# Identification Help & Maintenance or Replacement Recommendations



## internetpilot (Sep 10, 2010)

Please excuse my ignorance, as I'm not a plumber, but some related tasks are part of my duties as a school maintenance worker. I fairly experienced at basic plumbing maintenance, but I've come across a rather strange plumbing configuration in our school art room sinks (a cluster of four all installed in the same bar/cabinet). It appears that some sort of grease/bio trap system has been implemented, but I recently inherited this job and I suspect that regular maintenance/cleaning of this system was needed and never done. Here's a basic diagram (I can provide an actual photo on Monday if needed):








Without P-traps, all the sinks drain through what looks like cast iron traps (cylinder shapes with the "?" marks above) which have metal lids just sitting on top (no way to bolt, screw, or otherwise seal these lids). Gas, debris, or something popped one of these lids askew, and some nasty stuff slowly overflowed out of this trap over what appears to be a long period of time. We now have some nasty, crusty stuff under the cabinet, apparently never ending lifecycles of small flies, and a significant (but surprisingly not overpowering) smell. It basically smells like an old P-trap that needs cleaning. 

I cleaned up the area, and cleaned up the lip that seats the lid of these traps hoping it would make a better seal. But I have some questions that hopefully you pros can answer so I can make a better informed decision on what additional work needs to be done (most likely by a plumber):

1. What are those cylinders? Are they some sort of trap or debris filter? Judging by the way the drain flow starts low, fills up the cylinder and exits higher up, I was assuming it was some sort of bio waste trap, but I've never seen one installed INSIDE a building and vented with a cheater vent. I'm sure this thing passed codes at one time, but...

2. This plumbing is probably original work in a school that's 12 years old. Is there a better, more modern solution to replace it? 

3. If this is a bio waste trap, should I be treating it with something on a regular basis to make sure that it keeps working as designed? 

4. My predecessor apparently treated a slow drain in one of these sinks with a consumer Drano product, and it caused that whole wing of the school to be evacuated due to gas/fumes/smell. Clearly that wasn't a good idea for cleaning this system. How should this type of system be cleaned or given the lack of care over a dozen years, should it just be replaced? 

Thanks, folks, and again, please forgive my ignorance. I'm just trying to get a better grasp as to why this system was installed to begin with, and what can be done about it now that it seems to be failing due to lack of proper maintenance. 

-- Chris


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## ILPlumber (Jun 17, 2008)

I refuse to excuse your ignorance.

OK people, don't complain about threads getting closed. You have 2 hours to help this gentleman.


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## Titan Plumbing (Oct 8, 2009)

Man...I just don't know. You have stumped me!


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## Airgap (Dec 18, 2008)

That sketch looks like an aerial view of a nuke....


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## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

Beats all I ever stepped in. Looks like one of HP's cad drawings.


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## internetpilot (Sep 10, 2010)

Okay, now you all might understand why I'm a little worried about just blindly calling in a plumber. 

And, Matt, I take it back -- I don't request forgiveness for my ignorance, as I am plainly not alone in my confusion over this installation...even among the professionals. I'll keep a close watch on the thread over the next two hours, and if no one can figure out anything more than I did, please do feel free to delete this thread. 

-- Chris


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## Airgap (Dec 18, 2008)

Okay, I think I got it.....

If you look at the sketch under the aav, the main is definately capped off...

It will never drain properly with the end closed off....


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## RealLivePlumber (Jun 22, 2008)

You gotta rod it from the roof. :yes:


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## Titan Plumbing (Oct 8, 2009)

internetpilot said:


> *Okay, now you all might understand why I'm a little worried about just blindly calling in a plumber. *
> 
> And, Matt, I take it back -- I don't request forgiveness for my ignorance, as I am plainly not alone in my confusion over this installation...even among the professionals. I'll keep a close watch on the thread over the next two hours, and if no one can figure out anything more than I did, please do feel free to delete this thread.
> 
> -- Chris


Tell me............


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## internetpilot (Sep 10, 2010)

Airgap said:


> Okay, I think I got it.....
> 
> If you look at the sketch under the aav, the main is definately capped off...
> 
> It will never drain properly with the end closed off....


Oops. Yeah, as far as I know that continues through the bottom of the cabinet into the floor and to the main. But at this point, who really knows what they did with it? :whistling2:

-- Chris


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## Ron (Jun 12, 2008)

Where is house plumber when we need him most.


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## KCplumber (Dec 31, 2009)

I've seen that before, couple drums and some pipe. Is that a cheater vent or a cheeta vent? Call da plumber


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## Titan Plumbing (Oct 8, 2009)

KCplumber said:


> I've seen that before, couple drums and some pipe. Is that a cheater vent or a cheeta vent? Call da plumber


Kinda like a hacked in septic system.


