Has anybody here ever seen or made some sort of calibration to link the rate that the water moves to the outside wind speed?

Happy New Year! (My new years question to all)

 

Are you talking about in an airplane?

John

 

No, most homes and businesses as well. When the wind gets over about 15mph, the water in the toilet bowl swishes around, and it isn't from the movement of the building.

 

I've never seen that. Is this inside or outside plumbing? John

 

Inside plumbing. It's gusting to 35 here by looking at the latest swish-wash.

 

All waste plumbing has to be vented - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drain-waste-vent_system

The piping is most often open at the top, and will tend to resonate like an organ pipe with wind blowing across it.

 

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No, most homes and businesses as well. When the wind gets over about 15mph, the water in the toilet bowl swishes around, and it isn't from the movement of the building.

I have never seen my toilet water swishing at home but I have seen the water in my office swishing. I does it constantly, I work in the tallest building in Pittsburgh. I always assumed it was the movement of the building.

 

Inside plumbing. It's gusting to 35 here by looking at the latest swish-wash.

Sounds like an interesting project. You could place some kind of sensor inside the bowl. It could double as a warning for anyone taking a really big dump and clogging the pipes.

Or hook one to the toilet and one to the sink and one to the door. If someone uses the toilet without using the sink to wash hands then an alarm with flashing lights and a bell could go off. (Actually this was a subject of a Far Side cartoon.)

 

All waste plumbing has to be vented - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drain-waste-vent_system

The piping is most often open at the top, and will tend to resonate like an organ pipe with wind blowing across it.

Yeah, I guess not many people live in windy areas.

I noticed it back in middle school and it took a LONG time to get an answer, I think High School Physics, teachers were always annoyed by my question that they couldn't answer, but had seen the effect of too. This was before The Internet, so knowledge like this was specialized and "magical".

 

Wait, WHAT?

I dont usually stare into my toilet bowl any longer than I have to.

So the pressure caused from the wind on the plumbing vent is causing "swishing" ?

Is this what were are getting at?

Would a tire bead-seater cause the water to jump out of the bowl (ALA m-80 style?).

That could lead to laughs... And possibly infection

 

If you get a big salad bowl, then move it from side to side about 1-2 times per second, that is exactly what the toilet water looks like when it is windy. The larger the swing, the higher the wind speed outside. When it is around 35mph gusting, around 2" excursions take place. It doesn't ever splash around, it just moves back and forth.

To notice this, it helps greatly if you A) Have a Clean Toilet B) Use the Blue Water Cleaner Tablets to help visibility of smaller perturbations C) Live where the wind gusts at least 15mph over your roof.