Do Floor Drains Get A Trap

Basement floor drains don t get a lot of attention until the sewer backs up or the basement smells like an outhouse.

Do floor drains get a trap.

In this case a pressure drop activated trap primer is more practical since it can be installed close to the drain that needs to be primed. For floor drains that do not include a trap there are two options to stop the back drafting of sewer gases up through the floor the first of which is to simply cover over the drain. However this trap seal primer also introduces some restrictions. Floor drains are built with a trap that is designed to be filled with water in order to block sewer methane gases from venting upward.

Many basement floor drains tie directly to the home s sewer system but in some communities local building codes require floor drains to run to a sump pit where a pump lifts the water to the exterior surface of the house. The trap is similar to those that can be found in bathtubs sinks and showers. The concrete floor around the drain gently. The basement floor drain can also be connected to a sewer pit that has an ejector pump in which case it can drain fluid from the sink and washing machines.

Floor drains are most often installed during original construction often in the utility area to drain away excess water in the basement. When floor drains are installed poorly it can create an unpleasant room that is more difficult to maintain. In either case the trap primer keeps clean water in the p trap to prevent any odor or maintenance issues. Whether the drain has a pitch or a p trap this trap can dry out allowing sewer odors to travel back up the piping into the air we breathe and smell.

I don t recommend actually filling in or abandoning the drain nor do i recommend a permanent seal or cover over the drain since that approach will prevent using. Its use may not be practical because the flush valve may be situated too far from the floor drains.