They are obsolete for a couple of reasons:
- P-traps are much easier to snake out if there is a clog. Drum traps have offset connections for inflow and outflow. They usually have a screw cover to access the inside of the drum and scoop out crud. That can be unsightly/hard to access though.
- Drum traps clog more easily because stuff can accumulate in the drum -- a P-trap is "self cleaning" in that the water scours the inside of the pipe as it moves along.
Anyways, I'd want to replace it if I were in your shoes. However if you have a lead waste pipe coming off the drum trap under the concrete, you'd probably end up destroying it while breaking up the floor. (Lead is much much softer than cast iron or PVC).
Then again, the lead pipe (or whatever is connected to the drum's outflow) is probably near the end of its useful life anyway, just judging by the fact that it's connected to an old drum trap. So it might be worth replacing.
At the very least yes, you should replace the drum with a P-trap if you can get to the waste pipe.
- P-traps are much easier to snake out if there is a clog. Drum traps have offset connections for inflow and outflow. They usually have a screw cover to access the inside of the drum and scoop out crud. That can be unsightly/hard to access though.
- Drum traps clog more easily because stuff can accumulate in the drum -- a P-trap is "self cleaning" in that the water scours the inside of the pipe as it moves along.
Anyways, I'd want to replace it if I were in your shoes. However if you have a lead waste pipe coming off the drum trap under the concrete, you'd probably end up destroying it while breaking up the floor. (Lead is much much softer than cast iron or PVC).
Then again, the lead pipe (or whatever is connected to the drum's outflow) is probably near the end of its useful life anyway, just judging by the fact that it's connected to an old drum trap. So it might be worth replacing.
At the very least yes, you should replace the drum with a P-trap if you can get to the waste pipe.
