Most people have heard of p-traps, but do you know what they are actually for? Their function is a lot more important than you might think. In this article we are going to look at what p-traps actually are, what they do, and why it is so important to have one on every single fixture.
Wait! P-traps are just under your kitchen and bathroom sinks, right? They are those annoying little pipes that get in the way of things you want to put down there, and always get clogged, right?
Well… partially true. While p-traps are under your sinks, and they do get in the way sometimes, they are actually attached to every single drain in your home… or at least they are supposed to be. If you were to crawl under your home, and look at your bathtub and shower, you will find that they have a p-trap under them as well.
In fact, the only fixture that does not have a p-trap in your home is the toilet. That is because toilets have a trap built into them that is meant to function a little differently.
What do traps do?
Okay, so there is a trap serving every drain in the house. Why? What do they do?
The main function of a p-trap is to hold water in them to block sewer gases from coming up through your drain. If you have an opening to a drain line, such as a drain without a trap, gases can exit there from as far away as the sewage treatment plant!
Not only do sewer gasses smell terrible, but they actually contain Methane. Methane can make you feel lightheaded, and can make you sick. In high enough concentrations it can kill you. It is also flammable. You definitely do not want that seeping into your home!
P-traps need vents
I cannot talk about p-traps without briefly talking about vents. While the traps are doing their job of keeping the sewer gases out of your home, vents perform 2 functions.
1 – They give the sewer gases a place to vent, so they do not build pressure inside your sewer lines.
2 – They prevent siphoning of the water out of the trap.
A great example of siphoning is a toilet. Toilets use controlled siphoning to flush and then fill the toilet back up with water (to serve as a trap). If a p-trap does not have a vent, it does the same thing, except that, since it is not “controlled” the chances are that the siphoning effect will leave your trap empty.
So why is this important?
Hopefully you get an idea of how important it is to have a properly installed and vented p-trap serving every drain. If there have been no modifications to the drainage system (or the pipes under your sink) since it was built, you need not worry. Houses are built to code regulations, so you are good to go.
The problem comes in when people make modifications to their plumbing. Arguably the most common is hooking up a laundry washing machine to a drain line in a way that was not intended when the house was built. I have even seen instances where people have had the existing trap removed and hooked their washing machine up in all sorts of creative ways.
I cannot emphasize enough how important it is for the health and safety of everyone in your home, that you do not get “creative” when it comes to p-traps and vents. Hire a professional plumber to do it right the first time. Yes, you will pay a few more dollars than you would the handyman down the street, but the long term savings in both money and future headaches (quite literally) is well worth getting it done right.
If you have a doubt about your plumbing, or if your p-traps are properly installed and vented, call Allstar Plumbing. We will get someone out right away to take a look for you. With Allstar, you always know you will get the job done right the first time.
