More and more people nowadays are interested in green living, which is good news for our planet. A big trend in eco-friendly households is replacing the plumbing so that minimal amounts of water and energy are consumed. But did you know that even your choice of traps is important in order to meet this goal?
Plumbing Traps and the Environment
According to ThePlumbingInfo, the purpose of plumbing traps is to protect us and our homes from sewer gases and other unpleasant odors that might come from pipes. What they essentially do is place a barrier between the fixture, be it a faucet, a showerhead or a toilet, and the sewage waste system.
But this does more than improving our quality of life and ensure that our living space doesn’t smell bad. The different gases that form down there can be potentially dangerous to human health, as they include methane, nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide, and carbon monoxide. Thus, plumbing traps also protect our well-being.
What is more, they are also an eco-friendly addition to any pipeline. Not only do they prevent noxious fumes and vermin from entering households from all over the globe, but their use is also regulated by various industries to prevent their waste from damaging the environment. The most notable examples include the commercial food industry and the laboratory circuit.
These establishments handle corrosive chemical waste or polluting fats, oils, and grease on a daily basis. Their plumbing traps are actually designed in such a way as to stop these from entering the sewage system in the first place. For example, restaurants use grease traps for the previously mentioned purpose.
Thus, various types of plumbing traps serve various purposes, and they are all doing their part in protecting our environment from noxious fumes, oils, and even dangerous chemicals in some cases. Nevertheless, these scenarios are more common in laboratory settings. So, is there something truly green that you can use in your own house? Let’s find out.
Going Green with Your Traps
It’s no secret that the aim of truly green plumbing is to reduce water and energy consumption within a household. Dual-flush toilets are perhaps the most popular additions to meet this goal, as are optimal flow showerheads and faucets. Some homeowners go as far as replacing their hard-plastic pipes with others made from eco-friendly, recyclable materials.
One lesser known improvement on this front that you can easily attempt is going green with your plumbing traps. The newest craze in this department is represented by waterless traps that minimize evaporation, while at the same time conserving water. In a world whose H2O supplies are running lower and lower by the minute, this is surely a welcome change.
So, how do they work? As you may already know by now, the traditional P-traps and S-traps found in drains and toilets create a barrier between the fixture and the sewage system by collecting water. The waterless trap makes use of a simple one-way membrane that acts much like a check valve. This offers the necessary protection and prevents evaporation all in one.
This system isn’t only friendly to the environment, it’s also more low maintenance than traditional ones. Depending on the geographical area you reside in, your water supply may contain a varied assortment of minerals. Water-supplied traps can thus get clogged over time due to calcification and other similar processes.
When this happens, it can be rather tedious to clean them out. The process is one that you can attempt at home with ease, but be prepared to lose an entire day over it. At the other end of the spectrum, waterless plumbing traps don’t face this issue because they do not collect water in the first place, which doesn’t give any mineral deposits the opportunity to solidify.
Therefore, going green with your plumbing traps won’t only reduce the energy and water consumption in your household, but also eliminate the need for periodic maintenance. When all these advantages are combined, the result is a rather cost-effective one for you. You will thus save money both on your utility bills and on plumbing necessities over time.
The Bottom Line
Green plumbing is a newer, yet very welcome trend among homeowners. The latest addition to the roster seems to be that of waterless plumbing traps, which can take your household one step further along the way to reduced energy and water consumption. This is rather cost-effective in general, and it is also beneficial to the environment, which a great plus.