Saw this on house next to the one I was inspecting

**Gene South** · 08-20-2009, 03:50 PM

Saw this on house next to the one I was inspecting. The homeowner capped all four of his wet vent stacks.

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**Rick Hurst** · 08-20-2009, 04:08 PM

Gene,

It was probably the plumber at original construction and not the homeowner.

See it quite often.

rick

**Gene South** · 08-20-2009, 04:12 PM

Hi Rick, why would a plumber cap those ? Am I missing something ?

**Ron Hasil** · 08-20-2009, 04:46 PM

To do an air pressure test instead of a water test. But most PVC manufactures do not recommend to do an air pressure test.

I have seen many home owners cap them off , stating the smell seemed to come down to the ground area where they host parties.

Ed Voytovich · 08-21-2009, 07:44 AM

An alternative to abstinence . .. . practice safe venting.

**Ken Lyons** · 08-21-2009, 08:35 AM

As those all appears to be PVC there is an easy fix for the plumbers.
Cut the stacks at a 45 degree angle, make it impossible to put a cap on and it still functions as a vent. Just a suggestion.

**Damon McCarty** · 08-22-2009, 11:13 PM

and they can't figure out why the bathtub gurgles so much.

Joshua Hardesty · 08-23-2009, 05:52 PM

Sometimes we cap lines like that if I have a two-story house where some vents terminate above the first floor. But we usually remember to cut the caps off after the test.

A.D. Miller · 08-24-2009, 03:05 AM

Originally Posted by Joshua Hardesty

Sometimes we cap lines like that if I have a two-story house where some vents terminate above the first floor. But we usually remember to cut the caps off after the test.

JH: "Usually" being the key term there.

Christopher Gorton · 08-24-2009, 01:08 PM

Those vent stack caps left in place from testing sometimes stay up there a little longer with sticky clients, like say, until the progress payment check clears after the rough in inspection.
Although they could have been forgotten its more likely that a tight wallet had caused that situation.

**Ken Lyons** · 08-24-2009, 01:24 PM

Wonder if that works for other trades?

Don't strip the insulation before putting the wires in the breaker...
Cap the 4" sewer main before it leaves the house...
Install stair case, minus the treads...
Plug gutter downspouts...

...till the progress check comes, lol.

A.D. Miller · 08-24-2009, 01:36 PM

Originally Posted by Ken Lyons

Wonder if that works for other trades?

Don't strip the insulation before putting the wires in the breaker...
Cap the 4" sewer main before it leaves the house...
Install stair case, minus the treads...
Plug gutter downspouts...

...till the progress check comes, lol.

KL: Yes, in fact. Back in the day when I was framing we would arrange a draw just prior to sheathing. No check - no sheathing, and we would knock down all of the wind braces before we left the site.

One particularly scurrilous builder angered us enough that we took the fork lift loaded with a bundle of 2X6s and rammed the house after we knocked the wind braces off. Think: the Bell Tower in Pisa.