This is not a proper P-trap
Why a P-trap is important!
Have you looked at how your home’s water leaves the sink? What are all those pipes under the sink or in the basement? Those pipes not only get the water away and out of your home, it keeps nasty smells from getting into your home.
Enter – The P Trap.
There should always be a P-trap under your sinks and these traps perform many tasks. These traps are important and sometimes are confused with an S-trap. You need to be sure the trap installed is the “P-trap”. These are designed to trap debris which has fallen into the sink and do not allow the debris to fall or drain deep into your plumbing pipes. Another benefit to having a P-trap installed is they help prevent sewage gas from entering back into home through the drain.
The way the P-trap works is by creating a natural water seal allowing water to flow into the overflow pipe, but the water cannot flow backward toward the sink.
How a P-trap works
Sewer gas is prevented by the back-flow prevention of the water seal in bottom of the trap (It “traps” the water). Sewer gas can contain many smells and odors and may smell like rotten eggs, but can also be poisonous. The traps installed in the plumbing lines help to form a seal of water within the plumbing trap.
A P-trap is easy to install and doesn’t cost much. If you are a home “Do It Yourself’er” make sure you correctly connect the pipes or you will have a leak. If kitchen or bath upgrades are on your ‘to-do’ list or you have smells coming from your pipes, remember the P-trap may be the cause. When in doubt, call our professional to do the work.