plummers

Submitted by enfermera94 on 28 January, 2008 - 10:07.

There seem to be a great need of good , skilled plummers in Jinotega. ( Maybe all Nicaragua) Does anyone in Nl wants to open a plumming school? It will help all those unemployed workers and help all those retirees that are moving to Nicaragua. Just a thought!

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toilets

Submitted by 1st Capt. Ron on 28 January, 2008 - 14:25.

Exactly why is it we cannot put paper in the toilet? I think it has something to with the type of pipes or size, but I am really not sure.

1st Capt. Ron

I hope you're putting the

Submitted by willdufauve on 28 January, 2008 - 15:42.

I hope you're putting the paper in the toilet when you're done with it, Bud! I've heard of using both sides, but I'm against that concept.

I think people mean don't dispose of unnecessary or improper papers in there.

Toilet paper is made to bio-degrade quickly. Other papers that don't break down fast would fill the tank faster and you'd need more pumping. They also could clog up the pipe where it's "S" shaped under the bowl, but you can snake that out easily, if you have a snake or even a plunger.

I would also like to add that modern low flow toilets work the least when you need them the most. The future is in waterless composting toilets.

clay pipes

Submitted by fyl on 28 January, 2008 - 15:39.

It is explained before on this site. See http://www.nicaliving.com/node/81

Thanks for the link fyl. I

Submitted by willdufauve on 28 January, 2008 - 15:51.

Thanks for the link fyl. I learned something new. Hey, clay, plastic, whatever, as long as everything comes out all right in the end...

You need a sewer vent stack

Submitted by willdufauve on 28 January, 2008 - 14:16.

You need a sewer vent stack for health reasons or the sewer gases come back up into the house. Makes it flush mo' betta, too.

You need sink drains vented or a little of the drained water comes back in by suction and brings bacteria with it. Especially the kitchen sink, usually the bathroom sink and tub are tied into the throne's soil pipe and stack.

I wouldn't be comfortable with the septic tank or whatever under the toilet and foundation. Move that stuff away from the living space! What about self composting toilets? Great when there's no winter low temps, no plumbing or tank required. I have one upstairs.

Plumbers here charge a fortune, but modern plumbing methods are human progress.

More On Plumbing

Submitted by haircuttingcowboy on 28 January, 2008 - 17:30.

You are correct. Its not the best thing, ESPECIALLY with no vent stack! The odor from the tanque WILL enter the home. Sinks and toilets will not drain correctly. As a test, a toilet will burp or gurgle loudly when a nearby sink is drained of water if there is not adequate system venting. It is also common NOT to install P traps on sink and shower drains. P traps (the S curve under your sink) prevent septic tank gases from coming into the home by holding a bit of water as a seal. Vents are used to release gases and to introduce air into a system. Obviously, very little drain pipe is needed in the shortcut "designs". Just a pipe from the lavatory and from the shower to the septic tank below the toilet. So if you buy an existing house, keep this in mind. You may want or need to do some plumbing revisions.

PVC

Submitted by haircuttingcowboy on 28 January, 2008 - 10:46.

Is PVC and PVC glue widely available and widely used in Nicaragua? I know its fairly common in Costa Rica. Or is copper or iron pipe still more common? One must make do with available resources. Toilets, for example, are often installed in a manner that requires no drain piping at all. They simply mount the toilet directly over a septic tank that is partially under the slab of the house and partly out in the yard (underground, of course). PVC makes plumbing an easy job for non-professionals, but if it is not readily available, it cannot be used. It is the preferred material for sewer/septic drains as it is impermeable to tree and plant root systems. Old style clay tile drain lines are notorious for having tree roots penetrate and eventually clog them and break them.

PVC

Submitted by fyl on 28 January, 2008 - 11:18.

Everything recently new is PVC. Based on that, I am not sure what plumbing skills are needed beyond understanding that water runs down hill.

The biggest problem I see is lack of availability of decent parts. That is, faucets that aren't crap, toilet "guts" that are not plastic, ...

One thing that seemed strange is that apparently the government (I was told the alcaldia in Estelí) don't do vents on sewer lines. Also, the norm for installing water pipes (and electrical conduit) in new construction is put up the wall (bricks) then chisel out a place to put the pipe. Very strange.

I don't think the lack of plumbers (and electricians) is not a training issue. It is a lack of money to pay them. I see electrical work being done by people with no clue because someone with a clue would cost more. In Estelí, that means either all wires are one color or red and black and connections are insulated with plastic bags. Scary.

Interesting

Submitted by Billy Bob on 28 January, 2008 - 18:04.

that they don´t seem to use ¨wax rings¨ to seal the toilets, either. They are concreted into the slab!! Classic ¨do it right the first time¨ scenerio.

¨pate de perro¨

No Sh*t

Submitted by haircuttingcowboy on 28 January, 2008 - 18:15.

That ain't right! The porosity of concrete will allow moisture to seep between the toilet underside and the floor And gases to waft up and out from under the toilet.

Plumbing

Submitted by Mark on 28 January, 2008 - 23:21.

Plumbing and electrical skills training in Nicaragua sounds like a good idea. You will have to have classroom and apprentice time as well. Some homes I have seen are not using damping or proper sealant and I have seen leaking right through concrete to the first floor. As far as your septic system goes the worst thing is not toilet paper but cigarette butts. The nicotine kills the bacteria that is working for you.

And the wax ring needs to be

Submitted by willdufauve on 28 January, 2008 - 18:12.

And the wax ring needs to be on a proper flange, preferably lead. No matter what a plumber might say the pvc flanges don't get as good a seal as lead and leak more.

The School sounds like

Submitted by brianb on 28 January, 2008 - 21:28.

a good idea. I would bet that the methods you're talking about in this thread would be taught in the first year of an apprenticeship program in the States. Do young people in Nicaragua have access to that kind of education?

plumbing

Submitted by mitch marshburn on 28 January, 2008 - 21:53.

in the states rarely do you use leaded joints or toliet flanges.pvc flanges & wax rings are the norm.If toliet has a "wet-washed"vent paper should go down drain,gases go out.meaning=sink &shower should join main sewer just past toliet branch,that way when you wash your hands you wash the poo down the line.Toliets have built in p-traps nessasary to have p-trap undershower & under sink...need a plumber I will be in Nica March & april Mitch

I just had a $5,200 bathroom

Submitted by willdufauve on 28 January, 2008 - 23:04.

I just had a $5,200 bathroom renovation and had to take the plastic flange back out of mine because after 3 tries it wouldn't stop leaking.

Actually, one of those tries the plumber just stuck in a second wax ring on top of the old one.

As soon as plumber 'number two' put in the lead flange, the leaking stopped. Voila! PVC flange bad, lead flange good.