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Plumbing Trap Basics

Thursday, October 15, 2020 5:25 PM

Sewage disposal systems produce nasty gases and odors.

Common Gases produced in a Sewage System are:
• Methane
• Hydrogen Sulfide
• Nitrogen
• Carbon Monoxide
In order to protect man from those dangers, a barrier is placed between the plumbing fixture and sewage waste system.
This protection is given by the water caught in the fixture trap, after each discharge from a fixture.

In plumbing, a trap is a device that keeps a small amount of liquid every time the fixture is used to prevent sewer gases from entering building.
Any plumbing fixture directly connected to the sanitary drainage system must be equipped with a water seal trap.
○ every single plumbing fixture used to evacuate waste from a building should be equipped with its own plumbing trap; except that a set of similar
fixtures consisting of not more than three (3) wash basins, or a set of three (3) sinks may connect with a single 38mm (1 ½ inch) trap.
○ There are some plumbing fixtures that already have integral traps built into the fixture itself, such as a water closet, bidet or urinal.
○ In no case shall the waste from a bathtub or other fixture discharge into a water closet trap.
The amount of retained liquid is called a trap seal.
○ this trap seal prevents sewage system odors, gases and vermin from entering the living or workspace.

• Most codes allow double bowl kitchen sinks, triple compartment sinks and laundry sinks to be furnished with one p-trap connected by a continuous
waste.
‒The compartments must be next to one another and each compartment cannot be spaced more than 30” inches apart center to center of the
drains.

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• A maximum allowable vertical drop from the fixture outlet for sinks, lavatories, showers and bathtubs to the water seal is between 18” and 24” but not
more than 24”.
• The shorter the vertical distance the more efficient the trap functions.
‒The further the liquid waste drops the greater the velocity of the water; the greater the velocity of the water rushing through the fixture drain the
more likely the drain will siphon the trap seal.

• Concealed traps used for bathtubs, showers etc. cannot have integral cleanouts.

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Deep Seal P-Traps
Deep seal traps have vertical depths of 4” or more and are used in a limited number of applications. Deep seal traps are not the norm for all applications:
• The traps are deeper therefore larger and tougher to fit into confined spaces.
• Because of their increased depth and capacity they are more resistant to flow from a standard fixture therefore they impede drainage and make the
fixture drain sluggishly.
• There are some advantages to using deep seal traps. These advantages are specific to their respective application.
ADVANTAGE : A deep trap has a deeper seal with more liquid; therefore the seal doesn’t evaporate as quickly.
APPLICATION : When a floor drain is installed in a remote location, e.g., a large warehouse, and receives very little water to reseal the trap a deep seal trap is
recommended.
ADVANTAGE : The deep seal trap has a much greater capacity for resealing. Since the trap is usually quite a bit larger than a traditional trap, it can handle a
much greater flow of water and the trap is less likely to lose its seal because of the extra amount of water.
APPLICATION : When a fixture or piece of equipment calls for an indirect waste connection, like a commercial ice maker, salad bar or in some cases a triple
pot sink a deep seal trap is used.
ADVANTAGE : Because of its depth, it is less likely to lose its seal because of back pressure or trap siphonage.
APPLICATION : There are instances where a fixture or trap cannot be properly vented. In cases such as these a deep seal trap would be ideal and all of the
aforementioned advantage would apply here.

PROHIBITED PLUMBING TRAPS

• Bell Traps
• Running Traps
• Crown Vented Traps
• Q (¾-S) Traps
• Full S Traps
S-traps are often installed in older buildings where there is no venting provided for that plumbing fixture.
-S-traps easily lose the water from the plumbing trap, especially if the S-trapped fixture is near a water closet or other large plumbing fixture.

Drum Traps
• were used when installing bathtubs and lavatories.
• a circular metal canister with the inlet near the bottom of the trap and the waste outlet is at the top with a removable cover.
• ideally, it is installed in a place with easy access to remove the cover to clean.
• were installed so people could find jewelry or valuables if lost down the drain.

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Other Types of Plumbing Traps

Gully Trap
• A gully trap is provided outside the building before connecting it to external sewerage line. It also collects wastewater from the kitchen sink, wash
basins, bath and wash area.

Intercepting Trap
• Intercepting trap is provided into the interceptor manhole (interceptor chamber). An Interceptor manhole is provided at the interception of building
sewer and public sewer.
• Intercepting trap is provided to prevent the foul gases from public sewers entering the building sewer by providing water seal.

Bottle Trap
• A bottle trap is provided to receive waste from washbasin, kitchen sinks and other appliances where the appliances do not have a built-in trap.

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Grease Trap
• Grease trap is installed in the waste pipe from one or more fixtures for the purpose of separating grease from the liquid and retaining the grease.

WHY IS PLUMBING TRAP SEAL BROKEN

Trap Siphonage
Described as negative pressure within the fixture drain.
• As the wastewater goes by the other fixtures connected to the stack, it can pull the water from their respective trap seals.
Another scenario that could cause trap siphonage is a fixture using an S-trap.
• If the fixture is full and the wastewater is released, the water rushes through the trap and waste pipe carrying some of the trap water with it; thus, not
enough liquid is left to form an adequate trap seal.
A similar scenario can occur if a fixture is installed on a long run of piping that is unvented.
• If the water vacates a fixture into the trap it could build up enough velocity to drain the trap.

Back Pressure
• It is caused when a large amount of waste flows into the drainage system compressing the air in front of it.
- if the fixture at the point of compression is not vented properly it will blow out the trap and into the building.

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Wind Effect
• The pressure or suction caused by the strong winds can cause the water to rise and fall within the trap.
- If the fluctuations are big enough a small amount of trap seal may spill into the waste system causing the trap to be compromised.
- the seal is more susceptible to both back pressure and trap siphonage.

Evaporation
• A common occurrence especially in instances where a fixture or drain is only used sporadically.
- the water in the trap evaporates when not used at least once a week.
- Laundry room floor drains, remote floor drains, fixtures and all traps in a summer home are all more vulnerable and evaporation will occur.

Capillary Action
• doesn’t happen often but is a constant issue with a fixture losing its trap seal.

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