Plumbing topics · Fixture or system
Drains, traps and vents
How drain, waste and vent piping works: trap arms, slope, vents, air admittance valves and floor drains, with the code rules behind each.
Answers (103)
- Can auto shop floor drains connect to the sewer?
- Do I need a battery backup for my sump pump?
- Does a grease interceptor need a vent?
- Does an Arizona home need a sump pump?
- How are commercial drain lines sized with drainage fixture units?
- How do I maintain and test a sump pump?
- How far can a trap be from its vent (max trap arm length)?
- How high does a plumbing vent have to be above the roof?
- How long do cast iron drain pipes last?
- How long does a sewer gas smell take to go away?
- Sump pump vs ejector pump vs lift station: what's different?
- What is a P-trap and why does it matter?
- What is a plumbing vent and why do vent pipes matter?
- What is an air admittance valve (Studor vent)?
- What slope does a drain pipe need by code?
- What's the difference between a floor sink, floor drain, and mop sink?
- When did builders stop using cast iron drain pipe?
- Where can a sump pump legally discharge?
- Where can an AC condensate drain line legally drain?
- Why do commercial floor drains need a trap primer?
- Why do roof plumbing vents and roof drains need cleaning?
- Why does my sump pump keep tripping the GFCI?
- Why does my sump pump run constantly?
- Why is my floor drain backing up?
- Why is my grease trap backing up into the floor sinks?
- Why is my sump pump alarm going off?
- Why is my sump pump not turning on?
- Can I add a laundry room sink, and where does it drain?
- Do I need a plumber to hook up a gas dryer?
- Do waterless urinals cause sewer odor?
- How do I clean the pipes in my house?
- How do I control odor from a grease trap or interceptor?
- Is my ceiling stain a roof leak or a plumbing leak?
- What are the most common bathroom plumbing mistakes?
- What should I look for in a 50 gallon gas water heater?
- When does plumbing need to be rerouted?
- Why do restrooms clog during big events at churches and event venues?
- Why do salon shampoo sinks drain slowly?
- Why does an RPZ valve need an air gap and how is it piped?
- Why does my bathroom drain smell like sewer?
- Why does my commercial building smell like sewer gas?
- Why does my gas water heater keep shutting off?
- Why does my house smell like gas or rotten eggs?
- Why does my restaurant smell like sewer?
- Why does my sink gurgle when the washing machine drains?
- Why does my toilet keep clogging?
- Why does the same drain keep clogging?
- Why is my drain gurgling?
- Why is my Fleck 5600SXT not drawing brine?
- Why is my reverse osmosis tank or system leaking?
- Why is my sink draining slowly?
- Why is my toilet gurgling?
- Why is the water level low in my toilet bowl?
- What monsoon plumbing tips should businesses know?
- How do I keep a garbage disposal clear of clogs?
- How do I get something back that fell down a sink drain?
- Tank vs tankless water heater, which is better for a Phoenix home?
- Can a gas water heater cause carbon monoxide?
- Can I move a toilet, sink or shower to a new spot?
- Do home inspectors check gas lines?
- Does a soda machine, ice machine or coffee maker need a backflow preventer?
- How do I drain a commercial ice machine legally?
- How do I install a kitchen sink?
- How do I replace a garbage disposal?
- How do portable and RV toilets differ from home toilets?
- How often do plumbing pipes need to be supported?
- How often should a commercial water heater be serviced?
- What are the most common tankless water heater problems?
- What are the plumbing requirements for a restaurant health inspection?
- What can and can't go into a restaurant grease trap?
- What do A. O. Smith tankless codes 101 and 991 mean?
- What do A. O. Smith tankless error codes mean?
- What do I need for a steam shower?
- What do Rheem tankless water heater error codes mean?
- What do Takagi error codes 111, 121 and 991 mean?
- What does Rinnai error code 10 mean?
- What does Rinnai error code 11 mean?
- What does Rinnai error code 12 mean?
- What does the plumbing inspection cover when buying a house?
- What is a hose bib vacuum breaker and do I need one?
- What is a hybrid water heater, and does it work in a Phoenix garage?
- What is the difference between a toilet auger and a drain snake?
- What plumbing is involved in a commercial tenant improvement (TI)?
- What plumbing should I check in spring?
- What should I know before buying a water heater?
- When should I stop DIY and call a plumber for a clog?
- Where is the reset button on a gas water heater?
- Why do hotel rooms or empty offices smell like sewer after sitting unused?
- Why does a sewage ejector or lift station pit smell?
- Why does my sink gurgle when I flush the toilet?
- Why does my washing machine drain overflow?
- Why is my garbage disposal draining slowly?
- Why is water leaking under my sink?
- Can I add a restroom to a warehouse or industrial space?
- Where should carbon monoxide alarms go?
- Can I install a water heater myself in Arizona?
- Do toilets flush the other way in the Southern Hemisphere?
- Does a commercial laundry need a lint interceptor?
- Does a restaurant need a mop sink by code?
- What plumbing does an emergency eyewash station need?
- Why does my grease trap keep overflowing?
- Why does my washer or water heater smell like sewage?
- Why won't my toilet flush all the way?
Codes and permits (19)
- Gilbert Town Code 66-245: floor drains and wash racks at auto shops and car washes
- UPC 1007: Trap Seal Protection for Floor Drains
- UPC 510: Venting Gas Water Heaters (Category I Flues)
- UPC 705: Joints and Connections in Drainage Piping
- UPC 712: Testing Drain, Waste and Vent Piping
- UPC 905: How Vent Pipes Must Be Graded and Connected
- UPC 907: Vent Stacks and Relief Vents
- UPC 908: Wet Venting a Bathroom Group
- UPC 909: Island Fixture (Loop) Venting
- UPC 910: Combination Waste and Vent Systems
- UPC Floor Drain Requirements: Traps, Size, and Keeping the Seal
- UPC Section 708: How Much Slope a Drain Pipe Needs
- UPC Section 906: Where a Plumbing Vent Can Terminate
- UPC Table 1002.2: Maximum Trap Arm Length by Pipe Size
- UPC 1003: Which Fixture Traps Are Allowed (and Banned)
- UPC 803: Indirect Waste Piping
- What can a Mesa business not put down the drain? City Code 8-4-15 prohibited discharges and limits
- What does Mesa's commercial plumbing plan review checklist require?
- UPC 706: Changes of Direction in Drainage Piping
Guides (1)
Plumbing terms (13)
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