Clay/Plaster intereptor (clay trap) in studio sink

[Marge]

I'm using a Gleico clay trap under my sink in my studio. Is there a more substantial one that you recommend? 

Thanks!

[neilestrick]

What do you mean by substantial? Depending on the height available under your sink, you can use a larger container. I use a gallon size jug on mine. The Gleco traps work great, and are super simple to clean. They were developed for use by dentists using plaster molds. Any sort of trap that your plumber may recommend is going to be far bulkier and more difficult to clean. There are other versions you can make yourself using buckets. Designs should be easy to find online.

[Mark C.]

Use the search -from the main page as there has been almost written on clay traps before .

for me that trap is way top small-but for many users its fine.

The rinse in one bucket then the next bucket  is pretty easy as well.

 

[Benzine]

20 hours ago, neilestrick said:

What do you mean by substantial? Depending on the height available under your sink, you can use a larger container. I use a gallon size jug on mine. The Gleco traps work great, and are super simple to clean. They were developed for use by dentists using plaster molds. Any sort of trap that your plumber may recommend is going to be far bulkier and more difficult to clean. There are other versions you can make yourself using buckets. Designs should be easy to find online.

Yeah, I had no idea, that they were created for dental offices/ labs, until I was talking about the trap to my wife.  She works in a dental office, and says, "Yeah, we have those."

 

I TRIED to get my District to install one of them, in one of my sink sets, because the old trap was leaking.  I sent them an email, regarding the ease of clean out, and a link to the site.  Naturally, they replaced it with the same exact model.  I have no idea, who makes it, but it is pretty terrible.  Like many traps, it is not clear, so the only way you know it is full, is when the drains get slow.  It consists of an outer case, with an inner part, that has a plastic screen.  The inner part is held in place with two latches. 

When it is time to clean it out, you undo the latches, and use a handle on the top, to pull the inner part out.  So you are pulling against not only the weight of all the trapped waste and water, but also against a vacuum created by the whole thing.  I have to use a flat head screwdriver, between the top and bottom, to give me enough leverage to pry the two pieces apart.

Then, of course, there is almost not room to navigate the inner part, so I end up having some of the waste spill under the sink.  There used to be the copper supply lines, directly in my way, which were recently replaced with flexible supply lines, which are almost as bad, because they keep springing back in the way.

The whole thing is ridiculous, especially considering it still will occasionally leak, which spills onto our smooth concrete floor,  making a hazard. 

At the beginning of the Semester, I threaten students, that those who get a detention from me, will have to clean it out.  Yes, I have had a student do it before, because it was a punishment, that was equally fitting of the offense.

[neilestrick]

The beauty of the Gleco trap is its simplicity. It's easy to install, and easy to clean. And it works. I've used them for 14 years and I've never had a clog.

[Bill Kielb]

Simplest successful design I have seen is a 2gallon plastic bucket with inlet and discharge built into the top of the lid. (Somebody designed it) the size is great and the cost of creating a new one after a month or two is probably 20 bucks if you are not inclined to  remove the sludge and placing it back in service. Glecco is great, but their small  size and the minute size of clay we are trying to filter I find problematic.