the smell can be because the shower drain shares the sewer pipe..

that is a very poor plumbing practice and I do not think it is really not too common, I have built twice in rural villages with local labor and neither time did they do that and they knew why not to

it is not just the smell, you do not want wash water mixed with toilet water in a septic tank because it is much better to separate them

Wax rings to seal installations are usually found in the box with the toilet and its fittings.

And how many roof vents did these experts use? Every large stack is required to have one in most, if not all, of the US. Your systems may have been parallel, but eventually the small pipe connected to the big pipe, before it hit the tank. No roof vent, but likely a periscope looking vent on the tank. Guess what happens when the wind blows towards that vent?

The small pipes did not connect to the big pipes, they went into separate tanks. I saw it done that way on four different installations. So you are off base with your know it all attitude about things you have not seen.

I've never seen anyone with separate tanks, unless it was for grey water recycling. And you don't even know how it was vented. Sounds like somebody didn't get enough Shekels for Hanukkah....I've owned two homes with septic, never pumped them, always flushed paper, and neither house had sewer gas. I've done all my own plumbing work for 20 years. I've also worked for a plumber.

that seems to be the key component that is missing in most of the single family homes, and even if they had them; they still can get birds' nests in them and other debris. It provides the best access to clean the sewer line in many cases.

We could not find vents for soil stacks in Thailand. We put 90 degree connectors on the top of each stack and put a stopend on the end of each connector with many holes drilled in each. If access is needed to the top end of the soil stack, you just remove the connector and you have direct access. Not the neatest solution - but on the mother in laws' house the top of the stack is below the gable end of the main ridge at the back of the house. But it is still up high. On the nicer house, a little roof was made over the chimney that hides the top of the stack. The tiles just sit on a welded roof structure over the chimney top and can be removed relatively easily. One might have to cut this roof structure a little if access was needed, but is a small job to reweld it back and how often do you need to access the top of a soil stack if the drainage was properly laid in the first place?

I agree most builders in Thailand (and in many other countries) don't bother with a vent.

And for those saying that builders are fitting smaller than 4'' pipes, surely it wouldn't save that much money, would it? In the average house it wouldn't a lot of pipe, so it wouldn't be more than a few dollars difference if I recall correctly from the days when I worked at a pipe factory/distributor in New Zealand.

My experience is more in Africa. Plumbers here frequently try and use smaller pipe than is required. I have always put it down to penny pinching but it may also be that i) either they can't be bothered to go and buy the proper materials and are using whatever may be about or ii) the local market or wherever does not have the proper material in stock so they use a tube of smaller diameter or iii) as they don't use toilet roll themselves they feel a 3" or 2" pipe is adequate.

If you are still using toilet paper you are doing it wrong. It is so much more hygienic to use the spray, then just dry with the paper. My main issue with visiting home in UK is that I will have to use toilet paper, it literally disgusts me after years being used to the spray-away method.

Obviously the signs are because they have thinner pipes here because Asians don't clean up the disgusting western way.

Totally agree. Such an erudite post! We will be installing Thai-style squirters in our European home.

One thing to think of when reading what some other people have done to install a Bum Gun in their home in the West.

Thai water pressure is quite low by western standards and I read that the bum guns do fail sometimes when plumbed into the higher pressure.

We recently had kids and I've been looking at all sort of Baby Gear.

Came across this ... the Little Squirt Water Sprayer

Credit

Designed for parents with the reusable cloth nappy. You use the 'Bum Gun' to hose the solids into the Loo and then wash the nappy in the usual manner.

When hooked up, it looks like this ...

Credit

Retails in Australia for around the $80 mark.

The joys of Parenthood ...

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[quote name="bangmai" post="8863874" timestamp="

I've also worked for a plumber.

Far out, that is really very cool.

Paper should be biodegradable. If not using 10meters of it it should go down fine, and break down in the tank.

Stronger materials like facial tissue etc. May cause blockage.

I had always heard the old saying, "Never put anything into the toilet that you haven't eaten first." While clever, it is not necessarily accurate. A septic system is designed for minimum maintenance. A properly constructed one may only need to be pumped every ten years or less. Here's a trick to make it work - open the hatch to the septic system, and put a couple of 4 inch X 10 inch logs into the tank. As your bacteria and enzyme systems set up, it will begin to digest the wood. What is paper made of? Yes - wood. This will make a system work well for longer periods. The enemy of the septic system is chemicals. Too often, people or maintenance staff put chemicals such as chlorine bleach down into the septic system, and it kills off all the beneficial bacteria and enzymes. Then, you have problems. The over-the-counter septic digestion system products are usually just someone's profit center and they are not that effective.

The advice about sanitary napkins, q-tips, etc., is sound, as they will physically clog pipes and take a long time to digest in the system. I have had septic systems most of my life, and have had the displeasure to work on some failed ones (never my own) - always caused by chemicals - much of my life, and I put the toilet tissue in the commode after I have deposited what I ate the day before, and never had problems.

I can show you 30 links on septic systems that say it is ok to flush TP (Unless the tank is too small for the use)...show me one that says you can't.http://septicsolutionstexas.com/FAQ.htm