p-trap above drain pipe?

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sharkie

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During a remodel of a master bathroom a few years ago my plumber shook his head when he saw the vanity that I had picked out. It had a shelf that was about 1 inch below where the pipe went into the wall. He said it would give us problems, but he would do what he could. So he made a p-trap and put it a little higher than the pipe going into the wall. I do not notice odors, and the sink drains OK but it is maybe a bit more dirty than my other sinks. My husband thinks it isnt a problem, he is more concerned with the drain in our other bathroom sink that has a funny downpipe with ridges on it. I think it ended up that way because it was an Ikea sink and the pipe sizes were different than what we had installed for the other sink that was in there. Hopefully I have attached the pictures correctly so you can see what I am talking about. I want to cut the shelf and put in a proper p-trap. Am I crazy?
 

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Jim Mills

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The first pic is classic. The p trap is on backwards, and those corrugated lines should be outlawed. Looks like the popup drain is a bit too close to the wall, which may require a 1/8 or 1/16 bend to accommodate the properly installed p trap. The second pic shows an s-trap. You don't want that. Either remove the shelf & extend the tailpiece, or cut a slot in the shelf to accommodate the trap.
 

sharkie

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ok illegal - will do the fix, but what do I tell hubby who isnt too worried about legality? Are gases getting up in the drain?
 

Reach4

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Maybe something like this, but with a clearance hole in the shelf rather than this method which makes maintenance not feasible.
plumbing-trap-cabinet-probl.jpg
Alternatively, somebody might have an idea using an AAV to avoid the S trap problem.
 

Jim Mills

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ok illegal - will do the fix, but what do I tell hubby who isnt too worried about legality? Are gases getting up in the drain?

Maybe...maybe not. It's just that it violates today's code, and a knowledgeable plumber would not configure it like that. If you are smelling sewer gas in that sink, the s trap is likely the problem.
 

Jadnashua

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An S-trap can work TOO well, and there's no water left in the trap, or at least not enough to make a good seal. The choices are: redo the piping in the wall to raise the trap arm, or lower the trap so that the trap arm can go horizontal (well, small slope) into the wall.
 

Reach4

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huge4.png
Here is the general idea of using an AAV, which are allowed in some places.
 
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