trap inside or outside?

[DANIELLE]

According to the drawings I need to put a drain on the oustide of my home to a new entrance in the basement , should the trap be inside the home or outside? The drain will be about 5 feet from the door.

Thank you

dan

[knoxplmbr]

i think i can help but can you be more descriptive on what you are trying to do?

[DANIELLE]

Okay I will try again, putting cast iron underground from the inside to the outside drain as per architectual drawigs, does the p trap go right under the drain or will the cold weather possible freeze the water in the trap and crack the pipe? Is there a code that says it must be in a certain place?

I ask because the old drain that i broke up from under the cement had the p trap about 4 feet away from the drain (being on the inside of the home) from the exterior drain

thanks

dan

[PLUMBILL]

You could put in a running trap inside the house so there is no freezing and breaking of the pipe.

[Spammanwhat]

Breaking of the pipe? I have to disagree with you sir...the trap can go right at the drain outside. A sewer pipe will not break because there is room for expantion as where a water line does not have that luxury.

[DANIELLE]

Thank you both for your response...so what should i do? Is there a code in NY that says the trap must be outside or inside or will either way be okay?

thank you

[PLUMBILL]

When you have freezing conditions the trap should be inside the house just as the old one was or the cast iron trap will break.

If we are talking about living in the sun-belt then the trap can be outside because the frost depth is very little.

[DANIELLE]

thank you and i will put the trap on the inside!

[Spammanwhat]

Message for plumbill - Ah lovin the debates Just out of curiosity... In physics, how is it possible for a p-trap located outside to bust the cast iron when the water within the trap freezes? Here is a perfect example. Take a P.V.C P-trap at 1.5 inches. Fill it with water so the crown and the outlet are sealed, and stick it in the freezer. What happens? You get a "U" sicle (kinda like a popsicle) Right? Kinda like makin ice cubes for your drinking water. You can fill the p-trap with cranberry juice, and all other kinds of yummy drinks and have treats for the whole neighborhood! Why? Because water EXPANDS when it freezes. Within drainage, there is no pressure within a sewer line for a pipe to break where as a "Water line" does. If a water line is under pressure, It has no where to expand when it freezes. Also, when the trap gets full of debris from the outside leaves, and dirt, the owner will not be able to stick his or her arm down the pipe to the bottom of the trap to remove it with his or her hands. If installed in the house, the owner cannot clean the trap, resulting in calling a plumber...
Message for owner...Don't forget to vent it...

[PLUMBILL]

First, the trap on the inside of the house would have cleanouts such as a running trap.

Cast Iron, PVC traps will freeze and break, the pvc used is a high-speec plastic and considered ridgid.

When water freezes in the trap it will freeze in the top part of the trap water, a light freeze is o.k. however with a hard freeze the the top part of the trap where the water is frozen will act as a cap, as the lower part of the trap water freezes it creates enough pressure to break the trap, it can reach 3000 lbs.per square inch.

Your theory is o.k. if there is only light freezing or if the plastic is not ridged such as we use for drain traps.

[Spammanwhat]

PVC? I didn't think that kind of material is even allowed underground?

[PLUMBILL]

You don't think that PVC is permitted under ground?:shock:

All the major plumbing codes permit PVC above and below ground, one of the only places that still is all cast iron underground is Chicago.

If you are interested check your area plumbing code by calling your local plumbing inspector or check at your public library in the reference section for your state or local code.

[Spammanwhat]

Thats because I am a Chicago Plumber. PVC PERIOD is not allowed in Chicago

[PLUMBILL]

If you ever work in the Burbs outside of Cook County, such as Wheaton, St. Charles, Yorktown, Wasco, Glen Ellyn you will see PVC underground and above.

I thought Mayor Daley wanted to push through PVC to cut the cost of plumbing, how about that waterless urinal he has in his office?

I passed the test as well as the lead wiping about 30 years ago, got my Chicago Plumbing License and still renew it every year. I still fell I worked so hard to get it I won't give it up.

I think all plumbing licenses should be modeled after it, with photo ID, name, license number, counterfeit, tamper proof front and with all the big wigs names on the back also you can't beat the renewal fees compared to other state plumbing licensing.

[Spammanwhat]

What is your renewal fee for the state of Wisconsin? Yes, the exam is VERY difficult in Chicago...It's just that it is hard to get work because of all the competition. we don't have much of the "booming" areas.