Weird toilet question

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Themilkman

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I have an oddly specific toilet question, but any help would be greatly appreciated...

My wife has ocd, is a germaphobe, and is pregnant, so anytime she goes to the bathroom, it turns into a lengthy, stressful, and difficult process. We live in a duplex, and she has noticed that anytime our neighbors flush their toilet, the pressure in ours changes and the water moves. Being a germaphobe this stresses her out immensely, as her time of using our toilet seemingly always coincides with theirs. She has a hard time getting past the idea that our neighbors waste is somehow getting into our toilet. So she has given me the task of asking around why this could be...

As far as I can tell, each side of the duplex has their own water line... we have a meter in the basement that sends clean water to each of our own fixtures... we have a stack that collects all of our waste that converges in the basement and is sent out... I don't know if ours meets up with our neighbors other than at the main sewer...

One other point that may or may not be useful: the two toilets (ours and our neighbors) are adjacent to one another on the shared wall.

Any help would be fantastic. Thanks so much!
 
You're asking plumbers what they think about germs backing up or possible contamination from an adjacent toilet.?


I'm sorry your wife is a germaphobe. You must be a very tolerable person.
I know there are a lot of very tiny little organisms out there that can make you very sick and/or kill you.
I also understand that some people have weaker immune systems than others as well.

I'm not qualified to tell you that the water in your toilet is safe.
I wouldn't use it to brush my teeth.
How safe is the water coming out of your faucet??
Do you brush your teeth with that?
You have to draw a line somewhere?


Sorry for the ranting. I have been sticking my hands in other peoples toilets for over 30 yrs and I'm still kickin' strong. So germaphobes can get me riled up a bit.

Sometimes when there are back to back fixtures and they are not vented properly or a restriction in the vent, water flow in one fixture may cause the water seal in the other to move a little. Unless there is actually water flowing up into you fixture from water use somewhere else, then it should be okay.

Here's a solution. She's not going to like it. Get a her a camp toilet with a bucket and a bag. Then all she has to do is bag it up and take it to the trash.

I would be more worried about snakes coming up through the toilet

snake in toilet.png
 
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Your neighbours waste is not backing up into your toilet. At some point, somebody may have tied a couple of your vents together, and the + and - pressures in the system make the water in the bowl tremble.

Congratulations on the pregnancy by the way.
 
Mr_David said:
You're asking plumbers what they think about germs backing up or possible contamination from an adjacent toilet.?

I'm sorry your wife is a germaphobe. You must be a very tolerable person.

Sorry for the ranting. I have been sticking my hands in other peoples toilets for over 30 yrs and I'm still kickin' strong. So germaphobes can get me riled up a bit.
Click to expand...

If I experienced the same thing, I would also be concerned.

The wife is pregnant so the hormones are flowing. You treat her with respect and understanding. If she is concerned about the toilet, you educate her and calm her concerns.

When I was a kid, I went to the SAT matinee and watched IT CAME FROM BENEATH THE SEA and I was afraid to sit on a toilet for a long time... :eek:

As for your supposed invincibility to nasty things, you will age one day and it will affect you as it does most people. I know I lost much of my invincibility once I stopped drinking... :(
 
Thank you all for the replies!

My wife hasn't always been a germaphobe. Long story very, very short--it stems from two straight years of sinus infections and 6 months battling C Diff. When she got pregnant with our first, she was determined not to get sick again. And poof--germaphobe. It's a really difficult situation for both of us.

I had done some research on plumbing recently, but not enough to have any suggestions on what was causing our situation. She just wanted me to ask someone who knew what they were talking about.

By the way, thanks for terrifying me with the snake picture! It only took me 10 years to get over the scene from Arachnophobia where the spider is hiding inside the rim of the toilet :eek:
 
Themilkman said:
By the way, thanks for terrifying me with the snake picture! It only took me 10 years to get over the scene from Arachnophobia where the spider is hiding inside the rim of the toilet :eek:
Click to expand...

I always raise the seat and perform a complete area inspection.

I used to frequent truck stops years ago and had more that one critter try and sneak up on me. Hand to tentacle combat is difficult with your pants around your ankles... :eek:
 
here is something to think about.

when you go poo poo...your body emits an odor from your rear orifice.

here you go.

we, as in us humans, use our noses to detect odor, how that is accomplished is micro particles of the item you are smelling are actually entering your nose and sticking to the hair membrane.

in other words...you have poo poo in your nose if you are smelling poo poo

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RijB8wnJCN0"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RijB8wnJCN0[/ame]
 
Insane in the membrane.........:D
YePer.

I was typing out a sincere apology for being insensitive earlier this morning.
Just about done and the power to my house went out :mad:

KULTULZ
"The wife is pregnant so the hormones are flowing. You treat her with respect and understanding. If she is concerned about the toilet, you educate her and calm her concerns."

You are absolutely right.

A"s for your supposed invincibility to nasty things, you will age one day and it will affect you as it does most people."

Yeah I know I! I can't leap over tall buildings any more.

THEMILKMAN
Again I apologize for being insensitive. I wish the best of health for your wife and baby.

Then my previous reply that was lost into the dark hole of a power failure was some Kraze philosophical rant about Fear and how it can be more harmful than what it is you actually fear.

The picture of the snake was my pleasure. I also found one with a big spider but I will spare you.

There was something else I wrote but I'm having a senior moment.
Can't remember what it was. But It was GOOD
 
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