl edge is 5 inches from touching the wall. So i cant fully spread my cheeks without my thigh pressing on the wall tile, even then its only 25° thigh spread when sitting straight on the toilet. The TP dispenser is on the same wall as the toilet’s back and its 25 inches away imagine having to rotate yourself right 90° to reach for the tp. And theres a poorly measured cabinet directly above the toilet 5 foot clearance from the tile floor. Standing up i find my head would smash straight into a sharp corner. And they decided to nail a bar of wood between the window vent shutters preventing it from being closed. Whoever built this house was either slippery slope stupid or trolling the owner.
A good way to have your mailbox loaded with spam, is leaving your mail address behind on webpages which didn’t really need your mail address for its purpose. Those blueprints could just have been a download on the website itself. The real purpose for leaving your mail address behind is so the site owner can sell all the addresses to some spam agency. So those blueprints are not free – it’s paid by having your mailbox flooded with spam for forever.
Wow easy as 123 the plumber in your home away from your home amazing job explaining the diffrrent fittings thank you for showing the average joe how it’s done….i have 2inch pipe for about long in the wall it’s for the drain and the vent for the the face basin and toilette or both suppose seperate venting.
In my opinion you should have a Y fitting inside the wall for a vanity in case you ever have to pass a fish. When you pass the fish and there’s a T fitting, the fish could climb upwards and wind up through the vent and out in the front, damaging property. In my code book it’s written to put a T fitting but my teachers all warned of the same thing happening. What do you think about that?
Individual vent on everything no wet vent systems ? It’s very common practice for many many years and works fine although the tub may gurgle a bit lol but there’s centerline to centerline of fittings from the drain to the vent that must be followed I would have done both of them much differently to pick up the w/c a 3 inch sand tee and continue up 3 inch to a 3 by 3 by 1.5 San tee and ran a fixture branch to the lav under 5 ft it’s fine to get the tub same thing but a 3by3side outlet San tee in that case a RT hand san tee and again a fixture branch one vent 3 inch to the lav then a 3 by 2 bushing to continue the vent 1.5 Iinch pipe 5 ft from vent 2 inch pipe 8 ft from vent centerline to weir of trap and you’ll pass Inspection just about anywhere in the southern standard code anyway from palm beach up to Virginia and all the way to Maine I believe possibly all the way west as well not sure but mass has gone to wet vent in lieu of the old antiquated individual vent system too many fittings and more labor intensive for no real reason
I’d hate to be the one to take the clean out plug out in the event of a blockage in the pipe. Since it’s below the level of the bathroom and goes into what looks to be like a crawlspace or basement ceiling. Might be taking a poo shower after removing the plug and a clean shower after you’re done clearing the drain. Bring the center line of the clean out up to 6″ above the FLR of the toilet in an accessible location and you can snake the drain out from the same level of the bathroom without making a huge mess. Could’ve done a wet vent on this diagram as well. Run a 2″ lavy drain instead of 1-1/2″ and tie it into the 4″ or 3″ closet bend before it dumps into the soil stack. Run the vent from the sink back into the stack vent before it exits the roof.
Just purchased Hammerpedia access, and have a question: In a 2″ vent line for a sink, it appears from the diagrams that a “test tee” with cleanout plug is always installed below the trap. Is there any reason why the test tee cannot be installed ABOVE the trap in the vent line? Seems it might be a bit more tidy when snaking a drain. Thank You.
Why do you show all PVC piping ? The piping in most all the builds I’ve done or worked on are all ABS, not PVC and you confuse the homeowner with this article without a explanation of WHY you only show PVC as if it’s all you use for this system . When I tell them I am going to be using ABS, I am asked if I’m not supposed to be using PVC piping like they show here in this article, ? Thank you for the article, it’s great so the home owner can understand what needs to be done to make things work other than the PVC business . My piping is 2″ ABS as well for venting out, not 1 1/2 or 1 1/4 ” .
