Chris Gray continues to challenge the construction industry to stop installing Air Admittance Valves and take the riser ventilation through the roof to the atmosphere.
Air Admittance Valves have only become widely used over the last 20 years. This wasn’t the plumbing code of practise when Chris Gray was plumbing many years ago. Insufficient ventilation air flow causes the water seal in traps to be vacuumed back into the risers. The result is a sewer smell coming back out of the floor waste, this never used to be an issue.
The industry will advise “just change the air admittance valve” as a soft come back, the problem is they are usually in sealed risers in people’s bathrooms and access is not achievable without completing destructive works, removing tiles and waterproofing from the bathrooms.
While the industry is changing its standards and practices for developments, how about getting behind this and stop Durgo’s and other air admittance valves being installed in strata residential buildings?
Residents in strata buildings have to suffer long term with pungent floor waste due to poor air release in a ventilation stack, only so plumbers and developers can save money using a product that is prone to failure after a period of time.
Time for the industry to say enough is enough!
Ban air admittance valves in strata buildings!