ELEMENTS/TERMS/DEFINITION

Vent System - The piping that receives the flow of air to or from a drainage system or to
provide a circulation of air within such system to protect trap seals from siphonage or back
pressure.
Vent pipe - Used for ensuring the circulation of air in a plumbing system and for relieving
the negative pressure exerted on the trap seal.
Vent Stack - The vertical vent pipe installed primarily for providing circulation of air to
and from any part of the soil, waste of the drainage system.
Vent - provides a flow of air to or from a drainage system to provide a circulation of air
within the system
Back Vent/Individual vent - Part of a vent line which connects directly with an individual trap
underneath or behind the fixture and extends to the branch or main, soil or waste pipe at any
point higher than the fixture or the fixture trap serve.
- A pipe installed to vent, a fixture trap and w/c connects the vent system above the fixture
served or terminates in the open air.
- An individual vent for a plumbing fixture located at the downstream of a trap

Unit Vent - A vent for single fixture or battery of fixtures which is connected into the same
stack, into which fixtures discharges.
- An arrangement of venting so installed that one of the vent pipe will serve two parts.

SVTR - The vent pipe in the plumbing that serve the building drain and the building sewer.
Wet Vent - The vertical pipe of the plumbing system used as ventilation of the plumbing
installation and fixture traps, which at the same time receives and conveys liquid waste
discharge from fixtures.
- A vent which also serves as a drain.

Looped Vent - The type of vent system used in fixtures that is installed away from a wall.
Local Vent - The pipe or shaft which is used to remove foul or congested air from a fixtures
of a room and conveys the same to the atmosphere.
Combination waste and vent system - A horizontal drain that is sized to provide free
movement of air above the flow line of a drain.
Relief Vent - A vent serving the building drain and public sewer
- A vent installed so as to permit additional circulation of air between the drainage and
vent systems where the drainage systems might be otherwise be air bound.

Circuit Vent - is a type of vent applied on installations with multi branch interval where the
vertical vent pipe takes off in front of the first fixture and connects to a main vent stack
- A vent used in a battery of plumbing fixtures where the vent is installed in front of the
last fixture of the battery.
- A branch vent that serves two or more traps and extends from in front of the last fixture
connection of a horizontal branch to the vent stack.

Main Vent - The principal artery for the venting system to which vent branches maybe
connected.
Dry Vent - A vent that does not serve as drain and is located where it is not exposed to back
up of waste from a drainage pipe.
Branch vent - A vent connecting one or more individual vents or vent stack or stack vent.
 Common Vent - A vent connecting at the junction of two fixtures drains and serving as a vent
for both fixtures a single vent that ventilates multiple traps, in the case of back to back fixture.
Yoke vent - A pipe connecting upward from a soil or waste stack to a vent stack for the
purpose of preventing pressure changes in the stack.
Floors 4 and 9 - A drainage stack extends 14 stories above the building drain and is served
by a parallel vent stack. A relief yoke vent connection between the vent stack and the drainage
stack will be located at floors 4 and 9
1/8 Bend - A type of fitting for yoke vent
Wye branch - the fitting that is required for making the yoke vent intersection with the
drainage stack

- The size of the yoke vent that is making the yoke vent intersects with the drainage stack
is Not less in diameter than either the drainage or the vent stack, whichever is smaller

Group vent - A branch vent that perform its functions for two or more traps.
Continuous vent - A vertical vent that is the continuation of the drain to which the vents
connect.
Loop or circuit vent - A vent which loops back to connect with a stack vent instead of a vent
stack any vent connecting a horizontal branch or fixture drain with the stack vent of the
originating waste or soil stack.

- “Inadequate venting that will compress air in final disposal location may trigger back
flow.”

- “Under certain conditions, traps serving sinks that are part of the equipment of bars, soda
fountains, and counters need not be vented.”

- “One factor for determining the size of vent pipe is its length.”

- “Parallel vent stack are required for drainage stacks that are extended above the building
drain. 10 stories or more”

- “Horizontal vent pipes shall be level or graded as to drip back by gravity to the drainage
pipe they serve”

- “Increasing vents one pipe size will allow vents of longer vents”

- Changes in direction of vent piping shall be made by appropriate use of fittings

- If due to the structural conditions, horizontal vents are less than 6 inches above the
overflow rim of the fixture, the horizontal portion shall be installed with Drainage
materials and fittings and grade to drain

- Sheet leads used for flashing of vents terminals shall not be less than 3 lbs per sq. feet

- All malleable iron vent or water fitting shall be galvanized

 - Joints at the roof around vent pipe shall be made watertight by the use of Flashings

STANDARD SPACING VSTR, LENGTH

10 Feet - Minimum required horizontal distance of a VSTR from any highest point of a
roof system or window opening.
3 Feet - Extension over the highest opening if the vent is near any door, window, air shaft
or scuttle of a building
150 mm - Minimum extension of the VSTR above the roof
300 mm - Minimum extension of VSTR above any other vertical surface
900 mm - Minimum extension of VSTR above an openable window
2.1 m - Minimum vertical extension of VSTR from any roof deck where it is protruded
21.6 mm - Maximum length allowed for a 76 mm vent pipe installed in horizontal position
37 m - Maximum length allowed for 51 mm vent pipe installed in vertical position
6 inches - Minimum height of a branch above a fixture it is venting
- Minimum height of vent above the highest level rim of the fixtures served before
offsetting horizontally
4.6 m - Minimum length of any branch requiring separate venting
10 stories - Minimum number of stories served by a waste stack requiring parallel vent
stack

- Each vent pipe or stack shall extend through its flashing and shall terminate vertically
above the roof at least 6 inches

- The distance from vent pipe opening to any vertical surface shall be at least 12 inches

- Horizontal termination of vents from any openable window, door opening, air intake or
vent shaft shall not less than 10 ft

- Vents terminating in roof areas used for sunbathing shall be extended above the roof at
least 7 ft
 STANDARD VENT SIZES
32 mm
 Minimum size of vent pipe allowed by the code
 Minimum diameter of individual vent
 Vent pipe size for lavatories, drinking fountain
51 mm
 Size of vent pipe for 5 sinks
 Size of vent pipe for 1 Water closet (public)
 Size of circuit vent for 4 battery of urinals (pedestal type)
3 inches
 Minimum size of vent for water closet
38 mm
 Minimum size of vent for bathtub
76 mm diameter
 Size of vent for waste pipe leading to the ejector or other appliances for raising sewage
to the street sewer and where water closet is installed
2 inches
 The minimum size vent that may serve a 4-inch trap
40 ft
 The maximum horizontal length permitted for a required 2-inch vent pipe

The diameter of an individual vent shall not be less than 1-1/4 inches

A 2-inch vent pipe will serve a total of 24 lavatories

4 – 2 inch
 The combination of vent pipes that will provide sufficient aggregate cross-sectional
area for required a 4-inch house
“The pipe size for the common vent serving lavatories installed back-to-back shall not be less
than 1-1/2 inches”

Vents terminals in locations having minimum design temperatures below 0 deg F shall be a
minimum of 2 inches