Fix Shower Gurgle Sound When You Flush Your Toilet
If you have ever heard a gurgling sound in your bathroom. You may have the problem of water being siphoned away from the p trap.
The p trap prevents methane-rich sewer gasses from rising into your bathroom. It also effectively closes your shower drain with water pressure.
Which prevents air from exiting your plumbing system through gurgling sounds. Instead, it goes through the venting system.
Normally, a vacuum is created as the water flows through the system into the sewer. This vacuum then creates a force that pulls the water from the p trap.
However, if the vent is shaped like an S over on its side, the sink is not vented. Therefore, the flushing toilet tries to draw air into the drain line.
The proper repair in such a case is to install the missing vent piping. Up through the building and its roof would be the best option.
The vents sticking out of the roofs allows air to be drawn from the pipes through the plumbing systems. Hence, relieving the pressure.
In case of a clog, pressure differences will cause air to go out through the fixture traps. Causing the water inside it not to flow freely hence accumulating.
The gurgling sound is produced as the water puts extra force for it to pass through the drain pipe.
Try placing your thumb over a soda straw immersed in a glass of soda. Then lifting the straw out of the glass, the liquid will remain in the straw until you remove your thumb. That’s an example of a vent at work.
Therefore, when a toilet gurgles, suction is building up in the drain line, creating airlocks that have to be released.
A gurgling sound can also be heard if the vent and drain pipe is not properly installed, in addition to blockage due to wastage. Such as dirt, hair, soap residue, toilet paper builds, and oils.
To find the root of the problem, which is where the sound comes from. Begin by covering all the drains. Then plunging the toilet to create suction.
If you hear your sink gurgle while using it, the issue may be confined to that sink. In this case, the gurgling noise from that specific sink will stop after the water is drained.
Check for the sound again when you drain the tub. This will show that the problem is with the main vent.
How do you fix the gurgling sound?
A complete clog is not far behind when your drain is partially blocked. Especially when you notice the water draining slower than usual, clean your drains with an environmentally friendly drain cleaner.
In case of a clog, begin clearing the vents because this blockage causes a pressure difference that forces the air to exit through the fixture traps. For example, the shower or toilet.
A vent stack is a vertical pipe used to ventilate the plumbing system. Its purpose is to allow oxygen into waste pipes. While removing any toxic sewer gases.
Moreover, the vent stack equalizes the air pressure inside the pipes. Which then allows water to move freely.
Since it’s mostly on the roof, leaves or branches can often block the vent stack. Which in turn influences the pressure negatively. Resulting in gurgling.
You can clean out the vents on the roof using a long pipe vacuum that can suck in any debris in the pipes. At the same time, at intervals, put water in the vents while checking if they will drain properly.
You can clear out clogs using hose water. However, if the blockage in the vents is too big, the water will back up out of the vent.
Meaning you have not been able to clear out anything. This is the point where you call in a professional.
On other occasions, the problem could be the plumbing vents being short. They will need to be extended to be high enough not to be covered by snow or more.
Another solution for clogged vents is to increase the diameter of the pipe if it is in an easily accessible place. Or installing a clean-out down at the ground level to further prevent clogging.
This is very applicable, especially when plumbing vents become blocked by frost or ice. Before installing a larger diameter pipe, ensure no hot water leaks. Since it can result in a continuous movement of water vapor upwards.
This problem might appear if you use too much toilet paper at once. Or flushing things that are not appropriate for the pipes down the toilet. Increasing the diameter of the pipe might become a permanent solution.
In addition, plunging your toilet to remove air can eliminate the gurgling sound. Just fit the plunger’s head into the toilet sinkhole. Then plunge a couple of times to create pressure.
This should dislodge the clogging as the air will come through the drain. Try flushing the toilet afterward, and the gurgling sound will probably disappear.
On the other hand, pour baking soda and vinegar into the toilet bowl, then flush it out. It Will help in unclogging the pipes. Which leaves it smelling fresher and without gurgling sounds.
Remember to turn off the toilet water supply to avoid flooding your bathroom. Otherwise, you might have more trouble than you bargained for.
Have you ever experienced the toilet bowl going dry? This also indicates a clogged vent pipe. It means your toilet is acting like a vent for the other fixtures.
Considering both the toilet bowl and trap are empty. There would be no water barrier in the pipe to prevent gases from coming back into your house.
The toilet water tanks are the heart of the flushing system. With two main mechanisms, one is supposed to release water into the bowl. While the other one fills the tank after it flashes.
If these systems block or break down, they need to be replaced.
