# AAV Reliability



## DuMass (Feb 6, 2008)

How often do you find an AAV that doesn’t seal completely at atmospheric pressure?
I recently replaced a faulty Studor Mini-Vent, but I've seen these around for years and this is the first one I’ve found that wouldn’t fully seal and was allowing sewer gas back into the building.
There doesn’t seem to be much to these things, so I imagine they must be designed to be highly reliable or else they probably wouldn’t be approved for use in buildings.


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## Mike's Plumbing (Jul 19, 2010)

I replace them once in a while. I don't like them personally bit they can be handy in certain applications. Just ne sure not to bury it so it CAN be changed.

Mike


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## DuMass (Feb 6, 2008)

I took the old one apart to look it over. Amazingly, there is literally nothing to the Studor Mini-Vent except for a thin plastic diaphragm. It kind of makes you wonder why these cost as much as they do. I’m guessing it must be because of all the R&D and testing they need to recoup, since it surely can’t be for material costs.
The diagram in it looks pretty delicate. I’m wondering if it could even be damaged if the unit is not stored upright on the shelf at the supply house for a long period of time.


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## Anti-wingnut (Mar 12, 2009)

I put a Oatley AAV to service a DW and Johnson tee. The Studor Vent was $24 and the Oatley was $5. The Oatley seems like as fine a product as the Studor


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## DuMass (Feb 6, 2008)

I always thought the AAV's where IPC and NSF approved for use in buildings, but the black $5.00 Oatey in-line "ProVent" were only for use in things like mobile homes? Not sure exactly, but maybe it was something about the spring in the in-line vent not being as reliable as diaphragm design in the AAV.

If not, it makes me wonder why Oatey also makes a line of their own AAV’s as well. They seem to run about the same as the Studor valves, as far as price goes.

http://www.oatey.com/apps/catalog/instance_assets/assets/OAT_AAV_SVA_link3.pdf


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