Oil trap
- Slovak term: Slovenský termín
- An interceptor used to retain oil and prevent it passing into sewers (WHO 2006).
- An oil trap is also called an interceptor trap, or an oil interceptor. It is a device used to separate oil from a waste discharge before it enters the public sewer network (American Society of Sanitary Engineering 2007).
Explanation
An oil trap is installed in a plumbing drainage system to prevent oil based substances from entering the authority’s sewer network. The oil tap is a retention tank fitted with baffles or below surface path ways which separates the oil from the waste water, by forcing the waste to travel along the bottom of the tank. The separation process works because the oil is less dense than the water. The oil floats to the top. New technologies are available where electronic pulse systems use electro coagulation as a means of oil separation (WHO 2006).
Example
An oil trap is installed where automotive repairs take place to ensure the oil waste from that repair work does not enter the sewer. The oil interceptors are required to be vented to avoid dangerous gas accumulation and the separated oil reclaimed for reuse (World Plumbing Council Working Group 2008).
References
- WHO (2006) Health aspects of plumbing
- American Society of Sanitary Engineering. 2007. Plumbing Dictionary Sixth Edition.
