Life in Cambodia

A Gas Problem 21 December 2006 There are basically no zoning laws or building codes in Cambodia. Anyone can do anything he or she wants. Especially if he is a government or military or police official. Houses and other buildings have wiring and plumbing and construction features that would never be allowed in other countries.

Because there are no plumbing laws or inspections in Cambodia, plumbing is usually installed the cheapest and easiest way. This is the drain in the floor of my bathroom. Most toilets in Cambodia have drains in the floor because there are no shower stalls. The water just sprays around the room. This drain has no gooseneck to stop sewer gas from coming back up the pipe. The smell of gas would be strong enough at night to wake me up as it spread through my bedroom. The drain has a built-in water "trap" that can block the escape of gas if the proper lid is installed on the drain, but this plastic cover doesn't have that feature. My solution is to take a plastic can, fill it with water, and sit it on top of the open sewer pipe. It's not perfect, but it blocks most of the gas. I'm working on another lid, made from a tuna fish can, that should be more effective. Go to Charlie Dittmeier's home page