So I have a really old house (1913) there is no standard soil stack in this house. There is a large line to the 1 bathroom but it its toilet/tub/sink only.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/smokenado/DSC00883.jpg

I have found a 2" cleanout near the middle of the house.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/smokenado/DSC00884.jpg


On the other side is 4" pipe coming out of the floor, then out the foundation about chest height.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/smokenado/DSC00886.jpg

Outside my house I see a 4" pipe cut flush to the ground with a screen. i assume this is my vent.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/smokenado/DSC00888.jpg

my questions are:
1. What is causing my basement shower and washer drain pipe to have air flowing out of them? its not smelly like sewer gas.

2. how do i find out where the main line actually exits the house? there are no other cleanouts that i can find.

3. can that "vent pipe" be used as a drain also, say for a rear flush toilet if I decide to put one in? Thanks. Below is a rough diagram of the placement of what I have, the bottom is street side
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/smokenado/plumbing.png

Some of the pics didn't work, ill try again.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/smokenado/DSC00883.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/smokenado/DSC00888.jpg

Hi Zemuss...

First question is if you have an attic space and is it accessible? If it is accessible check up there to see if the cast iron continues and stops in this space, OK?

Next question, air is coming out of the unvented washer and shower? Do the washer and shower have vents associated with them? Do these fixtures have PTRAPS that you can see... if no PTRAPS above the floor stick a stick into the drains until they bottom out and see if they come out wet... let me know more on this.

Finally that screend pipe must be your main drain cleanout... is that the 4" vent that goes outside?

Answer these questions and then we can chat some more...

Mark

What you show in the photo is a standard soil stack for your 1st floor bathroom. The cast iron is for the toilet and the copper drains go separately to the sink(s) and tub/shower. Provide photos of the basement shower and washer drain pipes. The fresh air inlet cannot be used as a drain connection for a toilet, your house trap is directly below where you see it enter the concrete. Your first picture shows a cleanout in the foreground for your main line and there is a cleanout on the stack also. The brass plugs usually get quite corroded and require some TLC before you attempt to remove them. Treat with PB blaster or similar product twice a day for 3-5 days to loosen them up and if you get them off, treat with thread lube/sealant before re-inserting. The fresh air inlet can act as a cleanout for your house trap if it gets clogged, but may be difficult to pass if the rest of the sewer needs to be cleared. Just don't be surprised if the cleanouts don't come unthreaded or if a plumber cannot get his sewer machine to pass through the house trap if there is ever a clog in the outside of your home. Cast iron is very rough on the inside and accumulates a great deal of build up over the years and also where the copper transitions to cast iron. If you can find a SAFE drain maintenance or enzyme product, I recommend using it monthly. By safe I mean NO ACIDS or corrosives.

The main line of you house typically exits where you see the house trap/fresh air inlet.

In re-reading your post you state "there is a large line to the 1 bathroom but it its toilet/tub/sink only." Your drawing shows "4" to toilet upstairs". The toilet on the stack is what makes it a soil stack, if that clarifies things. Also, if your home was previously on a septic system, you may have smaller vents or even no vents at all going through the roof. With the sewer possibly exiting the side of the home, as opposed to the front street, it's anybody's guess where the sewer continues to unless you pay for a locate service.

I was also thinking house trap here PGH, and that the 4" is a fresh air inlet, but no cleanouts so not so sure...hmmmmm? See image, guys.

Zemuss, check around and see what you can find...should be cleanouts if a house trap is present. That 4" vent through the wall sure looks like the fresh air inlet though, huh?

Back to you...

Mark

Massplumb, nothing in attic. The stack under the toilet doesn't continue up, it stops at the pot. There are no visible ptraps on shower or washer drains unless they are under the concrete. The outside pic of the little grate is the exit of the white pipe that exits the side. I cannot locate an outside cleanout, I'm not even sure where the main exits the house as the only visible pipes are near the back and sides of house. Ill get more pics tomorrow

Hi Zemuss

Cool!

Let us know if old septic or if you have transitioned to city/town sewer, OK?

Will wait for more pictures on the washer and shower before commenting further.

Thanks.

Zemuss, be sure to look at the roof from the outside of the house for vent pipes. Massplumber's trap diagram shows a fresh air inlet, running trap w/ two cleanouts for the trap. What you have is the fresh air inlet directly above the inlet of the trap, acting as the cleanout as well with no cleanout on the other side.

The fresh air inlet comes directly down on the trap where you see your first cleanout plug. The diagram that you posted is for a suspended building drain exiting above concrete level inside a building.

Hi guys...

In my area all house traps have 2 cleanouts, even if underground (brought to grade), but certainly makes sense that some places could have house traps with only one cleanout and fresh air inlet.

At this point, just like PGH, I have to figure that you have a house trap installed and that is why you don't have individual traps at every fixture... certainly explains,

1) why air is coming out the shower and washer drains as air is coming in from the fresh air inlet and not being stopped by an individual trap at a fixture like we do today.

2) If you make a straight line between the 4" cast iron pipe with cleanout that goes into the floor and the 4" fresh air inlet you should have a better idea of where the main exits the building.

3) As PGH indicated, you shouldn't use the fresh air inlet as a waste line for a rear outlet toilet

Now, for the future, when you remodel you may want to install vents and traps at all new fixtures and see if you can get a vent stack out the roof, but first check with local code requirements as some town/cities would want the house trap removed if you start remodeling/repiping up to code as individual traps at fixtures with a house trap installed in the house means you are "double trapping" the fixtures and that is against code in many areas.

In my area, almost all homes had these house traps (no fresh air inlet, but a vent stack out the roof) with no additional traps in the house. Over the last 50 years people have slowly transitioned to individual traps at fixtures and in my area we remove the house trap only if we have issues with the main drain, like root issues and have trouble negotiating the house trap.

Good luck...

Mark

I have a few more pictures.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/smokenado/DSC00889.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/smokenado/DSC00891.jpg

The upstairs sinks/tub/ all that have their own ptraps, I just think the 98 year old basement stuff doesn't. The house is on city sewer so far as I know always has been. But is is so old you never know. The stack from the toilet runs straight towards that little cleanout then towards the washer, you can feel it when you walk over it, not deep under the concrete at all. From there who knows. Also I know I can add a trap to the washer, its literally an old cast iron straight tube sticking into a drain hole in floor, I can make that one but the shower, who knows lol.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/smokenado/DSC00890.jpg
P.S. thanks for all the response, and yes I know the wood is rotted under the toilet, its on my list. I just got this place last month

There is nothing up there, thanks though

I posted the extra pictures, accidentally posted them as an answer though

Yes I'm just used to them going straight up and out the roof, not straight into a toilet and that's all :)

Thanks for the tips, the fresh air inlet is on the west side of my house and the street is on the north. Still possible I suppose!

By the way near that white painted inlet you see a shower curtain with, yes you guessed it, a kids turtle sandbox as the shower base. That is ghetto but hey, it works. I will be replacing soon