Connection to vent and sewer smell

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TonyfromSicily

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I bought a house about a year ago. The line that vents the tub (cast iron) which runs straight up to the attic, stopped between the attic joists and was open basically venting into the attic. TWe were not aware of this, and the plumber who replaced the entire plumbing system back then, must have not noticed the vent as it was under the insulation. A few months later I noticed the open vent, and being hands on type of guy, I bought a piece of pipe and fittings and connected it between the two vent stacks that run out to the roof. The photo with yellow marker shows the tub vent that runs from downstairs into the attic and then runs horizontally on the attic floor and then up to the connection I made (red circle).

Well, since then we smell sewer smell in the room adjacent to the bathroom, but no smell in the bathroom. I am starting to wonder if the connection should be higher in relation to the main stack, or if the tub vent that runs in the wall could be cracked. I thought I start with some experts advice before I open the walls. Please pay no attention to the open electrical and heating duct as the photo was taken while in the midst of a project. Any help is much appreciated.
 

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I am thinking you tied an abandoned pipe into your vent line
i think the other end of the pipe you tied onto is not connected to diddly.

do this, cut the pipe below the tee at your revent. cap the pipe going out the roof
I bet your smell goes away


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I truly appreciate your reply. If the smell is not due to the way I connected it, then I think you could be right, except that once I disconnect it it would vent again inside the attic. I don't see the tub drain venting anywhere except through this vent. I think that the vent may have a disconnection or a break in the vertical section that travels to the attic. I will have to investigate more and will provide updates. Thanks again for your advice.
 
You could stick the exhaust hose from a shop vac into one of the mystery openings, and you might be able to trace the vent pipe by sound or by feeling air blowing.
 
tony,
you said in your origin post that you saw a vent in the attic and you connected that vent into your venting system
am i correct?
you did not say you smelled funk, you said you saw a open pipe in the attic.

ok.. what i think happened. is that pipe you saw, was an abandoned vent line left over from the previous remodel

when you connected the vent to your vent system. the funk is now coming out of the other end of that abended pipe

so. i suggest you disconnect the pipe that you tied in and cap the pipe on your vent system side.
ths will abandon that pipe again.
 
Greetings! In our professional environment, it has always been said that before buying a house, you need to check the condition of the pipes in it. I would like to ask you for a little more photos to try and solve this problem online. Try to call professionals to solve this problem, but in the meantime, install air fresheners in the rooms. Pipes can be revitalized by pouring vinegar into them. Also, a very good solution to this problem will be heating duct repair. This will reduce the load on the home's sewer system. I hope I helped you a little. Good luck!
 
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The location of the tie in doesn't matter in this case.

What frodo is saying is the pipe you tied in wasn't in fact a live vent. You tied an abandoned pipe into your live vent, which does make the most sense given what you posted.
 

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