Have you ever been walking along minding your own business when suddenly there's a snake right in front of you? You might be wondering; "Where did he come from, and why is he sneaking up o me like this?" Or you might turn tail and run screaming not thinking much of anything.

Snakes make me think of plumbing because of the twists and turns of the pipes. But one plumbing defect really brings that snake into my head, the S trap.

If you look in the picture you can see an S trap sticking its snaky body through the insulation of the floor. An S trap is not allowed because the water in the trap will siphon off leaving no barrier between the house and the sewage system. In addition to smelling really bad, sewage gases are poisonous.

A P trap should always be installed, second picture, because they will not cause siphoning of the water barrier.

The plumber in who installed this S trap was a sneaky snake putting the trap in the basement. Fortunately for these buyers it was found or their kitchen may have had some very unappetizing odors.

James Quarello
NRSB #8SS0022
JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC

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