I was sitting here on the computer in the office, across from the bathroom. Out of no where I start hearing a a sound that sounds like boiling water. I walk over to the toilet (that no one has used for hours) lif the lid and watch the water slowly gurgling away!

Now the wife does have the washer going, but that is the only other device being used in the house at this time. Any ideas what would have caused this?

Should I be worried?

 

Worry? No, just use the toilet before she washes clothes! Just kidding. You have a venting problem. When the washer drains it is sucking down all the water it can because it has no atmospheric pressure above to draw from. You may note a slight gassy smell from the sink and shower right after she finishes washing, also. The soda straw effect. Place a straw in a coke and put your thumb over the end. Withdrawing it will not allow the coke to leave the tube until you release your thumb and hence the pressure above.
If you feel up to it, take a garden hose to the roof and chug the larger of the vent pipes until the obstruction is released. Be careful, as falling is fun, but the sudden stop is rough.

 

Thank you for your earlier advise, it seems now that I am still in need though. I went on the roof to the one and only stack that I have and checked for an obstruction..none. I took the hose and spent a few minutes washing down anything that I wasnt able to see (just in case.) When I came back in I noticed all kinds of dirt around the drain in the tub, I went to rinse it and realized that it was draining water. SO....I plunged the bathtub drain , the water went down, and I hoped I was done. So such luck.

While doing laundry again this evening, the toilet start bubling while the ater level in the bowl dropped, and the tub drain again put about a gallon of dirty water into the tub. Tub drain went down and all is well, but what the heck is going on??

I am hoping to have this resolved very soon for fear of a flood when I am at work. Please HELP!!

 

Somebody, anybody please throw me a bone here!

 

With dirty water coming into the tub, you may quite possibly have a drain obstruction, and the water will not go out as fast as you are giving it. If you know where the cleanout is located, you can rent an auger and run it at least past the obstruction, but in all reality a plumber can diagnose this much better and clean it all up. I had hoped we could do something simple to clear it up, but we may have reached our point of no return.