• Björn Tantau
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    128 hours ago

    Toilets don’t get their air from the sewers. There’s actually an air hole at the top of the house to let air into the pipes so that they don’t produce negative pressure.

    Learned that from a plumbing guy who told me that it’s actually a noob mistake diy guys often make to forget that hole.

  • @i_stole_ur_taco@lemmy.ca
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    22 hours ago

    If I were in a fire and suffocating and somehow had a long tube in a bathroom, I think I’d stick the hose out the window and breathe that air instead.

    And if I found myself:

    • trapped in a bathroom
    • suffocating due to smoke from a fire
    • i have a long flexible tube
    • no windows in the bathroom AND
    • I’m somehow not going to burn to death

    Then I’ll just fucking die. It’s fine. That’s such an edge case I’m not gonna worry about it.

    • @toynbee@lemmy.world
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      131 day ago

      When I was first informed that this was possible, it was suggested as a way to get breathable air if your city suffered a gas attack or similar.

        • Björn Tantau
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          28 hours ago

          Toilets don’t get their air from the sewers. There’s actually an air hole at the top of the house to let air into the pipes so that they don’t produce negative pressure.

          Learned that from a plumbing guy who told me that it’s actually a noob mistake diy guys often make to forget that hole.

        • @toynbee@lemmy.world
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          81 day ago

          My friend posited that the amount in the sewers would be likely to be less than that in the ambient air and therefore worth attempting if desperate.

          I don’t know much of anything about sewers, but you don’t really smell things around manholes, do you? (My anosmia prevents me from answering this with confidence.) If not, it would make sense to presume there’s some kind of seal on them. If that’s the case, the outlet would be the primary inlet for gas. I don’t know enough about gas attacks or drainage to say whether that’s a problem.

          If I’m ever unable to breathe ambient air or escape the area, I’ll try to remember to attempt this and get back to you.

          • @JcbAzPx@lemmy.world
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            91 day ago

            The reason every drain has a water trap is sewer gas can be deadly. It’s possibly better than guaranteed death by smoke inhalation or terrorist attack, but not by much.

            • @toynbee@lemmy.world
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              51 day ago

              It’s not surprising that it could be deadly, but I was always told the reason was olfactory in nature.

              Wait … Explain the ninja turtles!

      • @bam13302@ttrpg.network
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        23 hours ago

        Cuz the sewer pipes are known for being hermetically sealed.

        I imagine just checking if your windows are closed, sealing any cracks as best you can with wet towels, and staying inside would be far more effective

    • @usualsuspect191@lemmy.ca
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      251 day ago

      That scene bothered me so much! If there’s a path to air from the plumbing vent, then those toilets would’ve been draining water from that room really quickly. If they were overwhelmed by the water, then the hoses wouldn’t be useful for breathing

      • Tar_Alcaran
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        323 hours ago

        Exactly. Getting rid of a suddenly huge influx of water is literally what toilets are made to do.

  • TomMasz
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    251 day ago

    You’ll likely die before you: a) remember where you put this thing, b) manage to successfully thread it far enough so you’re not inhaling toilet water, c) survive the sewer gases. If the window is big enough get through, better to jump.

    • @ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.de
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      322 hours ago

      Regular people, sure. But some firefighters that work in cities with a lot of highrise apartments will keep tubing in their turnouts for this. Super low odds of needing it, but a couple feet of rolled up tubing is lightweight and doesn’t take up much space.

    • @Steamymoomilk@sh.itjust.works
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      1 day ago

      What do you mean internet chud? You didnt use the toilet air gap? I expected that with my VAST knowlage, (ajusts monocle) see as for me i live on the interwebs to expand my VAST knowlage of things (400 year old roman throne squeaks ($5 ikea office chair)) its rather arbitrary that you have never seen this in action? Whats next your gonna to say you dont shoot yourself with pellets to gain bullet immunity or take showers? /S

      ^THIS IS SATIRE^

      To be legit, im kinda intreasted aswell to know if this has actually been used!

      • @Lyrl@lemm.ee
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        18 hours ago

        Someone else posted firefighters working in high rises are trained on this. I haven’t seen anything more plausible.