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Trap (plumbing)
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Water seal in drain pipe under a sink. Water enters at right, fills the trap, and continues left. Inverted
siphoning occurs below the line "A".

Examples of traps

In plumbing, a trap is a device which has a shape that uses a bending path to capture
water to prevent sewer gases from entering buildings, while allowing waste to pass
through. In refinery applications, traps are used to prevent hydrocarbons and other
dangerous gases from escaping outside through drains.
In domestic applications, traps are typically U, S, Q or J-shaped pipe located below or
within a plumbing fixture.[1] An S-shaped trap is also known as an S-bend. It was
invented by Alexander Cummings in 1775 but became known as the U-bend following
the introduction of the U-shaped trap by Thomas Crapper in 1880. The new U-bend
 could not jam, so, unlike the S-bend, it did not need an overflow. The most common of
these traps in houses is referred to as a P-trap. It is the addition of a 90 degree fitting
on the outlet side of a U-bend, thereby creating a P-like shape. It is also referred to as a
sink trap because it is installed under most house sinks.
Because of its shape, the trap retains a small amount of water after the fixture's use.
This water in the trap creates a seal that prevents sewer gas from passing from the
drain pipes back into the occupied space of the building. Essentially all plumbing
fixtures including sinks, bathtubs, and toilets must be equipped with either an internal
or external trap.
Because it is a localized low-point in the plumbing, sink traps also tend to capture
heavy objects (such as jewelry) that are inadvertently dropped into the sink. Traps
also tend to collect hair, sand, and other debris and limit the ultimate size of objects
that will pass on into the rest of the plumbing, thereby catching oversized objects. For
all of these reasons, most traps can either be disassembled for cleaning or they provide
some sort of cleanout feature.
When a large volume of water may be discharged through the trap, a standpipe may be
required to prevent impact to other nearby traps.
History
Venting and auxiliary devices
Accepted traps
See also
Notes
External links

Last edited 7 days ago by KolbertBot

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exchangeable device which can be connected to a plumbing system to deliver and drain water
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Sewer gas
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Sewer gas is a complex mixture of toxic and nontoxic gases produced and collected
in sewage systems by the decomposition of organic household or industrial wastes,
typical components of sewage.[1]
Sewer gases may include hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, methane, esters, carbon
monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. Improper disposal of petroleum
products such as gasoline and mineral spirits contribute to sewer gas hazards. Sewer
gases are of concern due to their odor, health effects, and potential for creating fire or
explosions.[2]
In homes
History
Health effects
Explosion risk
Greenhouse gas contribution
Impact on sewerage
See also
References

Last edited 2 months ago by Pscott558

RELATED ARTICLES
Drain-waste-vent system
Trap (plumbing)
type of pipe
Biogenic sulfide corrosion

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Plumbing fixture
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A plumbing fixture is an exchangeable device which can be connected to a plumbing

system to deliver and drain water.

Standpipe (plumbing)
In plumbing, a standpipe is a vertical vented pipe attached to a trap that permits rapid
wastewater discharge without disrupting the water seal of nearby traps.[1]
The most common use of standpipes in houses is for clothes washing machines, which
rapidly dispense a large volume of wastewater while draining the wash and rinse
cycles.[2]