The modern way of arranging the scullery-sink is to fix it near an outer wall, with a trap beneath the sink, and the waste pipe continued to the grease-tank fixed outside in an area or yard. This is shown in section, Figure 217. It is a good plan to fix the sink on cantilevers, so that the whole of the space beneath is in view and easily cleaned. I find the more light there is in these places the less liability there is of their being used as stores for rotting vegetables, garbage, uncleaned pots, old shoes, worn-out house-flannels, and other things that in some mysterious way find a last resting-place at this spot. In Figure 217 the waste pipe is shown on the face of the wall; it is better to let it flush into the wall, so that the pails or a passing broom should not bruise it and so contract its water-way. An air pipe should always be fixed as shown in the sketch. This is not entirely for the purpose of preventing syphonage of the water out of the trap, as this is not an important item under these conditions. It will be found that a large flat-bottomed sink always retains enough water on the bottom to afterwards dribble into and recharge the trap. But if there were no vent pipe the air between the two traps could not escape, so that the waste pipe would be "air-bound," and the waste water would not pass readily away.

Figure 217.

A quibble might be raised as to the position of the vent pipe, but I think this the best, and always fix them so. If they are fixed on the top of the crown of the trap, grease would sometimes wash into it, and, in time, choke it up and so render it useless. Neither could the trap be fixed so close to the fittings if the vent was fixed on the crown. Again, it is an advantage that the air pipe should not be too close to the water in the trap. A current of warm air would assist to evaporate the water out of the trap, and in frosty weather the water would be more likely to freeze by contact with cold air.

In some of the higher-class houses so much grease has accumulated in the branch drains from the butler's pantry and the still-room sinks, that it has been found necessary to provide the needful conveniences near those places for retaining it in the same manner as described for sculleries.

When stoneware scullery-sinks are used, they should not have any corners where dirt can accumulate beyond the reach of the scrubbing-brush. For instance the reader is referred again to Figure 217. A is a ledge that can be avoided either by letting the sink into the wall, or a fillet of cement made with the face sloping into the sink, or a wooden fillet can be laid in and a lead flashing fixed ever it; but the cement is the best, not being liable to rot in the same manner as the wood. It is still better to line the walls all around the sink with glazed tiles bedded in cement. This prevents the walls becoming saturated with offensive-smelling matter from frequent splashings of dirty water. Where tiles are not handy, or the cost (which is not much) is an objection, the walls should be rendered to above the splashing point with cement and sand worked up to a smooth face. Stone sinks, when of a porous nature, should be avoided as much as possible, as they generally smell offensive by reason of the amount of matter retained in the pores.

Figure 218 is a plan showing the arrangement of scullery-sinks at a nobleman's country mansion. A is a grease-and-sand-intercepting tank to receive the waste pipes from B, C, and C.

Figure 218.

D is an ordinary drain-interceptor trap to receive the waste pipes from sinks, E, E. B is a large-size stoneware sink, white glazed inside, used for tubs or scouring coppers. C, C, are two wooden sinks lined with strong tinned-copper, one to be used for washing, and the other for rinsing, plates and dishes. Over these sinks along the back, shown by dotted lines, is a wooden rack in which to place the plates, etc, for draining. E, E, are the two sinks made of slate slabs bolted together, to be used especially for washing vegetables, salads, etc. F, F, F, are draining-boards between the sinks. These are covered with corrugated tinned-copper, so that the water off cups, basins, etc, will run away from them back into the sinks. Figure 219 is a fractional section across this drainage-board, showing also a tinned-copper half-round capping-piece screwed along the front of the drainage-boards and continued on the front edge of the copper sinks, to prevent that being bruised by tubs or pails, etc. Waste pipes from scullery-sinks should always be fixed separately, so that, should one become stopped or choked up, the others will not be affected or thrown out of use.

Figure 219.