Gurgling Drains: Causes & Fixes
What Is a Gurgling Drain?
Do you hear a gurgling noise coming from your drain? It’s air getting trapped in the pipes. Water can’t flow down smoothly, so it’s pushing past a partial clog or fighting bad airflow, and you get that bubbling sound.
Nine times out of ten, it’s either gunk narrowing the pipe or a vent problem in your plumbing. Easy to ignore, but it’s basically your pipes telling you something’s wrong. Leave it alone and it’ll only get worse.
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How To Tell If You Have a Gurgling Drain
Gurgling Sounds From Drains
You notice bubbling or gurgling sounds when water drains from your sinks, showers, or toilets, particularly right after you’ve used them.
Slow-Draining Water
Water is taking longer than it normally does to drain, and you might see it pooling for a bit before it finally clears.
Bad Odours From Drains
Bad smells coming from your drains usually mean that debris or waste has built up and gotten stuck in the pipes.
Water Backing Up
Water starts coming back up through other drains nearby, like your sink gurgling when you flush the toilet. That’s a sign of a blockage further down the line.
Toilet Bubbling or Fluctuating Water Levels
The water level in your toilet bowl rises, falls, or bubbles on its own when you use other fixtures in the house.
What Causes a Gurgling Drain?
Partial Blockages in Pipes
Grease, hair, soap scum, and food scraps. That stuff builds up inside your pipes and narrows them. Water can still get through, but it has to squeeze past the buildup, and that’s where the gurgling comes from.
Blocked or Faulty Vent Pipes
Your plumbing has vent pipes that go up through the roof to let air move in and out. If one gets blocked by leaves or a bird’s nest, that air has nowhere to go. It gets forced back down through your drains instead.
Tree Roots in Underground Pipes
Tree roots are always searching for water, and your pipes are a perfect target. They creep into small cracks and start growing inside the line, catching everything that flows past and slowly choking things up.
Is it a serious problem?
A gurgling drain is easy to ignore, but it’s your plumbing’s way of letting you know something’s not working properly. It usually results from a blockage building up somewhere in the pipes or a ventilation issue that is preventing water from draining properly. The thing is, it won’t resolve itself, and it only gets worse with time.
That occasional gurgle can eventually turn into water draining slowly, nasty smells, or water pushing back up through your sinks, showers, or toilets. Leave it long enough and the built-up pressure and poor flow can lead to damaged pipes or more serious drainage problems.
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DIY Checks You Can Try
Before you pick up the phone and call a plumber, there are a few things you can try yourself. They’ll help you work out whether it’s something small or something that needs a professional.
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