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Traps are pipes which curve down then back up; they "trap" a small amount of water to create a water seal between the ambient air space and the inside of the drain system. This prevents sewer gas from entering buildings. Most water closets, bidets, and many urinals have the trap integral with the fixture itself.
In the U.S., every plumbing fixture must also be coupled to the system's vent piping. [1] Without a vent, negative pressure from water leaving the system can slow flow (resulting in clogs) or cause a siphon to empty a trap. The high point of the vent system (the top of its "soil stack") must be open to the exterior at atmospheric pressure.
Backflow prevention device. The simplest, most reliable way to provide backflow prevention is to provide an air gap.An air gap is simply an open vertical space between any device that connects to a plumbing system (like a valve or faucet) and any place where contaminated water can collect or pool.
A sanitary sewer is an underground pipe or tunnel system for transporting sewage from houses and commercial buildings (but not stormwater) to a sewage treatment plant or disposal. Sanitary sewers are a type of gravity sewer and are part of an overall system called a "sewage system" or sewerage .
Map of Seattle sewer districts, 1894. The main part of such a system is made up of large pipes (i.e. the sewers, or "sanitary sewers") that convey the sewage from the point of production to the point of treatment or discharge. Sewers under construction in Ystad, Sweden. Types of sanitary sewer systems that all usually are gravity sewers include:
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Because of its shape, the trap retains some water after the fixture's use. This water creates an air seal that prevents sewer gas from passing from the drain pipes back into the building. Essentially all plumbing fixtures including sinks, bathtubs, and showers must be equipped with either an internal or external trap.
Pressure sewers enable properties constructed below the nearest gravity main to connect to the local sewerage system avoiding the need for a septic tank or cesspit. [4] In areas where washouts or earthquakes are common, conventional earthenware or cast iron sewerage system may be prone to breakage and leakage.