This repair is continued from Part 3.
The HVAC contractor began the work by disconnecting the old vent pipe at the first joint below the roof deck in the attic. To disconnect the pipe, just slide the retaining collar up and wiggle/lift the pipe to separate. The shiny new pipe sections are shown in this photo.
Furnace Vent Pipe in the Attic
Roof Vent Demolition
With one man working in the attic, the other HVAC technician went to the roof top to disassemble the vents. He began by lifting the retaining collar and wiggling off the top section of vent pipe. The top section with the rain cap is laying to the right in the photo below.
The storm collar is removed by cutting the caulk line with a utility knife and wiggling the collar up the pipe. Once clear of the flashing cone, the storm collar was cut in two with tin snips and pulled free of the vent pipe. Cutting the collar was quicker than working it off the length of the pipe.
Removing the Storm Collar from the Old Vent Pipe
After removing the storm collar, the caulk line at the flashing cone is cut and the old pipe is pulled down into the attic. The retaining collar at the bottom of the vent pipe inside the attic will not fit through the flashing cone, so the pipe must be pulled down.
The second vent stack is removed by the same procedure.
New Roof Gas Vent Installation
Flashing Cones
We originally planned to remove the old flashing cones. The HVAC technician advised against it, explaining the cone was in good shape and he was concerned about the shingles being brittle in the cool (mid-40′s) December weather. We agreed to leave the flashing cones in place.
The old caulk is trimmed and peeled away from the neck of the flashing cone with a utility knife. A clean bare metal surface is needed for a water tight caulk line.
Cleaning Up the Flashing Cone Neck
Flashing cone after cleaning the old caulk from the neck.
Roof Vent Flashing Cone Cleaned and Ready for New Pipe
The second man inside the attic pushes up the new section of vent pipe through the flashing cone. The man in the attic then attaches the vent pipe existing lower section inside the attic.
Pushing Up New Type B Vent Pipe
The joint between the vent pipe and flashing cone is caulked with Adaseal HVAC/R 100% RTV silicone high temperature caulk.
Caulking the Vent Pipe at the Flashing Cone
The storm collar is installed by sliding it over the pipe and down to the flashing cone. The storm collar is sealed with a generous bead of silicone and smoothed (radiused) with a finger.
Caulking the Storm Collar
The rain cap simply slides onto the vent pipe. The technician secured the rain cap with a short 1/4″ sheet metal screw to ensure it doesn’t blow off in a very strong wind. The screw is optional and must not penetrate inner section of the double wall pipe.
Installing the Rain Cap on the Roof Vent Pipe
The vertical seam on the flashing cone was caulked with silicone and the vent stacks are spray painted black for appearance. The two vent stacks are also now equal height for a better appearance.
New Gas Vent Stacks
Inspection of the Rusted Vent Stacks
The old vent stacks were saved for inspection to see if there was an obvious source of the rain water leak. The black RTV sealant beneath the rain cap and on the storm collars is only one week old and did not stop the leak. The vents are a bit dented having been dropped off the roof onto the lawn.
Old Type B Gas Vents
The rust hasn’t corroded through the pipe wall, but the rust lines indicate rain water getting inside the pipe.
Rain Cap and Vent Pipe Rust
It’s really hard to say if this was the leak source, or maybe water was getting inside the vertical seam and channel past the storm collar.
Rusted Vent Pipe
No Leaks!
The new Type B roof vents were installed only a day before a new cold front brought steady rain. The vents are water tight and no water trails are to be seen on the shiny new sections of pipe in the attic.
The job took about 2 hours and the final cost was $350 versus the $400 original quote because we decided not install new flashing cones.
Hope this helps,
Bob Jackson
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Hi, Bob:
This is a very detailed and descriptive article you have posted. I have the similar problem with water leaking inside the vent pipe. I had the vent cap replaced last year and resealed the storm collar. The leaking is still occurring. Even though there is not much water sipping through the pipe but it really bothers me when it drips on the attic. My roof is very steep and most HVAC guys will not want to do the job. Most likely, I will ask roofer to see if they can do this type work to replace vent stack, storm collar, and vent cap.
The leak could be along the vertical seam in the vent pipe. I tend to think this was my problem.
Most roofers don’t normally have the gas vent parts in stock. Recommend calling HVAC companies until you find one that does roof work. HVAC companies that do “new construction” routinely install roof vents and can verify your vent pipe is correctly installed and condensation isn’t a factor. The HVAC guy that replaced my vent said he was a former roofer.
Please post back with your repair and the cost.
Thanks,
Bob Jackson
When they installed your new vent pipes did they put sealant on the vertical seams exposed above the storm collar or the cap?
The HVAC service tech only sealed the vertical seam on the cone flashing (because we kept the flashing) and the joint at storm collar. The vertical seam on the flue pipe shouldn’t need sealing. The rain cap slides over the flue pipe and doesn’t need sealing.
What kind of spray paint & Primer did the hvac tech use for your b-vent pipes?
The HVAC tech used a Krylon exterior rust-proofing flat paint.
Was it the Krylon Rust Tough Rust Preventative Enamel?
Can’t say for certain. It was Krylon flat black – I think enamel would be unnecessary.
Bob,
Great job detailing your experience. Just one question, because I noticed that the stacks are now shorter. Since this is an exhust, are they not supposed to be two feet higher that the highest point of your roof ten feet away? This case your ridge line?
I’m aware of this rule and took notice of the vent stacks on homes in my neighborhood with 12/12 pitch roofs. Most stacks are no more than 2 to 4 feet high and badly fail the “2 feet higher than the highest point 10 feet away” rule. Here and there, a vent stack will be very tall that meets the “2 ten rule”, and it’s almost always crooked – probably from getting beaten up by the wind.
Think about it: a 10 foot tall vent stack is only 10 feet away from the roof surface on 12/12 pitch roof (45 degree slope). The rule becomes impractical very quickly, especially if the vent isn’t close the ridge.
The sample data gets more interesting on my drive to work. I’ve seen dozens of homes with steep roofs having short and tall stacks side-by-side at the same roof elevation. One stack cleared the ridge the other didn’t.
All I can say for certain is I’ve had no problems with my vents since and I can’t see them from the street anymore.
Thanks for this marvelous post. I’ve got a similar problem that I have just decided to tackle. I bought the house after new shingles were put on and it has flue always leaked during a hard rain. I’m going to start with new caulk around the flashing. Your post has helped me identify another possible solution… a storm collar.
We’ll see how it goes and thanks for the very detailed info.
I have a similar problem. It looks like I could caulk my gap from inside the attic. Any problem with me first attempting to seal from inside before calling a roofer / hvac tech?
Thanks
I don’t recommend it because caulking from inside the attic would be temporary at best and make repair/replacement more difficult when working on the roof. If your flashing cone looks like mine, the angle between the flue pipe and flashing cone is deep and narrow when viewed from attic, making it difficult to caulk and inspect the seal. If you decide to apply caulk, use a non-adhesive 100% RTV silicone high temperature caulk designed for this type of work. You might embed a heavy construction string (yellow or orange string found at home improvement stores) in the joint before caulking and let the free end hang down a couple of feet. When the roofer arrives for a permanent repair job, you can pull the string and sever the caulk joint like a zipper.