A gurgling sound in the shower means several plumbing fixtures are clogged simultaneously. Therefore, the problem is in the sewer line, which could be clogged.
Start removing the overflow drain to fix the gurgling sound in the bathtub. Then use a drain plumber snake by nibbling the thumb screw to go back and forth.
The snake wire is flexible, allowing it to go through the corners to dislodge stubborn clogs. An average snake is up to 15 feet long.
Meaning it can reach much deeper than a plunger or vacuum pipe. The most commonly used snake is the hand spinner.
If the spinner doesn’t work, you can always try a roto-rooter. It is more powerful, reaching up to 100 feet or even more.
On other occasions, the overflow drain plunger could be longer than necessary. You can check for some rust on it to be sure.
When there is rust, shorten the plunger on your faucet permanently to reduce drain blockage. As well as increase water flow.
The other option for unclogging the bathtub would be to put a towel into the overflow drain faucet hole. Then fill the tub with hot water to the base level of the plunger. Followed by giving it a strong up and down motion to try and unclog.
If your tub has a pop-up drain plug, loosen the screw to lift it. Take a wire cord hanger and bend it into a hook using pliers. Then Insert it into the drain and use it to fish out any foreign material.
The whole idea behind getting rid of the gurgling sound caused by clogging. Is to inject air into the system, which creates a vacuum that enables proper drainage.
For instance, you can try increasing the water pressure in the toilet bowl to unclog a partial blockage. This can be done by filling a large bucket with water and quickly emptying it into the toilet bowl.
This should be able to push whatever is clogging the pipe through. Hence finish the initial flush.
If the drainage can’t pull air from the vent due to blockage, it will pull from the sewer. Hence the foul smell in the house after flushing the toilet.
The sewer line is a large single pipe that carries all the wastewater. From every drain in your house to the main sewer line (or septic tank) in your street or yard.
All the drains in your house connect to the main sewer. The sewer lines can be blocked by tree roots, debris, and waste. On extreme occasions, the blockage could be due to old plumbing.
If your sewer line is clogged, all the drains in your house will be affected. A sure sign that your sewer line is blocked is that if you flush the toilet upstairs, sewage starts to overflow from any basement drains.
In case it’s the tree roots blocking. Then you are in for expensive repairs.
Since they can aggressively grow into older lines in search of water, the sewer lines could chock to the extent of breaking or leaking.
Not forgetting the bathroom products. There are plenty of them that are strong enough to cause clogs.
Pumping a septic tank is necessary to protect the drain field and extend its life. But pumping the septic tank will not fix that condition if there is already a septic failure or a blocked drain.
Sometimes the problem is not on your end. You should ask your neighbors if they are experiencing the same issues. If yes, the real problem could be with the city sewer system.
On another note, It’s better to prevent the gurgle sounds than to fix them. Here are some toilet care tips.
- Avoid flushing anything other than waste. For example, female hygiene products, baby wipes, and diapers.
- Consider picking a thinner brand of toilet paper.
- Have regular plumbing inspections.
- Use a vent stack filter to avoid debris and waste.
- Clean the water tank.
A Properly functioning p-trap in the bathroom holds water roughly 4-6 inches at a time. This prevents gases from entering your home and eliminating those gurgling sounds.
Therefore, if your shower drain doesn’t have a p-trap or it’s broken or empty. Then there will be a gurgling sound, especially if the shower has been unused for long periods.
You can test to see if the p-trap is still in good condition by inserting a small wire or thread into the drain. When you pull the wire out, you should find 4-6 inches of water on the wire.
This lets you know that water is being held in the p-trap as it should be. If not, you either don’t have a p-trap installed, or it’s busted, allowing water to seep through.
Remember that the key to solving gurgling sounds in your bathroom is understanding the relationship between air and water in the plumbing system, whether the gurgling is from the toilet, shower, or sink. They all happen because of poor or improper venting.
Did you know that drain piping, that is, ABS piping or PVC plastic, is noisier? Especially when transmitting wastewater. As compared to iron drain piping when fitted to run through the interior of the walls.
Since it would be costly to tear down ceilings and walls to replace the pipes, consider blowing insulation into the areas where these pipes are routed. This would reduce the noise coming from the drainage.
Also, if you are on municipal water, try looking for a valve obstructing the water. In turn, this affects the velocity to create a noise to annoy you. Try to close the supply valve to fix this slightly.
We can agree that the gurgling noise can be quite annoying, especially at night when everyone is asleep.
Fortunately, you are familiar with what causes the noise and how to fix and prevent it. With this knowledge, you can use your toilet normally and relax.