A vital part of the drainage system is the trap, a water seal that prevents drain smells from entering your home through the waste outlets of sanitary appliances such as sinks, basins and WCs. Every plumbing installation that discharges waste water into the drainage system will be fitted with a trap, or incorporate one in its design. Essentially, a trap is a U-shaped loop of pipe directly below a waste outlet. Whenever you pull the plug or flush a lavatory, a small amount of water will remain in the trap, providing a seal. Camden Town Plumbers know traps.
These types of traps are made from plastic and come in a variety of designs to suit different applications and situations in a home or other building. The most common is the P-trap, so-called because of its profile. It is a horizontal outlet. Special shallow versions of P-traps are made for fitting beneath baths and shower trays, which may have a 50mm water seal, unlike sinks and basins, which must have a 75mm water seal. Then there is the S-trap, which has a vertical outlet, and the bottle trap, which is a compact device intended for use where the trap is exposed, such as under a hand basin. Camden Plumbers are trained in all plumbing tasks. However, the bottle trap is more susceptible to blockage than P/S-traps. Some bath traps provide a connection for an overflow pipe. There are traps with connectors or standpipes for washing machines. WC pans and Bidets have integral traps. Early U-Bends made from lead incorporated a threaded access plug at the bottom, which could be removed to clear blockages, modern plastic traps can be dismantled by unscrewing the cap nuts that hold them together. This arrangement not only allows the trap to be cleaned completely, but also provides access to the waste pipe when a blockage occurs.