# Overflow?



## Doubletap (May 5, 2010)

I found this guy today. Apparently the last guy that put in this "PVC Repair" had trouble with the drum trap slowing the drain. So he added an 1" overflow that goes outside. That way if the drain started to back up the excess would have gone outside. Of course in the wall it had about a 3" rise so it was "trapped" :blink:


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## walker426 (Oct 17, 2011)

Doubletap said:


> I found this guy today. Apparently the last guy that put in this "PVC Repair" had trouble with the drum trap slowing the drain. So he added an 1" overflow that goes outside. That way if the drain started to back up the excess would have gone outside. Of course in the wall it had about a 3" rise so it was "trapped" :blink:


Wtf! !!!


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

I'm guessing your cable couldn't get past the drum trap, so you opened the wall only to find that gem....:blink:


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## justin (May 14, 2010)

Doubletap said:


> I found this guy today. Apparently the last guy that put in this "PVC Repair" had trouble with the drum trap slowing the drain. So he added an 1" overflow that goes outside. That way if the drain started to back up the excess would have gone outside. Of course in the wall it had about a 3" rise so it was "trapped" :blink:


why didnt he just change trap instead of hackin it up.?


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## 504Plumber (Jan 26, 2011)

Never seen a drum trap on anything other than a tub...


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## DesertOkie (Jul 15, 2011)

wow.


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## justin (May 14, 2010)

504Plumber said:


> Never seen a drum trap on anything other than a tub...


that is first drumtrap i ever have seen. lol. they are stupid! must be an east coast thing


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

I've seen a overflow on a wm standpipe here before, the drain had cronic clogging problems so they ran some 1/2 inch hose through the wall to the outside to act as an "overflow" :laughing:

sent from the jobsite porta-potty


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## 504Plumber (Jan 26, 2011)

justin said:


> that is first drumtrap i ever have seen. lol. they are stupid! must be an east coast thing


It always makes me think.. They put a drum trap on the tub but p-traps for everything above the slab. Hate drum traps because 90% of the time you can't find them to open them and run a cable...


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## Doubletap (May 5, 2010)

I thought that maybe the 2" line was not handling the volume put out by the washing machine but after everything was repaired everything drained fine. 
We are covered up with drum traps hear. The area that I work they were standard for every house. They are always a fun little surprise when your running a 1/4" cable at full speed.


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## justin (May 14, 2010)

Doubletap said:


> I thought that maybe the 2" line was not handling the volume put out by the washing machine but after everything was repaired everything drained fine.
> We are covered up with drum traps hear. The area that I work they were standard for every house. They are always a fun little surprise when your running a 1/4" cable at full speed.


how would u clean a drum trap under slab.just cause ive never seen one, i am asking


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## 504Plumber (Jan 26, 2011)

justin said:


> how would u clean a drum trap under slab.just cause ive never seen one, i am asking


We use a small air compressor, block overflow and shoe on tub and blow air through it. Could use an air ram but my boss doesn't believe in them, afraid something will get blown apart..

If you're lucky enough to find it in an open area, take the cover off and run cable through the outlet.


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## Doubletap (May 5, 2010)

justin said:


> how would u clean a drum trap under slab.just cause ive never seen one, i am asking


This area has a lot of split level with a crawl space construction...not all over Birmingham just the neighborhood I live in. I haven't seen a drum under a slab because they were designed to be opened at the top to be cleaned. But as you may have heard sometimes plumbers install things a little different than they were intended.:jester:


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## TX MECH PLUMBER (May 27, 2011)

justin said:


> how would u clean a drum trap under slab.just cause ive never seen one, i am asking


The few I've seen had a cover like a floor clean out !!! But I never cleaned them I always removed them !!


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## billy_awesome (Dec 19, 2011)

brilliant work I must say....

"sudsing" is a ***** of a problem that most DIY'ers wouldn't understand.

Our code states that all laundry stand pipes must be a minimum of 24"
Doesn't state why, but you have to figure it has something to do with indirect waste and 'sudsing'


Please tell me you took out the drum trap.....?


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

So tell me, why drum trap were ever made? Why couldn't they make 'p' trap with fittings way back?


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## rusak (Sep 20, 2008)

I see drum traps in our area few times a year on the bath tubs. Very difficult to open the cover on them. Sometimes have to drill it out/cut it.


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## TX MECH PLUMBER (May 27, 2011)

rjbphd said:


> So tell me, why drum trap were ever made? Why couldn't they make 'p' trap with fittings way back?


I was told by a master plumber that a drum trap was designed to catch hair and other debris from a bath tub and allow for easy cleaning of the trap!! Atleast that's how it was told to me. And I've only seen them on bath tubs!


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

My sawzall has met a lot of drum traps... :yes::laughing:


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## Doubletap (May 5, 2010)

rjbphd said:


> So tell me, why drum trap were ever made? Why couldn't they make 'p' trap with fittings way back?


Another reason is they are built to take apart unlike the pipe that is usually run to them. Usually thats threaded or lead and oakum. The P traps that were installed in the same time frame were crazy hard to get a snake through because of their tight radius.

Oh...The customer told me today that Roto-Rooter is the only company that has done work in that room for many years. :thumbup:


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## Keefer w (Jan 26, 2012)

justin said:


> that is first drumtrap i ever have seen. lol. they are stupid! must be an east coast thing


 louisville ky. is full of those f'ers


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## RealCraftsMan (Dec 27, 2011)

justin said:


> that is first drumtrap i ever have seen. lol. they are stupid! must be an east coast thing


 
Oddly around Conroe, TX we find them a lot. I have no idea why but its the only place I have ever seen them. I mainly work in Houston but in the past we took calls round those parts, maybe the guys woking back in the boom times of the 70's and 80's were from up North?


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## TX MECH PLUMBER (May 27, 2011)

RealCraftsMan said:


> Oddly around Conroe, TX we find them a lot. I have no idea why but its the only place I have ever seen them. I mainly work in Houston but in the past we took calls round those parts, maybe the guys woking back in the boom times of the 70's and 80's were from up North?


I've been to Conroe. Buddy dated a girl from ther and they moved ther. Went to see them and gd. She got fat and befor she was a hottie I mean a 10. But she blew up !! Just what I thought of when you said Conroe !! Lol


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

Conroe... Conroe..oh yeah... been there.. is Conroe Golf Culb still there?


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## Joseph clegg (Nov 12, 2011)

Doubletap said:


> I found this guy today. Apparently the last guy that put in this "PVC Repair" had trouble with the drum trap slowing the drain. So he added an 1" overflow that goes outside. That way if the drain started to back up the excess would have gone outside. Of course in the wall it had about a 3" rise so it was "trapped" :blink:


Why not remove the drum trap? Kinda rube goldbergish


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## Keefer w (Jan 26, 2012)

All the ones I have seen were lead. No way to open them up., up sell new ones every time


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