's-' or 'smell' or 'grease traps' in new buildings in tropical climates

[MW Man]

I just moved into a new appartment in a new high rise in Southern China. To my surprise I noticed that ****there are no 's-traps'**** (='smell trap', 'grease traps, etc': the s-shaped 'contraptions' under each sink and all the drain lines. As far as I know they have to be used in al residential constructions. The water also drains from the balconies in the same way. The whole building, all 25 strories, are built this way.

To make sure I explain it clearly: all the drainage lines are connected to- or go horizontally, straight to the vertical drainege lines, whih their air escape to the roof! Only the toilet bowls have their built in 'traps'.

Is this an accpetable, sanitary, building practice? Is this done because we are in a very hot, humid climate or I'm the victim of a bulding mistake or even of a scam?

Prompt expert's advise is greatly appreciatted, as things are starting to s(t)ink here!.

MWMAN

[mwman]

I just moved into a new appartment in a new high rise in Southern China. To my surprise I noticed that ****there are no 's-traps'**** (='smell trap', 'grease traps, etc': those 's-' or 'u' shaped 'contraptions' installed under each sink and all the drain lines. As far as I know they have to be used in al residential constructions. The water also drains from the balconies in the same way. The whole building, all 25 strories, are built this way.

To make sure I explain it clearly: all the drainage lines are connected to- or go horizontally, straight to the vertical drainege lines, whih their air escape to the roof! Only the toilet bowls have their built in 'traps'.

Is this an accpetable, sanitary, building practice? Is this done because we are in a very hot, humid climate or I'm the victim of a bulding mistake or even of a scam?

Prompt expert's advise is greatly appreciatted, as things are starting to s(t)ink here!.

MWMAN

[m Ransley]

If there was no trap somewhere sewer gas would be over powering.

[chili palmer]

did you say gas as in methane? as in explosion hazard?

Sounds like posters building is the only one plumbed like this.. this makes no sense

[chili palmer]

you don't need an expert to tell you, your smelling your own feces, its metane gas and it's highly explosive

if you send a charge down the sink drain, it could blow the whole f****ng septic system

by the way.. which way does the water spin as you flush the toilet?

[HeyBub]

Methane is odorless.

[EXT]

It may be piped to British/European standards where the vertical vent pipe is basically outside the building and the horizontal plumbing runs do not directly connect with the vertical stack but pour into an open collector connected to the vertical stack. This creates an air gap between the drain and the vertical sewer stack. Look at any picture of an older British house and you will see the external stack and the pipes draining into the collector. This can only be done where the pipes do not freeze solid in winter, and may be the reason you are seeing it in Southern China.

[chili palmer]

are you sure? I thought methane smelt like rotten eggs

you might be thinking of natural gas, they put an odor in natural gas so folk can smell leaks

[Eigenvector]

Methane is odorless. What you smell in natural gas is called ethanethiol - put there purposefully so that you know the gas is present.