S-trap Converted In To A P-trap

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y2kmurray

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Can a S- trap underneath a bathroom sink be converted in to a p-trap


apt building built in 1920 NYC, brooklyn

contractor has s-trap underneath bathroom sink and water goes down slow

applied drano....etc and hot water.....still functions the same....



do I need a master plumber to fix this or is this a handle man special
 

Verdeboy

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Drano doesn't solve every plugged drain problem. Have you had it snaked out yet?
 

Patrick88

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Can a S- trap underneath a bathroom sink be converted in to a p-trap

Yes if you want to run a vent through the roof. You might have a drum trap under the floor. I have seen many drum traps under floors were somebody added an "S" trap thinking it is not trapped.
 

Construct30

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You can convert an s-trap to a p-trap by cutting the adapter off, if there is some pipe out of the cabinet floor, if not you have to buy the thin wall compression fittings, but extend the pipe up, offset if necessary put a T offset as high as you can, install an AAV and put in your p-trap. Remember to keep at least a 4" tail on the trap. Not the best, but better than having an s-trap.
 

Verdeboy

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If water goes down slow, he can change it to a P, Q. or Z trap and he'll still have a clogged drain. He needs to get that drain snaked out no matter what he does with the plumbing.
 

Construct30

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If he hasn't even taken the trap apart yet, he may not need a snake, a big part of the time the clog is just in the trap. Clean the trap and the drain will work, if not then a snake is in order. Changing an s-trap into a p-trap is possible with an AAV and a few fittings, not a hard job and very possible, but I do agree it won't help a slow drain any more than that chemical crap he dumped down it.
 

hj

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drain

One feature of an "S" or AAV equipped drain is that the drain can be slow because of a problem elsewhere in the system, and not necessarily the drain affected. The difference between an "S" trap and a "P" trap is the outlet pipe. The initial "U" pipe is the same for both. AND, the definition for an approved trap is that it be free from fouling so the stoppage will normally not be in the trap.
 

Construct30

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The initial "U" pipe is the same for both. AND, the definition for an approved trap is that it be free from fouling so the stoppage will normally not be in the trap.

That makes no sense to me. Most of the time when you go to a house that has a slow drain in only one sink or a bath tub it is usually in, THE TRAP, or the stem for the stopper for a bath sink or the stopper in a tub or where the trap enters the main drain at the T, usually if you take apart the trap and clean all those parts the drain is clear, no need to go into the drain any deeper if that fixes it. I would say that is a large percentage of calls. To say the trap is usually not the problem makes no sense to me, maybe my experience is different than most, I don't know. I will continue to clean the beginning of the drain first, I find it saves my customers money and makes them happier, I like the repeat business I get from satisfied customers. People don't have the money to pay for work that is not necessary.
 

BAPlumber

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I'd like to say that I did drain cleaning for 10 years and still do some. In the 2000 or so drains, I've seen 2 clogged traps. With solidified butter, and spagetti squash. Maybe 10-20 baffle tees clogged. Although I always check a sinks continuous waste and p-trap the problem is almost always beyond.

tubs and showers are either hair in the strainer (maybe 25%) or beyond the trap.

It could be that I only get called out when the problem is harder to fix than a clogged p-trap.
 

Herk

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I seldom find a p-trap to be clogged, though I often find toothbrushes, plastic straws, plastic cutlery and so on inside them. I replaced a trap yesterday and while I was in there dug out gobs of hair from the elbow in the wall.

Quite often, a basin drain is missing the pop-up and things like toothpaste caps will collect in there. But almost always, you can reach in with long needlenose pliers and pull out a wad of hair.
 

Construct30

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Maybe it is all in the jobs you do, I get a lot of easy slow drains while I'm doing other stuff. Mostly just people that don't want to pull the gross junk out of there. I don't do big drain cleaning equipment so I don't get the calls. I don't like doing emergency work, I like spending holidays with my family and I like getting my beauty sleep at night, unfortunately the beauty sleep is not working.
 

Herk

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Construct30 said:
I don't do big drain cleaning equipment so I don't get the calls. I don't like doing emergency work, I like spending holidays with my family and I like getting my beauty sleep at night, unfortunately the beauty sleep is not working.

I did clean drains for about 7 years, then decided to just do plumbing and give the work to others because I wasn't making any money on it. But now that I'm upgrading my services, I'll probably start doing it again. Last night, about 8:00, I was reminded why I quit - people come home to an overflowing toilet and want you to come out, 24 hours a day.

In this town of 11,000, there are few service shops that have more than one or two guys. That means no life at all if you work whenever someone calls. I've avoided nighttime and weekend work because I can't even get parts at night and it's been my experience that whenever you start a job after hours, you cannot finish it and get the water back on anyway. The few times that you can do not offset the simple fact that you're on call 24 hours a day.

I once had a pair of customers who were very old. The husband had Alzeheimer's and would call at 2:00 a.m. to tell me that he had been trying to repair the valves under his sink and he couldn't get them turned off. Of course, the valves under the sink didn't need any repair until he started taking them apart . . .

Sometimes you have to go out, just because.
 

nadine

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Why do you want to change the p-trap? what's up if water goes dawn slow.

well.........Go to the hardware store and buy a new P-trap. It should come in a package Remove the old trap and install the new one. Notice how the old one was installed and copy it. Screw on all slip-nuts using your hand and then, tighten them using a pair of "channel locks,"

Tighten all the slip-nuts until they don't leak. Well, you may ask, how tight is that?

Here's how to tighten the slip nuts:

Once you have tighten them by hand, then again with the adjustable pliers, fill the sink with water using the stopper. Then, let the water out. Crawl back under the sink and look for leaks.Tighten each slip-nut until it doesn't leak. It's that simple. This may take several try's. Fill the sink, pull the plug, check for leaks,and tighten again.

In the meantime, you can always use "duct tape!"

In some states, S-traps are no longer allowed. New code requires P-traps. So Call a plumber or http://baltimoreplumbers123.com/ this may help you.
 
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parry

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Replacing the p-trap will solve the problem. A sink's p-trap is there to seal off the pipe with water to keep sewer gas that bypasses the vent from rising into your bathroom. Replacing your old p-trap should only take about 15-20 minutes for beginners, and the total cost for materials should be less than $20 if you have all the tools.
The tools you will need to replace your old p-trap will depend on what kind of trap you want to buy. If you want a chromed metal p-trap, you will need expandable pliers or a large crescent wrench to loosen the nuts. I prefer to use channel lock pliers over all others for plumbing of any kind. You will also need a saw to cut the new p-trap; a hacksaw for metal and a plastic pipe saw for PVC. If you can do this or call the plumber.
 
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Redwood

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One feature of an "S" or AAV equipped drain is that the drain can be slow because of a problem elsewhere in the system, and not necessarily the drain affected. The difference between an "S" trap and a "P" trap is the outlet pipe. The initial "U" pipe is the same for both. AND, the definition for an approved trap is that it be free from fouling so the stoppage will normally not be in the trap.

I concurr 100% with HJ! There is a clog somewhere in the drain system and it is affecting this drain! The S-trap is not vented and relies on its vening to come from the line. If the line is clogged it stops working. Line clear the s-trap will suck down a sink faster than you can imagine.

If you don't understand this you might just want to ask someone for a little schooling. Here's your sign!
 
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