There are certain parts of every household that we typically may not give much thought towards. And yet, they serve some type of vital function. A great example of such a household component that we take for granted comes in the form of the p-trap. This unremarkable-looking item is actually a very important part of your plumbing!
P-traps act as a sort of seal. They are the part of a pipe with a dip in them that holds standing water and blocks air and sewer odors from entering your home or place of business. Think of them as a line of defense that keeps sewer gases out of your bathrooms and kitchens. If you want the rest of the vocabulary, our plumbing terms glossary covers what a plumber means by trap arm, vent, and the rest.
For a more visual cue, look under a sink and look at the pipe leading up to the basin of it. See that u-shaped dip right under the drain? That’s one of the most common forms of a p-trap.
What Are Some Functions of a P-Trap
In addition to the “air-filter” function mentioned above, p-traps also provide the following functions:
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P-traps help the natural flow of water by acting as a half-filled reservoir, making flushing and draining happen more easily.
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They help to prevent clogs from forming deeper in the plumbing system by trapping debris closer to the drain. That is also why the trap is the first place a plumber looks on a slow sink, and why hair collects there rather than out in the main line.
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A dry p-trap can be an early sign of other plumbing damage or leaks. It can also be nothing more than evaporation in a bathroom nobody uses, which is one reason we suggest running every fixture before leaving your plumbing for a long trip.
PVC Versus Metal P-Traps
P-traps come in two varieties, metal and PVC. There are advantages and disadvantages to both:
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Metal P-Traps - Metal traps are heat resistant, which makes them the first choice where hot water runs constantly, and they are common in large buildings. The downside is corrosion. A thin chrome-plated trap under a bathroom sink will eventually pit and weep at the joints, and that slow drip is often what a homeowner finally notices as a damp cabinet floor. Our leak detection crews find plenty of them.
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PVC P-Traps - PVC lasts longer under a residential sink because corrosion is not a concern. However, PVC traps are not used in large buildings, because they are not heat resistant and do not meet the fire code requirements of many municipalities.
Whichever material you have, a trap that keeps clogging is telling you about what is going into it. Grease and hair are the usual answers, and our list of ways to keep drains from clogging is the fix. Do not pour a bottle of opener into it either, because store bought drain cleaners sit in the trap and eat at it. When the trap is clean and the sink still backs up, the blockage is farther down and it is time for professional drain cleaning.
Residents in Lakeland, Plant City, Winter Haven and all surrounding areas in FL are required by the state to have p-traps.
In addition to the purposes these traps serve, they are also required by state building codes in order to provide a basic barrier from sewer gases, which often contain hazardous and flammable substances like methane. Most of these gases are horrible when you smell them, but moreover are ignitable.
Florida building regulations require that in Lakeland, Plant City, Winter Haven, and most other areas of the state, p-traps be installed at every drain and water access point.
Call us if you smell foul odors coming from your drain.
A sewer smell is not always a dry trap. It can also be a cracked trap arm, a blocked vent, or a backup working its way up the line, and water coming up from the shower drain or gurgling from the toilet alongside the odor points to the main. That is sewer backup repair territory, and at night it is an emergency plumbing call.
If you smell foul odors coming from any of your water access points or drains, please let us know immediately so we can get to you as soon as possible. Just call us at (863) 667-6364, and one of our service representatives will dispatch a certified plumber.
