You are full of hot air and you need to get it out, right!

During a recent home inspection I can across a curious situation.  When homes are built in mountain areas, where there is high snow volumes, penetrations through the roof covering can always be a bit of weak spot.  Good design for these areas is to minimize these penetrations and to put them as close to the peak as possible.

During this specific home inspection there are bathrooms that we have to vent. So we have “those rules” on how we are to vent those bathrooms.

The Residential Code states-

SECTION M1507- MECHANICAL VENTILATION (Bold and underline is mine)

M1507.1 General. Where toilet rooms and bathrooms are mechanically ventilated, the ventilation equipment shall be installed in accordance with this section.

M1507.2 Recirculation of air. Exhaust air from bathrooms and toilet rooms shall not be recirculated within a residence or to another dwelling unit and shall be exhausted directly to the outdoors. Exhaust air from bathrooms and toilet rooms shall not discharge into an attic , crawl space or other areas inside the building.

M1507.3 Ventilation rate. Ventilation systems shall be designed to have the capacity to exhaust the minimum air flow rate determined in accordance with Table M1507.3.

                                                         (Bath exhaust tied to plumbing vent)

So here is what I found. This creative person vented the bathrooms into the plumbing vent stack to minimize the penetrations in the roof.  Creative but very bad idea, we now have potential sewer gases entering the home via the bathroom fans.  Some of those sewer gases can be combustible or even flammable let alone a health issue.  Then there is air pressure when the fans are on.

                                   (Bath exhaust tied to plumbing vent)

Sometimes thinking through the whole process is a good thing and hiring the right people to perform it can save you a headache or putting up with some stink.

“If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur.”

Red Adair

NCW Home Inspections, LLC  is a Licensed Washington State Home Inspection service located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas County, Kittitas County, Okanogan County and Grant County Washington and the cities of Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Oroville, Cle Elum, East Wenatchee, Quincy and many more…  

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www.ncwhomeinspections.com                                               509-670-9572