{"id":3433,"date":"2019-07-22T11:00:08","date_gmt":"2019-07-22T15:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.carneyphc.com\/blog\/?p=3433"},"modified":"2019-07-17T08:24:05","modified_gmt":"2019-07-17T12:24:05","slug":"what-plumbing-trap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carneyallseasons.com\/blog\/plumbing\/what-plumbing-trap\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is a \u201cPlumbing Trap\u201d? (It\u2019s Actually a Good Thing!)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"plumber-with-sink-p-trap\"No, a plumbing trap isn\u2019t when a low-skilled plumbing contractor does a bad job on your repairs but still charges you an exorbitant rate. That is a kind of trap, and one we hope we can rescue you from with our excellent services. But the term plumbing trap<\/em> refers to a specific piece of plumbing. It\u2019s one you see often but think little about. As long as the trap does its job, there\u2019s not much reason for you to think about it.<\/p>\n

But when a plumbing trap doesn\u2019t work, kitchens and bathrooms can go wrong in a hurry.<\/p>\n

The Plumbing Trap, a.k.a. The P-Trap<\/h2>\n

A plumbing trap is a curved piece of drainpipe, made from metal or PVC plastic, that is located underneath a drain. When you open the cabinets beneath a kitchen sink or bathroom sink, you\u2019ll see this distinctive curved piece. Similar plumbing traps are located out of sight under other drains in the house, such as the shower or the bathtub. The piece of plumbing is also called a p-trap<\/em> because the curve and the long extension that goes into the wall makes the part resemble the letter P<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The reason for the plumbing trap is to create a barrier in the drainpipe that prevents sewer gas from rising back up through the drain and into the house. Sewer gas naturally rises, and it would drift up into living spaces through drains unless blocked. The plumbing trap\u2019s curve retains water inside it, and this blocks the sewer gas. It\u2019s simple gravity at work, and the plumbing trap has been used in some form since the ancient Romans.<\/p>\n

Plumbing Trap Troubles<\/h3>\n

There are two common plumbing trap issues. One is simple to fix. The other may require calling professional plumbers to fix it.<\/p>\n