CHAPTER 9

VENTS

901.0 Vents Required. Materials (see the Building Code standards

based on ASTM E-84 and ANSI/UL 723).
903.2 Use of Copper Tubing.
Each plumbing fixture trap, except as otherwise
provided in this code, shall be protected against
siphonage and back-pressure, and air circulation 903.2.1 Copper tube for underground drainage
shall be ensured throughout all parts of the drainage and vent piping shall have a weight of not less
system by means of vent pipes installed in than that of copper drainage tube type DWV.
903.2.2 Copper tube for aboveground drainage
accordance with the requirements of this chapter and
as otherwise required by this code.
and vent piping shall have a weight of not less

902.0 Vents Not Required.

than that of copper drainage tube type DWV.
903.2.3 Copper tube shall not be used for
902.1 Vent piping may be omitted on an inter- chemical or industrial wastes as defined in
ceptor when such interceptor acts as a primary Section 811.0.
903.2.4 All hard-drawn copper tubing, in
settling tank and discharges through a horizontal
indirect waste pipe into a secondary interceptor.
addition to the required incised marking, shall
The second interceptor shall be properly trapped
and vented. be marked in accordance with either ASTM

902.2 Traps serving sinks that are part of the

B306, Copper Drainage Tube (DWV), or ASTM
B88 Seamless Copper Water Tube as listed in
equipment of bars, soda fountains, and counters Table 14-1. The colors shall be: Type K, green;
need not be vented when the location and Type L, blue; Type M, red; Type DWV, yellow.
903.3 Vent fittings shall be cast iron, galvanized
construction of such bars, soda fountains, and
counters is such as to make it impossible to do so.
malleable iron or galvanized steel, copper, brass,
When such conditions exist, said sinks shall
ABS, PVC, stainless steel 304 or 316L, or other
discharge by means of approved indirect waste pipes
approved materials, except that no galvanized
into a floor sink or other approved type of receptor.
malleable iron or galvanized steel, or 304 stainless

903.0 Materials.
steel shall be used underground and shall be kept at
least six (6) inches (152 mm) aboveground. Stainless
903.1 Vent pipe shall be cast iron, galvanized steel, steel 304 pipe and fittings shall not be installed
galvanized wrought iron, copper, brass, Schedule 40 underground and shall be kept at least 6 inches (152
mm) aboveground.
903.4 Changes in direction of vent piping shall be
ABS DWV, Schedule 40 PVC DWV, stainless steel
304 or 316L (stainless steel 304 pipe and fittings shall
not be installed underground and shall be kept at made by the appropriate use of approved fittings,
least six inches (152 mm) aboveground), or other and no such pipe shall be strained or bent. Burred
approved materials having a smooth and uniform ends shall be reamed to the full bore of the pipe.
bore except that:
903.1.1 No galvanized wrought-iron or 904.0 Size of Vents.
galvanized steel pipe shall be used underground 904.1 The size of vent piping shall be determined
and shall be kept at least six (6) inches (152 mm) from its length and the total number of fixture units
aboveground.
903.1.2 ABS and PVC DWV piping installations
connected thereto, as set forth in Table 7-5. The
diameter of an individual vent shall not be less than
shall be installed in accordance with IS 5, IS 9, one and one-fourth (1-1/4) inches (32 mm) nor less
and Chapter 15 “Firestop Protection.” Except for than one-half (1/2) the diameter of the drain to
individual single-family dwelling units, which it is connected. In addition, the drainage
materials exposed within ducts or plenums shall piping of each building and each connection to a
have a flame-spread index of not more than 25 public sewer or a private sewage disposal system
and a smoke-developed index of not more than shall be vented by means of one or more vent pipes,
50 when tested in accordance with the Test for the aggregate cross-sectional area of which shall not
Surface-Burning Characteristics of the Building be less than that of the largest required building

