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HOW CAN I VENT THRU SEWER? w PICS

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moses224

ANOTHER GREAT ARTICLE I WANTED TO SHARE

A common alternative to venting up the chimney is venting into the sewer pipe. Depending on how your house is built, if you push air into your sewer pipe, the air may travel up through your house sewer standpipe. However, it is possible to vent directly into the actual sewer system.

Venting into the sewer is generally safe. If someone is working in the sewer nearby, they might smell the sweet pungent aroma of your crop (Not likely at night), but they have no way to tell where on the block it is coming from. Since the pipes large enough to walk in are quite far away from individual homes, the smell has lots of time to dilute.

[Editor’s note: the stinky sewer will also hide your crop's odor up to a point. The sewer system itself is sealed, but you should check nearby manholes covers just incase for excessive blower noise and smell. The undeground sewer system will also remove and cool exhaust heat - excellent protection against infrared detection.]


To start you will need to locate your sewer pipe in your basement. This is the pipe coming from your toilet(s) on upper floors.

Near the basement floor, there should be a “Y” connection at an angle, with a cap on it. Some houses have metal pipes, other houses will have ABS or PVC plastic sewer pipes.



You will need a pipe wrench to remove the cap. Sometimes, if the house is very old, you will need to demolish the cap to get it off. You can buy a new one later at the hardware store if you need to.
This will reveal a hole 3 or 4 inches in diameter, depending on where you live, it may even be another size.

CAUTION: Fumes from the sewer can be poisonous, so make sure to use caution when removing the cap, and once a fan is installed, make sure to keep it ON all the time , so that there is no backflow into the home.

You will need to visit a hardware store, and pickup the various connectors and aluminum flex ducting to connect a fan to the hole. The most efficient fans for this purpose are centrifugal inline fans, but a squirrel cage fan will work too. The major difference is power consumption - an inline fan will use about 1/4 the electricity of the same size squirrel cage, they are VERY efficient, but a little bit noisier.

The fan pictured here is 438 cfm, and only uses 115 watts. The inlet and outlet ports are 6 inches in diameter. I use a reducer from 6" to 4", and then I use 4" aluminum dryer ducting to the sewer hole, and of course plenty o' duct tape!

Once you are finished, you can test your work by standing outside the basement door, and holding a lighter to the crack at the bottom of the closed door. The flame should shoot inwards, because air is being drawn from the upstairs.

If you have successfully create this 'negative pressure' environment, there is no way that odorous grow room air can enter the house, hence the smell is contained!








 

Charg5152

Member
Never thought about this. I think it is real good option for the "modern suburban" grower. It is especially good for the basement grower becuase you don't have to route the air up two stories to the chimney. Well done.....the only thing that concerns me is how bad it my place gonna smell during an power outtage. It might help cover the grow odor..lol!
 

PharmaCan

Active member
Veteran
Good plan except for one thing. You need some kind of anti-back-flow device attached to your clean-out and you should put a Y or a san-T in there so that you still have a clean out.

The anti-back-flow device will keep your basement from getting flooded with sewage in the event of a sewer line blockage. It will also protect your fan if a blockage occurs.

The Y with a clean-out cap is because you need a clean-out to clear any blockage and it would be a lot easier to install the Y now than to dismount the fan later. (Remember, with your set-up, everything will be covered with shit when/if you get a blockage, so just untaping the fan would not be a pleasant task at that point.)

PC
 
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moses224

Good point. Overall though when I read this article I was really awaken by how smple of a solution was right in front of me and i never thought about it.
 
Also, be carefull in regards to the where the exhaust fan is located and how much cfm you are using. I did this once and the force was so strong that it would slowly pull water out of some of the toilets. Had to scrap that idea.
 

spainmedman

Active member
if that was my only choice...but I would try to put in a check valve so it can't back-up, my neighbor 2 houses down had the sewer back-up into his basement, the whole sub-divisions poop floating in his basement, eeewwwww
 

Haps

stone fool
Veteran
You folks ain't ever messed with one of those, have ya? Nastiest piece of work in any house. This is a monumentally bad idea, unless you are a plummer. My poop is quite odiferous.
H
 

NoFx

Member
I don't see any harm in it; but a backflow valve is a must. I don't do poo. :nono: My girlfriend would be pissed; 'cus I'm not cleaning it. :muahaha:

But seriously... :fsu: Pun intended :rasta:

NOFX
 
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moses224

Venting thru attic. While we are talking venting is anyone venting to attic? If so id like to here about it. It might be my only option in new room
 
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i agree, sounds like a good idea. but you better have your shit straight or you might be in for a stinky suprise. if anyone does this, please do it the right way.. no one likes cleaning up shit and most certainly post up a report!
 

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