Is your drain trap prone to drying out? Call (847) 268-3553 and schedule top-rated services from sewer and plumbing professionals with Advantage Heating, Air Conditioning, Plumbing, & Electric.
Have you ever looked at your kitchen or bathroom sink pipe and noticed its P-shape? You may not realize the importance of this seemingly insignificant curvature, but it’s the main line of defense against sewer gas stinking up your home.
Keeping the drain trap wet is essential to protect your interiors from horrid odors, but many homeowners don’t realize how to keep drain traps from drying out. Learning to maintain the water in your drain trap can avoid disgusting odors and unhealthy air in your home.
When you need help restoring your drain trap, call Aurora’s drain cleaning expert at Advantage Plumbing & Sewer Co. Our fully licensed and insured professionals can resolve issues with your home’s plumbing or sewage system.
What Is a Drain Trap?
The drain trap is the curved portion of a sink drain that blocks sewer gases. These pipes maintain a certain amount of water to block these gases from entering your home. While the water stored in a drain pipe should remain intact on its own, various factors can dislodge the water seal.
Importance of Maintaining a Wet Drain Trap
Many homeowners don’t realize the importance of keeping water in the trap of their drain pipe. Understanding how a wet drain trap impacts your indoor comfort is essential for septic system care.
Reduce Potential Odors
Your sink drain connects to a larger sewer system that allows water to flow into the appropriate septic tanks. However, the amalgamation of grime, organic waste, and other substances in your sewage system can yield terrible-smelling gases.
When these gases travel up through the drain pipe in your kitchen, the water in the drain pipe provides the main line of defense against these odors. Gases cannot penetrate this liquid and, therefore, won’t make it into your kitchen or home.
Maintain Clean Air
Sewer gases can do more than just stink up your property. These fumes might bring bacteria or other contaminants that can pose health risks, especially to people with breathing issues. Keeping water in your drain trap prevents these potential problems.
Eliminate Health Risks
By keeping the air within your property clean, you eliminate the risk of potential health issues from sewer gas fumes.
Reasons a Drain Trap Dries Out
There are a few forces that can cause drain traps to dry. Remaining aware of these factors can help you avoid dry traps and a smelly home.
Improper Ventilation
Your pipes and sewage system all require ventilation and air to allow water to flow properly. Disrepair or improperly installed ventilation could restrict or block the flow of air necessary to keep your drain trap full. Call professionals if you notice problems with your plumbing ventilation.
Heat
During the hottest months of the year, it’s not uncommon for the outdoor heat to impact your indoor plumbing, and high temperatures can evaporate the water in your drain trap. Running some cold water down your sink periodically prevents evaporation and accompanying issues.
Low Humidity
The outdoor humidity level is another factor that can increase evaporation. Lower humidity means that any heat will have a greater impact on the water within your drain pipe.
On dry days, pay attention to any signs that your drain pipe is losing water. These could include terrible smells and slow, gurgling sounds coming from your drain.
Windy Weather
Water remaining in your drain pipe depends on consistent pressures to stay full. On windy days, gusts can blow into your ventilation system and dislodge the layer of water in the drain pipe.
S-Trap Configuration
Modern drain traps should have a p-shape when you look at it sideways. These shapes consist of one dip and a straight line pipe.
Pipes with an s-trap configuration will likely be unable to maintain the water level necessary to blockade sewer gases. Call professionals to install a p-trap configuration if this is your current pipe setup.
Ways of Preventing a Dry Drain Trap
While certain factors could dry out your drain trap, there are also certain things you can do to combat these forces. These three techniques help prevent a dry drain trap.
Flush Sink with Water Regularly
Especially during hot days, flushing your sink regularly with cold water can maintain the seal in your drain trap. Let some water run into your sink for five to ten minutes in the morning and at night to prevent complete evaporation.
Invest in a Trap Primer
Trap primers offer a hassle-free way of maintaining the water level in your drain pipe. While trap primers don’t completely eliminate evaporation, they will refill the trap when water levels get too low. Thus, investing in these devices can help prevent smelly odors and the need to call professionals for an inspection.
Call Experts for Inspections and Maintenance
Expert plumbers know the best ways on how to keep drain traps from drying out. Professionals from Advantage Heating, Air Conditioning, Plumbing, & Electric can perform routine inspections and maintenance on your plumbing system to keep your drain trap full. Call today to schedule regular maintenance with Aurora’s top-rated plumbing experts.
Get High-Quality Sewage Work with Experts From Advantage Heating, Air Conditioning, Plumbing, & Electric
Although you now know some strategies for how to keep drain traps from drying out, your system can still experience issues. When your sink drain smells like sewer water, it can make your whole house smell vile. In these situations, getting immediate service from qualified plumbing and sewer professionals can significantly impact your home comfort.
Top-rated professionals from Advantage Plumbing & Sewer Co. offer high-quality, 24/7 emergency services to keep your home free of plumbing issues at any time. Call today to schedule service for your home’s plumbing systems.
For more tips on how to keep drain traps from drying out, call (847) 268-3553 and consult professionals from Advantage Heating, Air Conditioning, Plumbing, & Electric.
