What Is The Purpose Of A Drain Trap

Everyone in America has drain traps in their home whether they realize it or not. A drain trap is the curved pipe sections that are a part of the water draining system. These sections create an area that holds water in the fixture that essentially makes a water seal and this water barrier prevents sewer/septic gases from entering into your living area. These fumes are very undesirable because they smell foul and are unhealthy for your environment.

Modern building codes and health codes require that all homes have drain traps in place. They are S-shaped, J-shaped, U-shaped, and P-shaped. The S-shaped drain trap is one of the oldest designs and is considered out dated. The S-shape trap is not acceptable in many plumbing codes because it has a tendency to not hold water properly, and therefore it doesn't meet code requirements. For some locations the S trap is even illegal.

For every area in the home that has any kind of water usage, there should be a drain trap installed. Most drain traps, like the ones for your kitchen and bathroom sinks, can be found easily enough. But some are not that simple to find. For instance, the bathtub and the washer drainage systems are not usually visible unless you are under the home or are doing some kind of renovations in those areas.

There are a couple of choices available for these drain traps which make life a little easier when problems do arise. Installing a drain trap assembly with a clean out plug is an excellent idea for simple plumbing issues, and they are definitely worth the purchase and installation costs. It will pay for itself if a valuable ring falls down the drain. Just open the plug and fish for the ring. Then there are swivel type assemblies to be considered, but these can be a little tricky to use if you do need to do something with the drain trap.

If the home you are living in is not new, it would be a good idea to have a qualified plumber come and inspect your water drainage system. This will ensure that your home meets the building and health codes in your area.
The plumber will also be able to spot any trouble areas that you may have and make recommendations on how to resolve the issues before problems arise. This would be a wise investment, since a drainage problem can quickly become a major catastrophe.

Plumbing For Less is your full service Atlanta Plumber servicing Atlanta, GA and surrounding Areas. For more information visit us online at www.plumbingforless.bizPlumbing For Less 2366 Sylvan Rd., Ste.# 16, Atlanta, GA 30344 (404) 509-6866.