Replace Your Drain Trap - Repair & Installation for the Do It Yourself

Replace Your Drain Trap

by Bob E. Thompson

Is your sink backing up on you? Most likely the problem is
happening because your drain trap is clogged. There is a
small u-shaped pipe that acts as a safety between the drain
and the sewer system at least in most common drain systems.
The seal located within the drain trap works to keep out
various types of sewer gases. The main problem is if the
trap happens to leak then this may cause damage to the
structure of your home, and can compromise the safety of all
individuals within your home.

It is very important that you try to keep the drain trap in
proper working condition at all times. It is advised, that
every month or so, you take the drain trap apart and ensure
that it is in proper working order. This is especially true
in the kitchen sink drain trap.

Think about replacing your drain trap at least twice a year.
When you do replace the drain trap, you will need a few
tools to do the job correctly. The tools that you will need
are as follows: A wrench, preferably a pipe wrench. A bucket
to catch any free flowing water and/or debris that falls
from the drain trap. A screwdriver or a couple of different
types of screwdrivers. A plumbers and/or pipe glue or
compound. And of course a drain trap replacement piece.

Once you have gathered all the necessary tools to perform
the replacement of the drain trap, you should follow the
following instructions:

1. First off, turn off the water supply that supplies water
to the area where you are working.

2. Now slowly turn the fittings of the trap using the pipe
wrench watching for the water from the pipe to gently drip
into the bucket which I know you have conveniently placed
below.

3. Once the water has ceased to drip into the bucket, you
can go ahead and take the entire drain trap off.

4. Throw the old drain trap into the nearest garbage can.
Easier to clean up the mess now!

5. Once you have discarded the old drain trap, you should
then clean the area around the inside of the drain trap
fixture. Make sure that there is no rust, dirt, or caulking
that may interfere with the new drain trap installation.

6. It's important to dry the drain trap area before you
proceed to the next step.

7. Now you can then attach the new drain trap and apply the
plumbers glue around the new pipe thus sealing it from
potential leaks.

8. Make sure to then turn the water back on and run it and
check that there are no leaks.

Replacing a drain trap is one of the easiest plumbing issues
that a person with no prior knowledge can effectively
resolve.

Do you have clogged drains? Bob E. Thompson answers many of
your
(http://www.betterplumbingsolutions.com/fixing-plumbing-problems.php)
online plumbing questions on his website.