Aside from the whoosh of water flowing, your plumbing really shouldn’t be making any noises. Unfortunately, noises do sometimes happen, and since they’re a sign of a problem, you definitely shouldn’t ignore them. If your plumbing is making a gurgling noise, something needs to be done to address the problem. What should you do? Read on to find out.
A Partial Clog
The first possibility is that somewhere in your drainage system, there is a blockage that hasn’t fully clogged the pipe yet. This is the less-concerning possibility, so if you can get it sorted out, you won’t have to worry about the other thing that sometimes causes pipes to gurgle.
If the gurgle is only coming from one fixture or drain, especially if it’s draining slowly, a partial clog is probably the culprit. First, see if you can get things flowing better by using a plunger. If the gurgle isn’t coming from a toilet, you should not use your toilet plunger! Small sink plungers are cheap and readily available at hardware stores, and they’re great to have on hand.
Make sure there’s some standing water so the bell of the plunger can be submerged. Hold it vertically and thrust decisively, but not very far, only pulling up an inch or so each time. If this doesn’t work, you can try a hand-cranked drain snake to grab or break up any clumps within your drain.
If you don’t have any luck with this, or if the gurgle is coming from multiple drains throughout your house, a partial blockage could still be the issue. It just might be deeper within the drain pipes, and not very accessible from any drain using these methods. With the help of a qualified plumbing service in Lubbock, TX, this stubborn clog can be eliminated.
A Blocked Sewer Vent
Gasses that are produced by sewage are not just smelly, they’re actually dangerous to breathe. Hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, methane, and ammonia are some of the main components of sewer gas, and it also contains bacterial pathogens. Your drainage system has protections in place so that you won’t end up breathing these toxic fumes.
Where drain pipes take sewage downward, vent pipes go up to allow the gasses to rise. A roof vent provides a way for the gasses to exit your home. But occasionally something in this system goes wrong. The vent on the roof can become blocked by windblown leaves or a bird or squirrel nest, and gasses will be trapped.
With nowhere else to go, these foul-smelling fumes will force their way through the liquid in your drains as burbling bubbles. It’s extremely important to have a plumber clear out your vent pipe and get this problem resolved before you or anyone in your family suffers ill health effects from breathing sewer gas.
Whether it’s a partial clog in your drains or a blocked vent pipe, don’t let your plumbing keep gurgling! Get the help you need right away.
JD’s Prompt Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning serves the Lubbock area. Contact us for all your plumbing needs.