Some kitchen sinks have grease traps that are able to collect grease poured down the sink in order to help prevent the possibility of a clog. Grease, hair, and food particles are just some of the things that can be washed down a kitchen sink on a daily basis. Sooner or later they will cause a clog that can cause water to back up in the drain.

Some bathroom sinks will also have plumbing traps to help prevent the possibility of drain clogs as well. Beyond just the sinks, toilets, bath tubs and even shower drains should also have traps. Toilets traps are built inside of them and then there is also another trap that will be installed at the drain. With bathtubs, they have drum traps that are installed in order to collect hair, dirt and debris in order to help prevent the possibility of a clog and both the traps in a bath tub, shower and toilet also form a seal that helps prevent sewer gas from escaping back into the home.

The Importance of Traps

The traps are a very integral part of a home’s drainage system. Under every sink, you should see an S-shaped pipe that runs under the drain. This is a drain trap. When you use water at the tap, it flows from the sink and travels through the drain trap making its way to the septic/sewer system. Every plumbing fixture should have some form of a drain trap. Either built-in to the fixture or added thru the pipes leading from the fixture.

Additionally, with plumbing systems, there are what are called vents and clean outs. The clean outs are installed near the drain trap. This is so if there are any clogs it can be easily accessed in order to, well, clean out the trap. Vents are pipes that travel vertically up through the roof and are installed so that sewer gas will escape outdoors, rather than inside of the home.

The Dangers of Sewer Gas

Most of us should know what sewer gas is, but if not, it is a very unpleasant gas that is a direct result of decomposed organic wastes. It is composed of hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, methane, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides. Chemicals that do not have pleasant smells and in some cases if you breath in too much of it, it can be very well dangerous also.

In some cases there could be an issue with the vent that routes these sewer gases to the outdoors. In scenarios where this is true, the gas can come back into the home and cause problems with ones’ health. There will be issues with the smell and possibly ramifications with ones’ health.  On top of all of this, there is also a serious possibility of explosion and possible fire from the gases.

If a drain is leaking, you can also become exposed to sewer gas. These gases can also accumulate in areas of the home, such as the basement, eventually mixing with the surrounding air and spreading to other parts of the home. If you have bathrooms in the home that aren’t used regularly used then the water that accumulates in the traps can evaporate. Once this happens, sewer gas can also come up through the pipes into the home.

If this is the case in your home, you should always flush the toilet and run water for a few seconds from the sinks and tubs in unused bathrooms every once and awhile to make sure that the water in the traps do not dry out over time.

In most cases, the main problem with sewer gases is that they are highly unpleasant odors. Methane is a gas that can cause health problems but in most cases it will stay at nontoxic levels if the vent system is working correctly. However, if there are problems, it can cause irritation with the eyes, coughing, sore throats, shortness of breath and the accumulation of fluid build-up in the lungs.

If you ever smell what smells like something that is similar to rotten eggs, then most likely it will be sewer gas. It very well may be a clogged drain with organic matter also. Either way, you will need to get in touch with a plumbing company, such as Benjamin Franklin Plumbing® of Rosenberg in order to inspect what is going on and resolve the problem.

About Benjamin Franklin Plumbing® of Rosenberg

Benjamin Franklin Plumbing® of Rosenberg offers professional repairs, installation and service for plumbing in Houston, TX. We have on-call emergency plumbers twenty four hours a day, seven days a week and three hundred and sixty five days a year for your convenience. Our experienced and friendly experts will handle your plumbing in Houston, TX and provides on time plumbing related services to not only Houston but Katy, Rosenberg and Sugar Land Texas also. If you are in need of a professional plumber to make repairs, maintenance, or installation services then you need to look no further than Benjamin Franklin Plumbing® of Rosenberg.

Benjamin Franklin Plumbing® of Rosenberg is a leading local plumbing company with high standards of service that you can rely on. When you contact us, you can rest assured knowing that you are receiving the best plumbing services in the area. Our commitment to service and excellence is reflected in our rock-solid A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. If you have a plumbing related problem in your home or business and you need help, do not hesitate to reach out to us today. One of our professional and friendly plumbers will take care of your plumbing in Houston, TX and will be more than happy to answer any of your questions and schedule an appointment with you to assess the problem and resolve it at your earliest convenience. Give Benjamin Franklin Plumbing® of Rosenberg a call today if you are looking for professional plumbing in Houston, TX. If there’s any delay, it’s you we pay.