Learnwhy S traps stink and what to do about it.
Have you noticed that someof your sink drains have a bad sewer-like odor? Does the smell seem worse afteryou drain a full sink of water or when you haven’t used the sink for a longtime? The culprit could very well be a stinky S trap.
What isan S Trap?
All types of drains needsome kind of “trap” to hold water in the pipe and prevent sewer gasses fromtraveling up the pipe, out the drain, and into your home. In the case of an Strap, the pipe below the drain has two bends that look just like an S on itsside. This type of trap is commonly installed by amateur plumbers, especially when working on fixtures such as a bar sink or basement bathroom sink that is not attached to a vent stack.
WhyDoes My S Trap Stink?
Because S traps are notvented, there is the potential for the water that is supposed to remain in thetrap to get siphoned out as the fixture drains. This is especially likely tohappen if you are trying to drain a full sink as there will be more pressure onthe pipe. If you hear a bunch of gurgling as the very last bit of water drains away, this is typically a dead giveaway that the water in your trap is being sucked away.
Another possible problem isthat the water in the S trap may simply have evaporated due to a long period ofdisuse. You could actually have this problem with any trap, not just an S trap.
WhatCan I Do About the Stink?
The simplest way to dealwith a stinky S trap is to just run a bit of water down the pipe to refill theempty trap. You would need to do this every time you drain a full sink, as wellas a few times a month in the case of a drain that doesn’t get used too often.
However, for a morepermanent solution you really should replace the S trap with a properly ventedone. Depending on how the plumbing around the fixture is set up, this may be assimple as installing a P trap to replace the S trap. In other cases moreextensive work such as adding a vent stack may be required.
If you need help withstinky, slow, or unvented drains, an experienced plumbingcontractor like US Comfort can help. Call 800-738-4160 to reach us.
visit here : https://www.uscomfort.com/plumbing/
