Seller unhappy about drain trap
Q. I've got a bone to pick with the home inspector who was hired by the people who are buying my house. He says my bathroom sink needs a plumber because the drainpipe doesn't have a trap. He says that's causing a bad smell in the house. All I know is, the sink has been draining just fine for more than 20 years. It's never been clogged once, and I haven't noticed any bad smells. All a trap is going to do is trap some hair or other garbage and get the sink all clogged up. The only traps I need are the ones for catching mice. The way I see it, if the drainpipe isn't broke, why in the heck should I fix it?
A. Let's begin with an explanation of drain traps. The trap is a U-shaped pipe that is commonly seen under most sinks. Its purpose is not to prevent clogging, and it's not there to fix something that's broken. The reason drain traps are required by the plumbing code is to prevent sewer gases from venting up through the drain into your home.
If you haven't noticed the odor that was reported by the home inspector, he may have a more sensitive sniffer, or you may have gotten used to the aroma over the past 20 years.
Installing a P-trap under a sink is a simple, routine repair for a qualified plumber and should not be a point of argument when selling a home. Drain traps are legally required because sewer gases pose a health and safety hazard. Besides the noxious contaminants that most people can smell, sewer gas contains methane which is highly flammable. Better to fix this now than to have something seriously broken in the future.
Q. We bought our house two years ago. Before we bought it, the sellers did a complete remodel of the kitchen. Recently we had a plumbing leak in the kitchen floor. Our plumber broke open the slab and found two pipes that were installed incorrectly. He said the material and workmanship were totally substandard; not what a qualified plumber would have done. Do we have any recourse?
A. From your description, it would seem that the plumbing work was done by a general handyman or by the homeowner, rather than a licensed plumber. It is also likely that the remodel was done without a building permit. If the work was not permitted, that would be a code violation, and the lack of a permit should have been noted on the seller's disclosure statement.
For clarification, you can check with the local building department for a copy of the permit history for the property. If the remodel was done without a permit, you should notify the sellers of your discovery and ask that they take responsibility for plumbing repairs. If they don't agree, you can take the dispute to small claims court, but before doing this, be sure to get some advice from an attorney.
• To write to Barry Stone, visit him on the web at www.housedetective.com, or write AMG, 1776 Jami Lee Court, Suite 218, San Luis Obispo, CA 94301.
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