When your sinks start draining really slowly, you probably assume that they have a blockage in them somewhere. After all, if a drain is clogged, it will drain very slowly. While this could be the problem, there is also a chance that your drains are not clogged. Instead, they might be moving slowly due to a clogged sewer vent. Here are several important things to understand about this problem.

All drains are connected to a sewer vent

In order for water to move down a drain, there must be an escape for the air and gases in the line, and that is what your sewer vents are for. Because of this, every drain in your home should be tied to a sewer vent. If you do not understand why or how this works, think of opening a can of juice. If you do not punch two openings in the can, the juice will not pour out. This is because the can needs a pathway for air to enter in as the juice exits out. Your drain pipes are the same way. Without a vent, it is nearly impossible for the water to exit through the drain pipes, and a clogged vent will lead to slow-moving drains for this reason.

Sewer vents are found on the roof

In most cases, sewer vents are placed on the roofs of homes. By placing them on the roof of a house, the air and gases that come through the pipes will exit the home and move away from the house. You will never have to breathe these gases in due to this location. The trouble is that vents on the top of a home can end up clogged. If you have a slow-moving drain, the plumber you hire might get on your roof and look at these vents to see if they are clogged. If they are, the plumber can fix the problem by removing the debris from them. Common debris found in sewer vents includes animals, leaves, and nests.

Common signs of a sewer vent clog

If your sewer vents are clogged, you are likely to see several different signs, which include slow-moving drains. Other signs you might notice include hearing gurgling sounds coming from the drains in your home and smelling sewer odors in your bathrooms.

If you have a drain that is not working well or any other type of plumbing problem, contact your local plumber services today for help.