127
904.1 – 907.1 UNIFORM PLUMBING CODE

sewer, as determined from Table 7-5. Vent pipes 906.0 Vent Termination.
from fixtures located upstream from pumps, ejectors, 906.1 Each vent pipe or stack shall extend through
backwater valves, or other devices that in any way its flashing and shall terminate vertically not less
obstruct the free flow of air and other gases between than six (6) inches (152 mm) above the roof nor less
the building sewer and the outside atmosphere shall than one (1) foot (305 mm) from any vertical surface.
not be used for meeting the cross-sectional area 906.2 Each vent shall terminate not less than ten (10)
venting requirements of this section.
feet (3048 mm) from, or at least three (3) feet (914
Exception: When connected to a common mm) above, any openable window, door, opening,
building sewer, the drainage piping of two (2) or air intake, or vent shaft, nor less than three (3) feet
more buildings located on the same lot and under (914 mm) in every direction from any lot line, alley
one (1) ownership may be vented by means of and street excepted.
906.3 Vent pipes shall be extended separately or
piping sized in accordance with Table 7-5,
provided the aggregate cross-sectional area of all
vents is not less than that of the largest required combined, of full required size, not less than six (6)
common building sewer. inches (152 mm) above the roof or fire wall.
904.2 No more than one-third (1/3) of the total
Flagpoling of vents shall be prohibited except where
the roof is used for purposes other than weather
permitted length, per Table 7-5, of any minimum-
protection. All vents within ten (10) feet (3048 mm) of
sized vent shall be installed in a horizontal position.
any part of the roof that is used for such other
Exception: When a minimum-sized vent is purposes shall extend not less than seven (7) feet
increased one (1) pipe size for its entire length, (2,134 mm) above such roof and shall be securely
the maximum length limitation does not apply. stayed.
906.4 Vent pipes for outdoor installations shall
905.0 Vent Pipe Grades and Connections.
905.1 All vent and branch vent pipes shall be free
extend at least ten (10) feet (3,048 mm) above the
surrounding ground and shall be securely supported.
from drops or sags, and each such vent shall be level 906.5 Joints at the roof around vent pipes shall be
or shall be so graded and connected as to drip back made watertight by the use of approved flashings or
by gravity to the drainage pipe it serves.
905.2 Where vents connect to a horizontal drainage
flashing material.
906.6 Lead. See Table 14-1. Sheet lead shall be not
pipe, each vent pipe shall have its invert taken off
less than the following:
above the drainage centerline of such pipe
downstream of the trap being served. For safe pans – not less than four (4) pounds per
905.3 Unless prohibited by structural conditions,
square foot (19.5 kg/m2) or 1/16-inch (1.6 mm) thick.
each vent shall rise vertically to a point not less than For flashings or vent terminals – not less than
six (6) inches (152 mm) above the flood-level rim of three (3) pounds per square foot (14.7 kg/m2) or 1.2
the fixture served before offsetting horizontally, and mm thick.
whenever two or more vent pipes converge, each Lead bends and lead traps shall not be less than
such vent pipe shall rise to a point at least six (6) one-eighth (1/8) inch (3.2 mm) wall thickness.
906.7 Frost or Snow Closure. Where frost or snow
inches (152 mm) in height above the flood-level rim
of the plumbing fixture it serves before being
closure is likely to occur in locations having minimum
connected to any other vent. Vents less than six (6)
design temperature below 0°F (–17.8°C), vent
inches (152 mm) above the flood-level rim of the
terminals shall be a minimum of two (2) inches (51
fixture shall be installed with approved drainage
mm) in diameter, but in no event smaller than the
fittings, material, and grade to the drain.
905.4 All vent pipes shall extend undiminished in
required vent pipe. The change in diameter shall be
made inside the building at least one (1) foot (305 mm)
size above the roof, or shall be reconnected with a
below the roof in an insulated space and terminate not
soil or waste vent of proper size.
905.5 The vent pipe opening from a soil or waste
less than ten (10) inches (254 mm) above the roof, or as
required by the Authority Having Jurisdiction.
pipe, except for water closets and similar fixtures,

907.0 Vent Stacks and Relief Vents.

shall not be below the weir of the trap.
905.6 Two (2) fixtures may be served by a common
vertical pipe when each such fixture wastes separately 907.1 Each drainage stack that extends ten (10) or
into an approved double fitting having inlet openings more stories above the building drain or other
at the same level. horizontal drain, shall be served by a parallel vent

128
VENTS 907.1 – 910.3

stack, which shall extend undiminished in size from fixtures shall discharge downstream of the wet
vent system and be conventionally vented.
908.4.2 Vent Connection. The dry vent
its upper terminal and connect to the drainage stack at
or immediately below the lowest fixture drain. Each
such vent stack shall also be connected to the drainage connection to the wet vent shall be an individual
stack at each fifth floor, counting down from the vent or common vent for the lavatory, bidet,
shower, or bathtub.
908.4.3 Size. The wet vent shall be sized based
uppermost fixture drain, by means of a yoke vent, the
size of which shall be not less in diameter than either
the drainage or the vent stack, whichever is smaller. on the fixture unit discharge into the wet vent.
907.2 The yoke vent connection to the vent stack
The wet vent shall be a minium size of 2 inches
for 4 dfu or less, and 3 inches for more than 4 dfu.
shall be placed not less than forty-two (42) inches

909.0 Special Venting for Island Fixtures.

(1,067 mm) above the floor level, and the yoke vent
connection to the drainage stack shall be by means of
a wye-branch fitting placed below the lowest Traps for island sinks and similar equipment shall be
drainage branch connection serving that floor. roughed in above the floor and may be vented by

