# House traps in Chicago area?



## Drumma Plumma (Jun 5, 2012)

Anyone in the Chicago area ever encounter a House Trap?

I have not until maybe today. I was maintenance rodding a 6" sewer from a clean out station in the front yard that was put in by others about 8 years ago. In the parkway the cable would not go any farther (only about 25' from the cleanout). I put my camera in and found what actually looks like some type of concrete basin (looks like cast cement). The sewer is right next to the B-box at this point. I'll try to post a picture, but no guarantee as I only have a VCR on my monitor.

I also was thinking maybe an abandoned lift station? This town has combined sewers and a history of flooding. This is a real head scratcher for me. :confused1:


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

Sewer gate valve?


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## Drumma Plumma (Jun 5, 2012)

rjbphd said:


> Sewer gate valve?


I doubt it. The basin was wider about 18"-24" wide and dropped about a foot below the invert of the 6" that came into the basin.


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## BROOKLYN\PLUMB (May 21, 2010)

Doesn't sound like a house trap, sounds like a detention tank!


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## SewerRatz (Apr 25, 2009)

What town? La Grange area in the blocks with homes that are 80+ years old are common to come across a running trap.

The running traps at one time vented up to the parkway with a cent cap flush or just above grade. Some thought it was a good idea to fill these with cement.

It can also be a repair that went bad. I came across one in Lyons were they put a piece of plastic over the 45° elbow in the parkway near the curb then encased it in cement.


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## Drumma Plumma (Jun 5, 2012)

SewerRatz said:


> What town? La Grange area in the blocks with homes that are 80+ years old are common to come across a running trap.
> 
> The running traps at one time vented up to the parkway with a cent cap flush or just above grade. Some thought it was a good idea to fill these with cement.
> 
> It can also be a repair that went bad. I came across one in Lyons were they put a piece of plastic over the 45° elbow in the parkway near the curb then encased it in cement.


River Forest Ron. I think you may be right about an old repair that went bad. House is from 1913. House next door looks Identical. Maybe they had a common sewer originally and this was a repair done to separate the properties? It kind of looks like a vault of some kind and it's right next to the B-box, maybe it's an old meter vault or something. I dunno


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## SewerRatz (Apr 25, 2009)

Some of those homes tied together in a makeshift manhole back in the day the one pipe to the city main. River Forest did have running traps as well.


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