Even if you aren’t a plumber by trade, you’ve probably seen the u-shape piece of piping under your kitchen or bathroom sink. This is a specific piece of plumbing equipment called a P-trap, and it is
a necessary part of your home’s plumbing system
.
Does garbage disposal affect plumbing?
NO.
A garbage disposal which is used properly will not clog your pipes
. However, the key to making sure that your garbage disposal doesn’t clog your pipes requires proper installation and then usage that is compliant with your particular model.
Do I need a trap after a garbage disposal?
A P-trap is an important part of a garbage disposal. The plumbing code has a lot of regulations, but none is as important as this one:
Every drain must have a
P-trap. Shower and tub drains have to have them, toilets have built-in traps and sink drains must have them, even those with garbage disposals.
What is the P-trap on a garbage disposal?
A P-trap is the curved, U-shaped pipe under your sink that
catches and traps food debris and holds water to prevent sewer gases from coming up through your drain
. Clearing the clog typically involves the simple removal and cleaning of the P-trap.
Do you need a separate drain for garbage disposal?
If you’re putting in a garbage disposal, you’ll need
a disposal flange
. The flange is a ring that connects the disposal to the sink and is slightly sloped to allow water to run unimpeded into the drain; it’s like a mounting bracket for the disposal.
Why does my P-trap smell?
A P-trap is the curved portion of pipe under the sink. It’s supposed to create a seal by holding water, which prevents sewer gases from getting into the bathroom. If the P-trap isn’t working properly, sewer gasses can make their way into the bathroom and cause your sink to stink.
Does water sit in P-trap?
Water sits inside the P-trap
, and prevents the sewer gas from leaking into the home. Water evaporates with time. When the water in the P-trap evaporates, sewer gas can leak straight into your home.
How do you attach a P-trap to a garbage disposal?
A P-trap is an important part of a garbage disposal. The plumbing code has a lot of regulations, but none is as important as this one:
Every drain must have a P-trap
. Shower and tub drains have to have them, toilets have built-in traps and sink drains must have them, even those with garbage disposals.
Can P-trap installed backwards?
The outlet end of the trap pipe
should be lower than the inlet
when installed properly. The example shown has it backward, which creates a trap seal more than 4” and makes the drain more likely to clog—and that’s a long explanation for why a backwards trap is a bad thing.
Can you make your own P-trap?
You can make your our p-traps from
fittings so long as they maintain the required trap seal
.
When I turn on my garbage disposal water comes up the other side?
If running your garbage disposal causes water to back up into the other sink,
you may have a clog in the drain lines
. … The material trapped in the drain builds up until the pipe is fully blocked, causing the water to back up through the drain pipe that the sink and the disposal share.
Can you use a sink strainer with a garbage disposal?
That’s why your first line of defense should be a kitchen sink strainer. This handy little doodad can save you a lot of headaches and keep your garbage disposal running like a well-oiled machine. … It fits over your sink drain but is perforated, so it lets water through.
How much does Lowes charge for garbage disposal installation?
Lowe’s – The garbage disposal installation cost from Lowe’s is
$104
, which is slightly more affordable than the same service from Home Depot. Combined with the additional cost of the garbage disposal unit itself, homeowners can expect to pay a total of approximately $265 for parts and labor.
Why does my whole house smell like poop?
A regular sewer-gas smell is just
a bad stink with a definite odor of feces
and sometimes a rotten-egg (hydrogen sulfide) smell and/or a moldy mustiness too. … because an empty or ‘dried-out’ P-trap is by far the most common cause of all sewer-gas smells.
How do I get rid of the smell in my P-trap?
If you smell a funny stench or odor coming from your floor drain, it’s very likely your P-trap is dry. Simply pour a few gallons of water to re-establish the proper water barrier. You can
add a small amount of vinegar
to help remove any persistent odors.
Why does toilet smell like poop?
The base of the toilet is kept in its place with the help of a sea. It also prevents water from escaping into the washroom.
When the seal is compromised, the water will escape and cause
a poop-like smell.