First off I’ve watched all your articles. And I needed to ask how do you tap into an existing vent and drain line say for instance you want to add a 1/2 bathroom one exists in the basement and second floor on the same side on the same line. How would you add another that would tap into a drain line and vent located by a kitchen sink. If you need more info I can provide it.
Wish I could afford your blueprints. Trying to plumb my shed to tiny house conversion is challenging and I have zero experience. Can’t afford a plumber so I’m forced to do it myself. I won’t have a flush toilet because I can’t afford a code-complying septic. But I’m installing two IBC totes as a grease trap for the grey water from the kitchen sink, lav, shower and dishwasher. I buy more parts every month as I can afford. Clearly, it was a mistake in judgment on my part, not anticipating the costs before doing this. Oh well, making the best of it. Thanks for these articles.
I just saw in bathtub which looks like 1/2 inch deep only like 1 inch tube which was cut in half and it’s coming outside of the house but there is toilet and double sinks it looks like it’s not connected under the bathroom more like outside. We just bought this house week ago and it get clogged 2x already it has Cesspool all toilet sinks showers goes to the Cesspool . Just 4 days after moving in water was coming out of both toilets we paid $1200 to empty the Cesspool and unplug the outside pipe there is small circle ⭕️ opening with plastic plug . The second time 2 days after we paid the $1200 it plugged again i was able to unplug it with just a plunger 🪠 10 min of pumping. I wonder what’s wrong here i put chemicals to clean the tubes . Now waiting if it helped or if it gets clogged again. Just now saw the 1/2 inch small tubes in the drainage in bathtubs 🛀 i usually seen regular tube going down like sink has . This is weird not sure if it’s standard in one floor house but in apartments I never seen half pipe u shape coming out from the house .. Any information would be be helpful thank you!
how complex is it to shift a closet flange by around 30” sideway? I live in a typical brownstone in Hoboken, NJ and our WC closet is just opposite the bathroom door that the door almost touches the toilet when open. Very uncomfortable. There is space on the side to shift it but I just wonder how complex that might be in such an old building?
You are not a plumber! I’ve been a licensed plumber for 40 plus years. Don’t put a clean out under the stool it will catch debris and cause a clog . Also 1 1/2 drain is not standard drain for sink risers. 2″ is the standard. Traps are reduced in size to be self scouring. Learn more before you make articles.
All in all not a bad article. Most of what was explained is pretty accurate. There are a few different ways to plumb that same powder room in and I could nit pick but without a real world scenario its kinda pointless. The areas that bother me in this article are the code violations. Clearly you know enough to be dangerous and by giving out incorrect information thats really what your doing. Flood level rim is by definition 6” above the fixture that individual vent serves, the standard rough-in measurement for what is flood level rim is 42” A.B.F.( above finished floor). You can never flat vent any dry vent line period as debris or water can clog and stop up the drainage system. And for roughing in that bathroom you over vented which isnt bad but a complete waste of time and materials. We cut our vanity drain arm in on the 2” vent stack serving the toilet turning it into a wet vent stack instead of the 2 individual dry vent stacks that are back vented together and than exiting the roof. Vents terminating through the roof are a minimum of 6” to 12” depending where you live and level of snow you may recieve. Also the 4 x 3 closet 90′ is allowed only because of the flange seal size of the trap way on a toilet, it can be 3” or 4” closet flange up to the individual installer. The trap for the lav should always be full size diameter of the direct waste line it ties into it will clog less and be less of a burden, also slip joint traps are not very good. Again a couple different ways to do this powder rough-in but please people if your not a plumber stop giving out mis-information, or do a little more research before telling other people how to do things incorrectly or without a full discription why they need to be done.
hopefully expert can answer my question. I watched couple articles about p trap, should be in all. Like sink, built in toilets. I just wonder does shower needs one? The city passed the sewage. But I didn’t see any p trap underground before the cement was pour. There is a vent before the drain. I guess reason why some houses get that odor from the shower? thanks in advance