An Insanely Simple Fix for Frozen Plumbing Stacks

[@baileylineroad]

The _absolute easiest_ way to keep your faucets *flowing strong* every Winter. Get it here now: 👉 heatline.com/product/arcticvent-ht/ 👈

[@johnstewartrichards5922]

Looks like a thermos bottle type enclosure using building heat convection to keep a vent stack warm. A simple & good idea. Hope internal metal tube is stainless steel or hot dipped galvanized. An interesting problem though is with Building Codes. I’ve not been able to find references to the required height of a vent stack above a roof based on expected snow fall on a roof based on location. Some vent stack elevations seem too low. It might seem to be that a vent stack should be 1 to 1.2m above the expected roof snow cover. Has anyone seen a definitive code spec for vent stack elevation?

[@markbernier8434]

Heatline. Good bunch up there.

[@Gaborkik]

Inexperienced european here. Can't you put a cap on top and let air in underneath the cap making the air turn 180 degrees or something?

[@PD-we8vf]

Never heard of this as a problem.

[@sjpropertyservices3987]

I live in Maine and am a home inspector. We certainly are used to snow and cold weather, but his is not a problem I have first hand experience with either personally or professionally. However, I do recommend plumbing vent pipes extend above the normal snow cover for where the property is located. If a property has been winterized or a vent pipe serves plumbing fixtures which are not being used it is certainly possible that a vent pioe could get covered during a heavy snow fall if it is not tall enough.

[@flinch622]

Oh your drains would work, but it wouldn't be safe. A stack is there mainly to vent gases outside the building after lines drain out from sink usage etc, and all thats left is p-trap protection. Also, it isnt inward air building frost as much as it is moisture leaving the system: it always drives hot to cold. I do like this fix however: it breaks most of the thermal bridge a stack presents as it passes through the roof while doubling as a moisture trap of sorts, with drainback ability as the bottom lip locates inside the building.

[@Mountain-Man-3000]

I'm 99.99% sure the "highly convective gas" is referring to what's known as "air".

[@sjpropertyservices3987]

Aka convection and/or stack effect