908.0 Vertical Wet Venting.

extending the vent as high as possible, but not less
than the drainboard height and then returning it
908.1 Wet venting is limited to vertical drainage downward and connecting it to the horizontal sink
piping receiving the discharge from the trap arm of drain immediately downstream from the vertical
one (1) and two (2) fixture unit fixtures that also fixture drain. The return vent shall be connected to the
serves as a vent for not to exceed four (4) fixtures. horizontal drain through a wye-branch fitting and
All wet-vented fixtures shall be within the same shall, in addition, be provided with a foot vent taken
story; provided, further, that fixtures with a off the vertical fixture vent by means of a wye branch
continuous vent discharging into a wet vent shall be immediately below the floor and extending to the
within the same story as the wet-vented fixtures. No nearest partition and then through the roof to the
wet vent shall exceed six (6) feet (1829 mm) in open air, or may be connected to other vents at a point
developed length.
908.2 The vertical piping between any two (2)
not less than six (6) inches (152 mm) above the flood-
level rim of the fixtures served. Drainage fittings shall
consecutive inlet levels shall be considered a wet- be used on all parts of the vent below the floor level,
vented section. Each wet-vented section shall be a and a minimum slope of one-quarter (1/4) inch per
minimum of one (1) pipe size larger than the foot (20.9 mm/m) back to the drain shall be
required minimum waste pipe size of the upper maintained. The return bend used under the
fixture or shall be one (1) pipe size larger than the drainboard shall be a one (1) piece fitting or an
required minimum pipe size for the sum of the assembly of a forty-five (45) degree (0.79 rad), a ninety
fixture units served by such wet-vented section, (90) degree (1.6 rad), and a forty-five (45) degree (0.79
whichever is larger, but in no case less than two (2) rad) elbow in the order named. Pipe sizing shall be as
inches (51 mm).
908.3 Common vent sizing shall be the sum of the
elsewhere required in this code. The island sink drain,
upstream of the returned vent, shall serve no other
fixture units served but, in no case, smaller than the fixtures. An accessible cleanout shall be installed in
minimum vent pipe size required for any fixture the vertical portion of the foot vent.
served, or by Section 904.0.
908.4 Bathroom Wet Venting.
910.0 Combination Waste and Vent Systems.
908.4.1 Where permitted. Any combination of
fixtures within one (1) or two (2) bathrooms 910.1 Combination waste and vent systems shall be
located on the same floor level in dwellings and permitted only where structural conditions preclude
guest rooms shall be permitted to be vented by a the installation of conventional systems as otherwise
wet vent. The wet vent shall be considered the prescribed by this code.
vent for the fixtures and shall extend from the 910.2 Plans and specifications for each combination
connection of the dry vent along the direction of waste and vent system shall first be approved by the
the flow in the drain pipe to the most Authority Having Jurisdiction before any portion of
downstream fixture drain connection to the
any such system is installed.
910.3 Each combination waste and vent system, as
horizontal branch drain. Only the fixtures
within the bathroom(s) shall connect to the wet-
vented horizontal branch drain. Any additional defined in Chapter 2, shall be provided with a vent
or vents adequate to ensure free circulation of air.

129
910.3 – 910.7 UNIFORM PLUMBING CODE

Any branch more than fifteen (15) feet (4,572 mm)

in length shall be separately vented in an approved
manner. The minimum area of any vent installed in
a combination waste and vent system shall be at
least one-half (1/2) the inside cross-sectional area
of the drain pipe served. The vent connection shall
be downstream of the uppermost fixture.
910.4 Each waste pipe and each trap in any such
system shall be at least two (2) pipe sizes larger than
the sizes required by Chapter 7 of this code, and at
least two (2) pipe sizes larger than any fixture
tailpiece or connection.
910.5 No vertical waste pipe shall be used in any
such system, except the tailpiece or connection
between the outlet of a plumbing fixture and the
trap. Such tailpieces or connections shall be as short
as possible, and in no case shall exceed two (2) feet
(610 mm).
Exception: Branch lines may have forty-five (45)
degree (0.79 rad) vertical offsets.
910.6 An accessible cleanout shall be installed in
each vent for the combination waste and vent
system. Cleanouts may not be required on any wet-
vented branch serving a single trap when the fixture
tailpiece or connection is not less than two (2) inches
(50 mm) in diameter and provides ready access for
cleaning through the trap.
910.7 No water closet or urinal shall be installed on
any such system. Other one (1), two (2), or three (3)
unit fixtures remotely located from the sanitary
system and adjacent to a combination waste and
vent system may be connected to such system in the
conventional manner by means of waste and vent
pipes of regular sizes, providing that the two (2) pipe
size increase required in Section 910.4 is based on the
total fixture unit load connected to the system.
Note:
See Appendix B of this code for explanatory notes on
the design of combination waste and vent systems.

130