FEATURES
47
State of odour capture
By Tristan Wiggill
Waste water traps, though unsung and rarely spoken of, are
critical to health and safety, and form an integral part of modern
sanitation systems.
Waste water traps are designed to retain a small
body of waste water from the system to which
they are attached. By forming this liquid barrier,
unpleasant odours and bacteria are stopped from
travelling back down/up the trap and into one’s
home or building.
Rubber and PVC waste water traps are mostly used in
inland applications, while polypropylene is preferred in
the coastal areas in South Africa. Brass, meanwhile, is
typically used for applications where chemicals are used,
such as in laboratories.
“Stainless steel traps are strong, corrosion resistant,
and generally lower in maintenance than any other
Continued on page 48 >>
Similarly, foul-smelling gases and harmful pathogens
from larger municipal sewers are prevented from
entering household drainage systems with intercepting
traps. Well-designed and well-constructed interceptors
can quickly remove foul matter of residential or
municipal sewers.
Waste water traps are manufactured in rubber, PVC
(white and black), polypropylene, brass, and stainless
steel. They are classified as either P-Traps, Q-Traps, or
S-Traps, depending on the shapes they take.
Modern plastic waste plumbing (apart from WC’s), normally use either 32mm (for hand basins) or 40mm (for sinks, baths,
showers, dishwashers, washing machines) pipe and fittings (including traps).
www.plumbingafrica.co.za
August 2017 Volume 23 I Number 6