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## KCplumber (Dec 31, 2009)

To be a little more helpful I would need a sketch of the sinks & if u could describe the smell in detail

And did u say this was in the "fart room"? Than it all makes a lot more sense


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Use a big firecracker

Really big!


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## Bayside500 (May 16, 2009)

those are plaster traps, they probably need to be cleaned out


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## Pipe Rat (Apr 5, 2009)

OMG Chris you have opened the hypobiological containers. You must evacuate the building until the pros are called in. How careless can you people be with human health. Ignorance is no excuse. Ya don't know what ya don't know. Call a pro before you hurt someone. Do you know whats been poured down that drain? I didn't think so, but your gonna add more chemicals. BOOM BOOM BYE BYE


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## Optimus Primer (May 20, 2009)

I would eliminate the cylinders. If you run it just like this it will solve the issues. I just did the same thing at a daycare and it worked fine. good luck.


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## internetpilot (Sep 10, 2010)

house plumber said:


> I would eliminate the cylinders. If you run it just like this it will solve the issues. I just did the same thing at a daycare and it worked fine. good luck.
> 
> 
> View attachment 7189


Hmmm...our art (not fart) room windows are a bit higher up. I think I'll have to install a pump.

What's confusing me the most about the cylinders is that I didn't know there was such a thing as garbage disposals without motors. 

Wait... maybe it's the electrician's fault. 

-- Chris


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## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

If that is truly the design, it is one big trap, including the upstream piping. I don't see how it could ever function properly.


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## internetpilot (Sep 10, 2010)

Bayside500 said:


> those are plaster traps, they probably need to be cleaned out


Thank you, Bayside. These things are so nasty that I couldn't even tell that it had a removable insert. Now I know. Not really looking forward to Monday now, but subsequent, regular cleanings will likely be better/easier. 

-- Chris


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## Optimus Primer (May 20, 2009)

I wouldnt listen to bayside. he likes cpvc. :laughing: jk


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## Ron (Jun 12, 2008)

20 min till closing.


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## internetpilot (Sep 10, 2010)

Choctaw said:


> *On EARTH as it is in TEXAS*


Oh, and amen, brother. Texas native, trapped in Florida for the last 20 years. Send money. 

-- Chris


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## Bayside500 (May 16, 2009)

house plumber said:


> I wouldnt listen to bayside. he likes cpvc. :laughing: jk


yea sure do, as long as i don't dry fit something LOL


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## internetpilot (Sep 10, 2010)

house plumber said:


> I wouldnt listen to bayside. he likes cpvc. :laughing: jk


So CPVC is bad? :blink:

A quick Google of "plaster trap" and the first images was the exact make and model of the one I was looking at all day. At $419 per trap.....I think I'll clean it. 

-- Chris


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## Ron (Jun 12, 2008)

Fell lucky Chris, this is the longest we mods allowed a diy post stay open this long.


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## internetpilot (Sep 10, 2010)

Ron said:


> 20 min till closing.


Thank you all for your tolerance and patience. Anyone in the Jacksonville, FL area, let me know...I'll toss you a bone or two for your help on this one. That is, if I'm not banned for just being a lowly maintenance guy. 

-- Chris


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## Optimus Primer (May 20, 2009)

Bayside500 said:


> yea sure do, as long as i don't dry fit something LOL


 
or umm nevermind.


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## Optimus Primer (May 20, 2009)

Ron said:


> Fell lucky Chris, this is the longest we mods allowed a diy post stay open this long.


anticipation of my iso :laughing:


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## internetpilot (Sep 10, 2010)

Ron said:


> Fell lucky Chris, this is the longest we mods allowed a diy post stay open this long.


I actually do feel quite lucky. 

But c'mon....I'm not exactly DIY. I'm a facilities maintenance guy for a living. I'd let you snobby plumber types join and post at my maintenance forum! :jester:

-- Chris


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## Ron (Jun 12, 2008)

internetpilot said:


> Thank you all for your tolerance and patience. Anyone in the Jacksonville, FL area, let me know...I'll toss you a bone or two for your help on this one. That is, if I'm not banned for just being a lowly maintenance guy.
> 
> -- Chris


:laughing:


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## breid1903 (Feb 8, 2009)

dehydrated liquid plumber. that's the ticket. breid.................:rockon:


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## ILPlumber (Jun 17, 2008)

Thanks for posting on PlumbingZone.com. The Moderators of this forum would prefer if you post Do It Yourself related topics on our sister site www.DIYChatroom.com 

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