Plumbing stack clearance

[Jon Errickson]

I know this plumbing stack is too close to the sidewall and soffit vent. How far from a sidewall and soffit vent should a plumbing stack be?

Thanks.

[paul hardy]

I believe this is the code section that you are requesting,

904.5 Location of vent terminal.

An open vent terminal from a drainage system shall not be located directly beneath any door, openable window, or other air intake opening of the building or of an adjacent building, and any such vent terminal shall not be within 10 feet (3048 mm) horizontally of such an opening unless it is at least 2 feet (610 mm) above the top of such opening.

this section will also apply but the AHJ is required to fill in the mesurement based on local conditions. This is from the 2006 IPC.

SECTION 904 VENT TERMINALS

904.1 Roof extension.

All open vent pipes that extend through a roof shall be terminated at least [NUMBER] inches (mm) above the roof, except that where a roof is to be used for any purpose other than weather protection, the vent extensions shall be run at least 7 feet (2134 mm) above the roof.

This section also comments on the location under soffits.

904.6 Extension through the wall.

Vent terminals extending through the wall shall terminate a minimum of 10 feet (3048 mm) from the lot line and 10 feet (3048 mm) above average ground level. Vent terminals shall not terminate under the overhang of a structure with soffit vents. Side wall vent terminals shall be protected to prevent birds or rodents from entering or blocking the vent opening.

[Widdershins Saunders]

I know this plumbing stack is too close to the sidewall and soffit vent. How far from a sidewall and soffit vent should a plumbing stack be?

Thanks.

Do you know if this (the high part of the roof) was an addition to the original structure or is it part of the original structure?

It's wrong of course and should be corrected.

However, I'm curious to know if it was the Plumber who screwed this up originally, or if the General Contractor who did the addition failed to bring in a Plumber to relocate the vent.

[Widdershins Saunders]

904.6 Extension through the wall.

Vent terminals extending through the wall shall terminate a minimum of 10 feet (3048 mm) from the lot line and 10 feet (3048 mm) above average ground level. Vent terminals shall not terminate under the overhang of a structure with soffit vents. Side wall vent terminals shall be protected to prevent birds or rodents from entering or blocking the vent opening.


I'm not seeing any soffit vents in the photo.

[paul hardy]

The picture only shows a short portion of the soffit so I just added that section for reference if vents were in the soffit, but That also applies to the first section if there are no air intake openings into the building. The second section would be the one I would be concerned with seeing snow on the roof this area could be covered blocking the vent.

[Jon Errickson]

The roof where the stack is coming out of is the roof over the garage. The adjacent roof is the second story of the home. If you look in the corner of the garage roof and soffit area for the second story (to the right of the stack in the picture), there's a screen vent.

There was an attic space above the garage where I could see the plumbing stack come out of the house, bend a couple of times and then go up through the garage roof.

[Widdershins Saunders]

The roof where the stack is coming out of is the roof over the garage. The adjacent roof is the second story of the home. If you look in the corner of the garage roof and soffit area for the second story (to the right of the stack in the picture), there's a screen vent.

There was an attic space above the garage where I could see the plumbing stack come out of the house, bend a couple of times and then go up through the garage roof.

I'd definitely call it out in your report. Proximity to that soffit vent will allow sewer gas back into the envelope of the home.

And Paul, you are correct -- I can see the soffit vent after enlarging the photo.

[Jerry McCarthy]

This should help?

[Jon Errickson]

That's perfect. Thanks Jerry!

[Ken Amelin]

This should help?
Attached Thumbnailshttp://www.inspectionnews.net/home_inspection/attachments/plumbing-system-home-inspection-commercial-inspection/20958d1296090417t-plumbing-stack-clearance-vent-clearances.jpg (http://www.inspectionnews.net/home_inspection/attachments/plumbing-system-home-inspection-commercial-inspection/20958d1296090417-plumbing-stack-clearance-vent-clearances.jpg)



Jerry,

Your picture is great but there is nothing in it that address clearances from overhangs,like soffit?

Any info on that?

[Jerry McCarthy]

Ken

2006 Uniform Plumbing Code #906.1 – Each vent pipe or stack shall extend through its flashing and shall terminate vertically not less than six (6) inches above the roof nor less than one (1) foot from any vertical surface.
See Chapter 31 in the 2009 IRC for their interpretation. I recall they shall not terminate under an overhang that has any soffit vents in it?

[James Duffin]

This is all the NC plumbing code says about vent locations. The code is based on the 2006 International Plumbing Code. Under the soffit would be ok in NC as long as it was not a vented soffit.


904.5 Location of vent terminal. An open vent terminal from
a drainage system shall not be located directly beneath any
door, openable window, or other air intake opening of the
building or of an adjacent building, and any such vent terminal
shall not be within 10 feet (3048 mm) horizontally of such an

opening unless it is at least 2 feet (610 mm) above the top of
such opening.