Chapter 32 Traps

Section P3201 Fixture Traps

P3201.1 Design of traps

Traps shall be of standard design, shall have smooth uniform internal waterways, shall be selfcleaning and shall not have interior partitions except where integral with the fixture. Traps shall be constructed of lead, cast iron, copper or copper alloy or approved plastic. Copper or copper alloy traps shall be not less than No. 20 gage (0.8 mm) thickness. Solid connections, slip joints and couplings shall be permitted to be used on the trap inlet, trap outlet, or within the trap seal. Slip joints shall be accessible.

P3201.2 Trap seals

Each fixture trap shall have a liquid seal of not less than 2 inches (51 mm) and not more than 4 inches (102 mm).

P3201.2.1 Trap seal protection

Traps seals of emergency floor drain traps and traps subject to evaporation shall be protected by one of the methods in Sections P3201.2.1.1 through P3201.2.1.4.

P3201.2.1.1 Potable water-supplied trap seal primer valve

A potable water-supplied trap seal primer valve shall supply water to the trap. Water-supplied trap seal primer valves shall conform to ASSE 1018. The discharge pipe from the trap seal primer valve shall connect to the trap above the trap seal on the inlet side of the trap.

P3201.2.1.2 Reclaimed or gray-water-supplied trap seal primer valve

A reclaimed or gray-water-supplied trap seal primer valve shall supply water to the trap. Water-supplied trap seal primer valves shall conform to ASSE 1018. The quality of reclaimed or gray water supplied to trap seal primer valves shall be in accordance with the requirements of the manufacturer of the trap seal primer valve. The discharge pipe from the trap seal primer valve shall connect to the trap above the trap seal on the inlet side of the trap.

P3201.2.1.3 Waste-water-supplied trap primer device

A waste-water-supplied trap primer device shall supply water to the trap. Waste-water-supplied trap primer devices shall conform to ASSE 1044. The discharge pipe from the trap seal primer device shall connect to the trap above the trap seal on the inlet side of the trap.

P3201.2.1.4 Barrier-type trap seal protection device

A barrier-type trap seal protection device shall protect the floor drain trap seal from evaporation. Barrier-type floor drain trap seal protection devices shall conform to ASSE 1072. The devices shall be installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

P3201.3 Trap setting and protection

Traps shall be set level with respect to their water seals and shall be protected from freezing. Trap seals shall be protected from siphonage, aspiration or back pressure by an approved system of venting (see Section P3101).

P3201.4 Building traps

Building traps shall be prohibited.

P3201.5 Prohibited trap designs

The following types of traps are prohibited:

Bell traps.
Separate fixture traps with interior partitions, except those lavatory traps made of plastic, stainless steel or other corrosion-resistant material.
“S” traps.
Drum traps.
Trap designs with moving parts.

P3201.6 Number of fixtures per trap

Each plumbing fixture shall be separately trapped by a water seal trap. The vertical distance from the fixture outlet to the trap weir shall not exceed 24 inches (610 mm) and the horizontal distance shall not exceed 30 inches (762 mm) measured from the center line of the fixture outlet to the centerline of the inlet of the trap. The height of a clothes washer standpipe above a trap shall conform to Section P2706.1.2. Fixtures shall not be double trapped.

Exceptions:

Fixtures that have integral traps.
A single trap shall be permitted to serve two or three like fixtures limited to kitchen sinks, laundry tubs and lavatories. Such fixtures shall be adjacent to each other and located in the same room with a continuous waste arrangement. The trap shall be installed at the center fixture where three fixtures are installed. Common trapped fixture outlets shall be not more than 30 inches (762 mm) apart.
Connection of a laundry tray waste line into a standpipe for the automatic clothes-washer drain shall be permitted in accordance with Section P2706.1.2.1.

P3201.7 Size of fixture traps

Trap sizes for plumbing fixtures shall be as indicated in Table P3201.7. Where the tailpiece of a plumbing fixture is larger than that indicated in Table P3201.7, the trap size shall be the same nominal size as the fixture tailpiece. A trap shall not be larger than the drainage pipe into which the trap discharges.

TABLE P3201.7

SIZE OF TRAPS FOR PLUMBING FIXTURES

PLUMBING FIXTURE	TRAP SIZE MINIMUM (inches)
Bathtub (with or without shower head and/or whirlpool attachments)	1¹/₂
Bidet	1¹/₄
Clothes washer standpipe	2
Dishwasher (on separate trap)	1¹/₂
Floor drain	2
Kitchen sink (one or two traps, with or without dishwasher and food waste disposer)	1¹/₂
Laundry tub (one or more compartments)	1¹/₂
Lavatory	1¹/₄
Shower (based on the total flow rate through showerheads and bodysprays)
Flow rate:
5.7 gpm and less	1¹/₄
More than 5.7 gpm up to 12.3 gpm	2
More than 12.3 gpm up to 25.8 gpm	3
More than 25.8 gpm up to 55.6 gpm	4

For SI: 1 inch = 25.4 mm.

International Residential Code 2015 (IRC 2015)