Building Utilities 1 - Plumbing and Sanitary Systems

TRAPS

BS Architecture 2A & B
1st Semester, A.Y. 2023 - 2024

Arch’t. JERMEL DICHOSO-GRULLA

Assistant Professor III
- A device to maintain a water seal
against sewer gases, air, odors
- also called stench trap
FIXTURE TRAP
- A device scientifically designed to prevent the back flow of
gases into the outlet of the fixture
- Water caught in the fixture trap after each discharge of the
fixture is the only thing which separates the unhealthy
gases in the sanitary drainage system and the air inside the
room
- The column of water that is retained between the overflow
and the dip of the trap is called TRAP SEAL and is also
referred to as WATER SEAL
P-TRAP
- A P-shaped trap forming a water seal in a waste or soil pipe
- The most practical form of trap ever developed
- Originally called gooseneck, attributing to its form which is
in the same manner as the neck of a goose
- The principle behind the use of P-trap is to provide a
mechanical barrier against passage of noxious air from the
septic tank or main sewer line into the outlet of the
fixtures
- Most common and practical shape available in various
sizes from 32mm (1 ¼”) to 150mm (6”) diameter
- Suitable for fixtures that are suspended from walls or
supported on pedestal such as:
– Lavatories, sinks, urinals, drinking fountain or shower
bath with less amount of water discharge
Has two classifications:
– Common seal
• has 5cm (2”) deep
water seal between
the overflow and the
dip
• Used on plumbing
fixtures that are
subjected to normal
conditions
Has two classifications:
– Deep seal
• Has 7.5 to 10cm (3” – 4”) column
of liquid content between the
overflow and the dip
• May be used under normal
conditions but is purposely designed
for abnormal conditions such as:
o Extreme heat condition in the
area
o Increase and decrease of
atmospheric condition
o Circumstances where total
ventilation cannot be obtained
DRUM TRAP
- a cylindrical trap with its axis
in a vertical direction having
a cover plate which may be
unscrewed for access
(commonly used on the
drain pipe from a bathtub or
under a bathroom floor)
- name derived from its form
and size being large in
diameter.
Special features:
1. Intended on fixtures that set on
the floor such as bathtubs, foot
and sitz bath and other similar
fixtures.
• Sitz bath – a bath tub in which
one baths in a sitting position,
used in hospitals or in
therapeutic treatments
2. Serves as terminal for soda
fountain, bar wastes and any
type of indirect waste
3. Sizes: 100mm x 125 mm &
100mm x 200 mm.
Advantages:
1. Greater amount of water may pass through it in a shorter
interval without the danger of trap seal loss
2. Has a high-resealing quality than the P-trap
• Re-sealing – a term used to the to the scientific
principle that water at rest tend to seek a level and
maintain it.
Disadvantages:
1. Large and cumbersome
2. Unsightly if the installation is exposed to view
3. The cover or cleanout mechanism is above the water seal
4. To clean the drum trap needs lubricant and a fiber washer in
the joint between the cover and the body of the trap
HOUSE TRAP
- A device installed in the house drain immediately inside the
foundation wall of the building
- Act as a barrier to prevent the gases from the public sewer or
septic tank in circulating through the plumbing system of the
house
- Sanitary authorities who advocated the use of the trap
contended that: protective measures must be taken whenever
there is an element dangerous to health or life is present even
though in small volume: thus, where noxious gases are
present, house trap must be installed on the house drain.
- However, public authorities favored the elimination of this
because it lessens the discharge capacity of the sewer.
Through actual tests conducted by sanitarians, sewer gases
and the manner they occur are not detrimental to health
provided that the plumbing system is properly installed
BACKFLOW VALVE

- a device used in drainage system to prevent the reversal flow

of fluid
- installed on a house drain or branches of house drain that are
subjected to reversal flow of liquid
- installed on the house drain just near the foundation wall or
near the toilet room under the floor
- installed set in level position to attain its full effectiveness
- what is used is a balanced valve rather than unbalanced valve
due to its performance
FLOOR DRAIN
- a receptacle intended to
receive water from the floor and
convey into the plumbing system
- usually installed on:
1. basement floor
2. below the kitchen sink
3. vicinity of the laundry
4. bathroom
- the most common and frequent trouble experienced by
homeowners in their plumbing installation is when water
on the floor is being rejected by the floor drain’
– one of the major causes is the presence of sand inside
the P-trap and other objectionable wastes entering into
the floor drain while cleaning the floor
– aside from being smaller in diameter, floor drains are
also installed below the floor, so under this
circumstances, cleaning the P-trap become impossible.
The ultimate remedy is to excavate the floor and
restore it again which is quite expensive
– this usually happens because commonly, the size of
P-trap used to serve the floor drain is 50mm (2”)
– An experienced plumber will not install a P-trap
smaller than 75mm (3”) diameter on floor drain
especially when it is under ground or embedded in
concrete slab. The idea is to facilitate the removal
and cleaning of accumulated sand and other
objectionable wastes inside the trap by appropriate
tools or by hand if necessary
 Important things to remember in having a floor
drain:

1. Do not allow floor drains to be drained

2. 75mm (3”) diameter P-trap is recommended for the floor
drain
3. It should be installed not more than 30cm below the floor
line
4. Trap to be used should be the deep seal type
GARAGE CATCH BASIN
- a device designed to convey wastes
from garage, wash rack, grease pits
and repair floors into the house
drain. Wastes coming from these
areas contain much of objectionable
element like grease, oil, grit and
gasoline which are detrimental to
the plumbing system as well as the
sewage disposal system
- main function of garage catch basin
is to retain noxious materials and
discharge the associated water only
to the house drain
- its efficiency depends on how
regularly it is cleaned
GREASE TRAP
- a device installed on plumbing system serving kitchen of
hotels, dining rooms, clubhouses and restaurants
- efficiency of grease trap devices also depends on how
frequently it is cleaned.
- Basin width should not be less than 60cm long
- Length should be from three (3) to four (4) times its width
to attain a smooth and un-agitated flow
- Size is measured through the amount of fixture unit
discharge. It could be sized according to the number of
meals served estimated at 4.5 gallons of liquid capacity for
each meal. However, experienced sanitarians estimated
double the actual volume of waste to which the trap will
serve
 QUESTIONS?
CLARIFICATIONS?
THANK YOU!