If you've decided to install stainless steel floor wastes, then you have a choice of designs. Some wastes feed directly into their pipes; others have a bucket trap as well. How does this bucket trap work, and what are its advantages?

What Is a Waste Bucket Trap?

Bucket traps sit directly underneath the waste grate that sits on the floor. They provide a space and system to catch waste that shouldn't go straight down the pipe.

So, for example, some wastes with bucket traps have a strainer under the grate itself which leads into a basket. This basket has small holes in it so that water can drain into the pipe. However, these holes aren't big enough to let solids through. These stay in the basket rather than flowing into the pipe.

Why Install a Waste With a Bucket Trap?

If there is a chance that anything other than liquids will go down through your floor waste, then you have an increased risk that the drain or its pipe will develop problems like blockages in the future.

For example, if you install this kind of waste in a shower or wet room, then it won't just have to deal with draining away water. Hair, bits of soap and soap scum could end up going down the drain. Or, if you're putting floor wastes in a commercial kitchen, then bits of food, greasy substances and sticky liquids may end up washing through the waste.

In either case, more solid waste can block the drain or simply make it smell. Hair and soap can clump together to block pipes and make them drain slowly or not at all. Food particles can clog pipes and, as they break down, send nasty smells back up through the system.

Cleaning this stuff out of a regular floor waste isn't always easy. Commercial cleaners may work but won't shift all blockages. You won't necessarily be able to easily reach a clog further down the pipe. You may need to pay to have the drain cleared out if the problem gets bad enough.

A waste with a bucket trap solves this problem by preventing solids from entering pipes. It enables you to maintain the drain yourself. All you have to do is open the grate periodically, remove the basket and empty it. Give it a quick clean, put it back in and you're good to go.

Your plumber can talk you through how bucket traps work on stainless steel drainage grates. They can also give you advice on how often you should empty the basket to keep the waste working to optimum efficiency.

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