Soil Stack or Stack Vent

It is the pipe that takes methane gas, also commonly referred to as sewer gas, from the plumbing system and safely vents it up through the roof, where it is diluted into the atmosphere.

Periodically it can become plugged. When that happens, run an auger or long snake down the vent until the obstruction is removed, then flush it clear using a garden hose with the water turned on.

Oftentimes, the boot or collar dries out and cracks. Leaks can develop and rot the roof boards and ceiling below. You can tar around this pipe, but the tar also dries out. For under $10 you can buy a stack sleeve the easily slides down the vent, hugging it, while eliminating further leaks.

Sewer gas smell in your home

If you have a sewer gas smell in your home don't panic, it is a common problem that can usually be fixed by just running some water. All plumbing fixtures in your home have traps on them. These traps hold water to seal sewer gas from entering you home. If a fixture has not been used for awhile, the water could evaporate and allow sewer gas in. Run the water on any fixtures once a month if they are not used on a regular basis. A toilet has an internal trap, make sure the bowl has water in it. The most common source of a sewer gas smell in your home are basement floor drains. These drains are also trapped, dump a bucket of water in them once a month as well. So don't panic if you have a sewer gas smell in your home, just run some water.