Types of Traps in Plumbing and Their Functions

Mike Mahajan
7 min readMar 5, 2023
Types of Traps in Plumbing and Their Functions

What Is A Plumbing Trap?

A plumbing trap is a device in a plumbing system that traps a small amount of water in a bend in a pipe to prevent sewer gases from escaping into a building.

The water in the trap creates a seal that blocks the flow of gases, preventing them from entering the building through drain pipes.

Traps are typically located in the drain lines of fixtures such as sinks, toilets, showers, and bathtubs, and are an important component of a plumbing system as they protect the health and safety of building occupants by preventing the release of harmful gases into the living spaces.

These plumbing Traps come in various shapes and sizes, but the most common design is the P-trap, which is shaped like the letter “P” and is commonly used in residential and commercial plumbing systems.

Read More: 16 Plumbing Fittings Types With Their Application & Pictures

Plumbing Trap Types

The types of traps in plumbing are as follows,

- Gully Trap

- P Trap

- S Trap

- Q Trap

- Floor Trap / Nahni Trap

- Bottle Trap

- Intercepting Trap

- Running Trap

- Drum Trap

- Straight-Through Trap

- Low-Level Bath Trap

- Building Trap

- Bell Trap

- Grease Trap

1. Gully Trap

These plumbing traps are built external to the building to carry wastewater released from sinks, washbasins, restrooms, and so on, and are associated with the most nearby building drain or sewers so that foul gases from the sewer don’t go to the house. These are profound seal traps.

In Gully Traps profundity of the water seal ought to be at 50 mm at least. It additionally keeps cockroaches and different bugs from sewer lines to squander pipes carrying wastewater. Gully traps are available in the following three shapes:

Gully Trap - Types Plumbing Trap Used in House

Gully Trap

- P Trap

- S Trap

- Q Trap

2. P Trap

This trap is utilized with the Indian water closet (ORISSA Pattern). The traps are produced using cast iron or UPV sheet. This trap likewise has a water seal and forestalls a section of foul gases in the house.

P Trap - Types Plumbing Trap Used in House

P Trap

3. Q Trap

These plumbing trap types are utilized in the latrine-submerged storage room. It is practically like an S trap and is being used in the upper story other than the ground floor.

Q Trap - Types Plumbing Trap Used in House

Q Trap

4. S Trap

This plumbing trap types are like a P-shaped trap and is utilized for fixing water closets in latrines. The lone contrast between the P trap and the S trap is that the P-shaped trap is being used for an outlet through the wall while the S-shaped trap is utilized for an outlet through the floor.

S Trap - Types Plumbing Trap Used in House

S Trap

5. Floor Trap | Nahni Trap

The floor traps are additionally called Nahni Traps. Nahi Trap is given to forestall the foul gasses going into the building by providing the water seal.

At least 50 mm profundity of water seal ought to be given. If squander water is streaming, a floor trap forestalls the foul gases (awful stenches) to enter the building.

To gather wastewater from the bathroom, wash zone, washbowl, kitchen sinks, and so on, a floor trap or Nahni trap is provided into the floor. Floor traps are accessible in PVC, UPVC, and CI; they are without vent pipes, yet removable grinding is shown at the Traps’ highest point.

Floor Trap/Nahni Trap - Types Plumbing Trap Used in House

Floor Trap/Nahni Trap

Floor traps or Nahni traps (Nahni implies washing place) arrive in an assortment of shapes, sizes, and outlet conditions.

Many don’t have a water seal by any stretch of the imagination and have a non-uniform and unpleasant bore.

Nahni traps are a wellspring of significant spillages because of their helpless plan, projecting, and low quality.

It is forestalled by utilizing just profound seal P traps with multi-gulf fitting/traps with associations from washbowls and other fitting to give a positive joint.

These plumbing trap types are introduced in regions that may lose their water seal because of dissipation. The arrangement should be made to re-establish the seal by adding water intermittently.

This should be possible by associating a waste apparatus to the trap (for example, a washbowl, and so forth).

Likewise, recharging is accomplished by introducing a refined water supply valve with a reverse avoidance gadget associated with the trap. Care must be taken to forestall the establishment of traps that are presented to freezing conditions.

The floor trap’s length is 310 mm, with at least 80 mm distance across at the channel end, 30 mm width close to the outlet end, and 73 mm breadth outside the floor trap outlet.

What’s more, 95 mm grinding size gave the highest point of floor trap with 8 mm measurement openings.

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6. Bottle Trap

A bottle plumbing trap is given to get squander from the washbasin, kitchen sinks, and different machines where the apparatuses don’t have an underlying trap.

Bottle Trap - Types Plumbing Trap Used in House

Bottle Trap

7. Intercepting Trap

Intercepting plumbing trap types are given into the Interceptor Manhole (Interceptor Chamber). An Interceptor sewer vent is provided at the interference of building sewer and Public sewer.

That blocking type of trap is given to keep the foul gases from public sewers entering the building sewer by providing a water seal.

Intercepting Trap - Types Plumbing Trap Used in House

Intercepting Trap

8. Grease Trap

A grease trap is introduced in the waste line from at least one installation to isolate grease from the fluid and hold it.

This kind of trap is a gadget to gather the grease substance of waste and can be cleaned from the surface. This is mostly utilized in the food handling unit.

Grease Trap - Types Plumbing Trap Used in House

Grease Trap

Summary

There are numerous sorts of plumbing trap types: Intercepting Trap, Floor Trap or Nahni Trap, Gully Trap, P Trap, Q Trap, S Trap, Bottle Trap, and Grease Trap. They are accessible in various materials like PVC, GI, and so forth.

Previously mentioned kinds of traps are broadly utilized in pipe work, yet ideal pipes traps have the following highlights or advantages

- Simpler and speedy establishment

- Longer service life

- Protection from the effect of harm and household substance

- Forestall section of foul air, insects, and parasites from the sewers

- It is against rats and self-cleaning.

- Conservative

On the off chance that you need your home liberated from the foul smell, bugs, and parasites, utilize the appropriate and the best kind of plumbing traps. This isn’t just effectively and quickly introduced, yet it welcomes less weight on your pocket as well.

FAQs:

Types of Trap1. Gully Trap
2. P Trap
3. S Trap
4. Q Trap
5. Floor Trap or Nahni Trap
6. Bottle Trap
7. Intercepting Trap
8. Running Trap
9. Drum Trap
10. Straight-Through Trap
11. Low-Level Bath Trap
12. Building Trap
13. Bell Trap
14. Grease TrapPlumbing TrapA Plumbing Trap is a simple device of shape bending pipe that allows the passing of waste material. It also retains fluid for the prevention of sewer gases from entering the building. Mostly, U, J, Q, or S-shaped pipes are located just beneath or within a plumbing fixture in domestic applications.Types of p TrapsP traps types are as follows,
1. P-Trap
2. S-TrapWhat is the purpose of a plumbing trap?The purpose of a plumbing trap is to prevent sewer gases from escaping into a building. The trap creates a seal by trapping a small amount of water in a bend in a pipe.Can a plumbing trap become clogged?Yes, a plumbing trap can become clogged with debris such as hair, soap, and food particles. If a trap becomes clogged, it can cause water to drain slowly or can allow sewer gases to escape.

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Mike Mahajan

Bhushan Mahajan who himself is a Civil Engineer by profession is also the main author and maintains the civiconcepts.com website himself.