Need plumbing help in Mexico

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Ted Nugent

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I'm down in Mex. putting in a bathroom and septic tank. I'm trying to figure out the best fittings to use as we are very limited down here as to what is available. I could always DHL parts from the U.S. but was hoping I could design a system that would work based on what they have here. I'm using ABS but they have no long sweep 90's and no long sweep (combi) fittings only vent els and san tees.
My questions are:
1/can I just use two 45's instead of a long sweep 90 for the toilet drop from vert. to horiz.
2/ is it O.K. to use 3 inch pipe all the way into the septic tank (vs. increasing to 4 inch)?
We are only down here for two or three months out of the year and the new baño will only have a toilet and lav. sink (no shower) running into the septic tank so very little usage. I sort of think I'm over-thinking this but I don't want to create something that backs up since the bathroom floor is slab on grade and this is a one-time installation.
 

Terry

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3" works for three bathrooms.
In the US, they like 4" outside the foundation, but 3" would work.
You can make 90's by combining two 45's
Or a combo with a wye and a 45
A santee has no sweep for directing waste in the proper direction in the horizontal position.
 

Ted Nugent

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3" works for three bathrooms.
In the US, they like 4" outside the foundation, but 3" would work.
You can make 90's by combining two 45's
Or a combo with a wye and a 45
A santee has no sweep for directing waste in the proper direction in the horizontal position.
Great! I was thinking if 3 inch is good enough to get you to the 4 inch sewer pipe in a "normal" situation then why not continue all the way into the septic tank with 3 inch.
Funny thing down here is they don't generally vent their fixtures. Instead they vent their septic tanks which often stinks badly. But then again the laid back Mexican way of life means nobody is getting worked up about a little stink (or stinky shower drains, etc.) It all works out.
 

WJcandee

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Well, you vent fixtures in order to avoid siphoning the traps in your drains. Venting the septic tank is not going to do that. So I guess the Mexican plumbers don't mind sewer gas flowing up into their homes. Because that's the effect of not venting fixtures.
 

Ted Nugent

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Well, you vent fixtures in order to avoid siphoning the traps in your drains. Venting the septic tank is not going to do that. So I guess the Mexican plumbers don't mind sewer gas flowing up into their homes. Because that's the effect of not venting fixtures.
Things are pretty lax down here. Most homes in rural areas and small towns don't require inspections and most people don't get permits. Super casual. Too, there are a lot of builders who do it all: plumbing, electrical, concrete work, etc who don't have any training. I.e. you wouldn't necessarily call in a "plumber" or "electrician" (although they do exist) to do their particular trade work. Cost is always the driving force for the locals and unless you're doing the work yourself or managing every aspect of the job it will get done how they do things in the area.
 

Terry

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Venting cost very little when done in ABS
And the difference in the home is noticeable.
Most of the lines are waste, and very few are above the trap where they then become vents.
When I've traveled, I often see the plumbing and how it's done. Often the plumbing is on the side of the buildings for all to see. It's one of the reasons I wanted the forum. I know that those countries have Internet, but maybe not much available locally when it comes to books about plumbing.
My hope has always been that they would stumble across the site and learn how it's done.
 

Plumaman15

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Yea Ted,
3" ok provided there's sufficient fall to ST and the tank is located not to far from fixtures.
Terry covers your other concerns adequately.
Cheers
 

hj

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quote; the tank is located not to far from fixtures

Here, we run 3" ALL THE WAY to the sewer connection or septic tank regardless of the distance from the fixtures. As long as the building only has 3 or fewer toilets, that is.
 

Ted Nugent

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Ter
Venting cost very little when done in ABS
And the difference in the home is noticeable.
Most of the lines are waste, and very few are above the trap where they then become vents.
When I've traveled, I often see the plumbing and how it's done. Often the plumbing is on the side of the buildings for all to see. It's one of the reasons I wanted the forum. I know that those countries have Internet, but maybe not much available locally when it comes to books about plumbing.
My hope has always been that they would stumble across the site and learn how it's done.
Terry I admire your educational reasoning in regards to having the forum and I would hope some of the aspiring builders down here would reach out via internet to find out how to do things right.
One issue in a lot of latin American countries is the construction methods. Quite often they use concrete block and/or foam panels covered in concrete. From what I've seen, they blast in the walls and floors and then come back and channel out for electrical and plumbing. Often times they also have a flat concrete roof. The added expense for them to channel out the walls for plumbing vents may be a deterrent and then having a penetration through the flat roof may not seem worth it to them. Hence perhaps why you may have seen vents and waste done outside the walls?
I think on the whole central America is far from any accepted building code. May be a long time before something gets accepted, especially in rural areas and smaller towns.
Nonetheless, thanks for doing the forum for those who want the knowledge.
 
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