Double trapping

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Reliable Heating

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i just bought a farmhouse ..

there's a vent at the exterior foundation wall, that i assume is a house trap ..

i really hate the gurgling sinks i have, ......

can i trap these ..??
there are no other vents ...

whaddabout .. Air Admittance valves ..??

thanks ..
 
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Cass

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What You are referring to is a whole house trap, i think, as you used the term vent and trap to describe the same item and they are not the same.

You can eliminate the whole house trap.

Be sure All fixtures are trapped and vented first.
 
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Patrick88

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I would think about removing the house trap. It will cause clogs from grease and toilet paper etc...

I would not trap anything to the house trap vent it is only there for the house trap.
 

Mikept

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Was that kind of setup common way back when?
 

MG

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My neighbor removed the whole house trap from the main and now when the wind blows right in the back yard you can smell sewer gas...as it blows down off the roof.

:p
 

Gary Swart

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It is my understanding from past discussions that whole house traps were used extensively years ago. They are not advised any longer and most opinions given seem to favor removing them and using today's standard p-traps for all fixtures. Understand that a toilet has it's p-trap built in. All traps need to be vented. AAVs are legal in some local areas and not in others. Even when legal, there must be at least one vent through the roof to the outside. Major concern that plumbers express about them is that they are mechanical devices and can/will fail at sometime. When used, an AAV there must be access to it. In other words, you can't hide it inside a wall. Your description implies that there are no vent in the house at all. It really seems to me that you have more to deal with here than even an DIYer with plumbing experience should be tackling. I would urge you to consult with a plumbing contractor and have him evaluate your total house needs.
 

hj

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trap

The house trap was NEVER intended to take the place of individual fixture traps, and does not perform the same function as they do. It was ONLY to keep sewer main sewer gases out of the house system.
 

Patrick88

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The house traps were used alot. They served the purpose to keep a house from venting the whole street or neighbor hood. Most houses can remove them today. I would check with your inspector to make sure you don't need one today If you have neighbors close to you up wind like on a hill. I have removed many house traps with no ill effect, but I'm sure there are houses that need to keep them.

If you neighbor removed his trap and things are starting to smell he should put it back or everybody else should remove there house trap. With the low flow toilets out, and the extra thick toilet paper house traps are more a pain than they are worth. I have cleared many main drain clog through a house trap by augering the trap only.
 

Reliable Heating

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It is my understanding from past discussions that whole house traps were used extensively years ago. They are not advised any longer and most opinions given seem to favor removing them and using today's standard p-traps for all fixtures. Understand that a toilet has it's p-trap built in. All traps need to be vented. AAVs are legal in some local areas and not in others. Even when legal, there must be at least one vent through the roof to the outside. Major concern that plumbers express about them is that they are mechanical devices and can/will fail at sometime. When used, an AAV there must be access to it. In other words, you can't hide it inside a wall. Your description implies that there are no vent in the house at all. It really seems to me that you have more to deal with here than even an DIYer with plumbing experience should be tackling. I would urge you to consult with a plumbing contractor and have him evaluate your total house needs.

thank you for your kind reply, Gary ...


"house traps " are common 'round here .....in 1900's construction

the mfgr's made the type sold here most commonly to be vented externally at the foundation wall, so yea, there are No internal vents, i.e. the AAV question ..

and .. DIY NOT
... Mechanical Contractor, son ..

just notta resi plummer ;)
 

TMB9862

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The house traps were used alot. They served the purpose to keep a house from venting the whole street or neighbor hood.
That's probably why we still have them. Lots of houses close together, often in hilly areas. Neighbors would be shooting one another over the smell. And yes, the house trap is often the culprit when their is a stoppage. A lot of those stoppages would be in your sewer line if they weren't conveniently in your house trap which is very easy to auger through the fresh air vent.
 
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