NullPointerException
New Member
I understand that all fixtures must have their own trap.
As a plumbing novice, I was thinking about something that I'm sure there's an answer to. If the purpose of a trap is to seal against sewer gases, wouldn't having one trap for the entire house be sufficient to do that? For example, what if on the main drain out of the house had a trap before it went into the ground? Wouldn't that trap seal off the rest of the house from sewer gases?
If there was only one trap, installation of fixtures would be easier and there would not be worries about siphoning water out of vents. I know there has to be a reason it won't work, otherwise it would be done that way.
Some reasons I can think of are that the smell from toilet waste wouldn't be sealed off from other drains. Also, don't drains allow you to clean out easier in the event of a clog or to retrieve items (e.g. earrings) dropped down a drain?
As a plumbing novice, I was thinking about something that I'm sure there's an answer to. If the purpose of a trap is to seal against sewer gases, wouldn't having one trap for the entire house be sufficient to do that? For example, what if on the main drain out of the house had a trap before it went into the ground? Wouldn't that trap seal off the rest of the house from sewer gases?
If there was only one trap, installation of fixtures would be easier and there would not be worries about siphoning water out of vents. I know there has to be a reason it won't work, otherwise it would be done that way.
Some reasons I can think of are that the smell from toilet waste wouldn't be sealed off from other drains. Also, don't drains allow you to clean out easier in the event of a clog or to retrieve items (e.g. earrings) dropped down a drain?