The short answer
A P-trap is the curved section of drainpipe beneath your sink. It holds a little water at the bottom of the curve, and that water blocks sewer gas from coming up the drain into the house. It’s also the low spot where debris collects, which is why so many sink clogs in Northern Virginia homes start right there. Our $99 drain clearing covers a blockage up to it.
Why the pipe has a bend in it at all
Your drains all connect to the sewer or septic line, and that line is full of gas you don’t want to breathe or smell. A straight pipe would let it walk right up into the bathroom. So the pipe dips, the dip stays full of water, and the gas can’t get past it. Every time you run the sink, fresh water pushes through and refills the dip. Nothing moves, no parts wear out. It’s about as simple as plumbing gets.
Turned on its side, the curve plus the pipe running to the wall looks like the letter P. That’s the whole story on the name.
$99 Drain Clearing
This offer focuses on clearing a blockage up to the P-trap, the curved section of drainpipe beneath the sink where debris can collect. See the drain clearing
The parts, so you know what your plumber is talking about
Swipe to see all columns →
Swipe to see all columns →
| Part | What it is |
|---|---|
| Tailpiece | The straight pipe coming down from the sink |
| Trap bend | The curved piece that holds the water. People also call it the J-bend. |
| Trap arm | The piece running from the curve to the wall |
| Slip nuts and washers | The big nuts that hold it together, so it can come apart for cleaning |
Why clogs happen there
It’s the low point, and the water moves slowly through it. Hair and soap in a bathroom sink, grease and food in a kitchen sink, a dropped ring or a bottle cap in either: the heavy stuff settles, the sticky stuff catches it, and the opening gets smaller every week. If that’s what’s going on, plunging and then cleaning the trap usually does it.
Dropped your ring down the sink? Turn the water off right now and don’t run it again. The ring is very likely sitting in the curve, and it’s probably fine.
What goes wrong besides clogs
- It dries out. A guest bath nobody uses for weeks can lose the water in its trap, and then you smell sewer. Run the water for a minute. Basement floor drains and spare showers do this too.
- It leaks. Usually at a slip nut, because a washer went flat or the nut worked loose. Older chrome traps also rust through from the inside.
- It’s the wrong shape. Some older houses have an S-trap, which curves down into the floor instead of over to the wall. It can siphon itself dry, and current plumbing codes don’t allow it in new work. If yours smells on and off, that’s a likely reason.
- The drain isn’t vented right. A trap needs air behind it to hold its water. If the sink gurgles and the smell keeps coming back after you refill it, that’s a job for a plumber.
Where the trap’s job ends
Past the trap arm, the drain goes into the wall and joins the rest of the house. A clog back there won’t come out by opening the trap. The signs: the trap comes out clean and the sink is still slow, or other fixtures are acting up too. Here’s how to tell a fixture clog from a main line clog, and what drain cleaning costs here when it gets that far.
The $99 drain clearing
This offer focuses on clearing a blockage up to the P-trap, the curved section of drainpipe beneath the sink where debris can collect. It’s a good starting point for a localized sink clog. If the problem is farther down the line, we’ll explain what’s happening and discuss the next step.
Offer scope: Up to the P-trap. Deeper drain or main sewer-line work is a separate service, and we’ll give you that price before we start.
Common questions
What does a P-trap do?
It holds a little water in a curve of pipe under the sink. That water blocks sewer gas from coming up the drain into your house, and the same low spot is where debris tends to collect.
Why does my sink smell like sewage?
Often the trap has dried out, which happens in a guest bath nobody uses. Run water for a minute to refill it. If the smell stays, or the trap is leaking, have it looked at.
Does every drain have a P-trap?
Every fixture has a trap of some kind. Sinks, tubs, showers and washer standpipes have one in the pipe, floor drains have one under the floor, and a toilet’s is built into the bowl.
Can I clean a P-trap myself?
Usually, yes, if it has slip nuts. Put a bucket under it, loosen the nuts, clean the curved piece and put it back with the washers in the same spots. Stop if it’s glued or the chrome is crumbling.
Book it
Book the $99 drain clearing or call (703) 997-9757, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Rated 5.0 stars across 1,138 reviews on Google, Angi, Yelp, the BBB and Facebook, Virginia Class A license 2705192276.
