Many homeowners don’t make a fuss over a gurgling toilet, but that’s not a wise thing to do. More severe plumbing problems could be the underlying causes of the toilet bubbles. Like with anything else in life, you need to solve the reason and alleviate the symptom. Using some ear drops at night will help you not hear the gurgling toilet, but that’s not going to make the problem disappear.
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Should you stress or not over a gurgling toilet?
Most of the time, a toilet gurgling means that there’s negative air pressure building up in the drain pipe. The negative air pressure creates an airlock which leads to reverse suction. If there’s reverse suction, the air gets pushed back into the plumbing system and carries waste to the toilet bowl. The gurgling noise is just the tip of the iceberg from the negative pressure.
Most people will hire professional plumbers to see what makes the toilet to gurgle. Until the professionals come to the rescue, you can check out on your own and see what might cause the problem. Even if you aren’t able to solve it alone, following our tips will at least reduce the plumber’s labor. Plus, you will pay less for professional work!
Blockage in two particular areas of your house is a common cause for the bubbling toilet. One is the drain system (the pipe leading to the main sewer) and the other is the vent pipe that lets sewer gases go through the roof. However, there are several possible causes for the bubbling toilet.
What are the common causes for the toilet’s gurgling noise?
There are several reasons why your toilet gurgles and you cannot solve the issue unless you discover the cause.
Toilet clogging
Many things can make a toilet clog and clogging can affect both the toilet drainage and the vent pipes. Some blockage in the drain space of the toilet could clog the toilet and cause an annoying sound.
If it’s only toilet paper clogging the toilet, fixing should be easy and doesn’t require professional help. Weak flushing, flushing down hard stuff are also causes for a clogged toilet. Maybe it’s time to look for a new toilet–modern models are dual-flush. A strong flush reduces the risk of toilet clogging.
Calcifying elements
Sediment build-up in the toilet tank can also clog the toilet. Elements such as calcium, magnesium, and iron in the water in the tank can lead to clogging. Hard water is a problem you need to manage before it causes damage, such as a clogged toilet. Hard water will get calcified and generate the gurgling noise of a refilling tank.
Clogged vent pipe
If you’ve examined the toilet drain system and haven’t found any problems, the vent pipe could be the underlying cause. American standard toilets have vent pipes that go to the roof. Debris, a bird’s nest, and even the carcass of a tiny animal could be lodged within or on the vent stack.
Don’t try dislodge whatever is inside the vent stack before ensuring that it’s not a reptile/small animal inside the pipe. Stay safe before you do anything.
A faulty cistern
A defective flapper can be a cause for the bubbling toilet. The flapper in the cistern has to flush and refill the toilet tank with clean water. Should it get defective, it will make the toilet bubble. Most of the time, replacing the flapper or even the cistern is the best solution. Replacing the cistern is a job for professionals, so call a plumber as soon as possible.
Municipal Sewer Line Clog
Last but not least, a possible cause for the toilet to gurgle is a clogged municipal sewer line. If you suspect a problem with the main sewer drain, asking your neighbors about a drain line blockage is the easiest way to know for sure. The city sewer authority should be responsible for fixing it as it’s the city sewer system taking all that wastewater away from the whole house. Your main drain line, along with the other lines from your neighbors’ homes, dumps into the municipal sewer pipe. If your neighbors don’t report dealing with a clogged drain line, you need to go back and check all the other possible causes once again.
The gurgling toilet can be fixed. Here’s how!
Problems with drainage system can give you a headache, but not all require attention from a plumber. With proper tools, patience, and some elbow grease, you can deal with your home’s plumbing on your own– toilet gurgling sound included.
Plunge the toilet
Most of us have dealt with a clogged toilet at least once in our lifetime. After all, cats and children like throwing paper towels in the toilet! If you want to stop the toilet from gurgling, you need a different approach from your typical methods. The first thing to do is sell off all the bathroom fixtures close to the toilet, such as the shower, sinks, and tubs. Sealing the nearby drains will give you the air pressure you need to dislodge the clog that causes the gurgling sounds. If some of the drains remain open, the plunged air pressure will escape through those drains.
Use duct tape to make sure that you create a tight seal. Go on with plunging the toilet after you seal the drains. Make sure to fit the plunger’s head into the toilet sink’s hole and plunge 10 times. If that’s the problem, you will get away easy. If not, you need to keep reading.
Use a drain snake
Some people know the sewer snake as the toilet auger method. you can use it to solve the clogs in the drain hole of the toilet sink. The plumbing snake is excellent at dislodging difficult clogs. You can go with a mechanized or manual auger–they’re both effective. It goes without saying that the mechanized method is used more often than the manual type for sewer cleanout. Many plumbing snakes come with blades at the heads, which is excellent when you need to cut through difficult clogs.
Most homeowners use plungers and it’s plumbers who use toilet augers more frequently. Either way, you should be cautious when using a toilet auger. If your mind is set to unclog the toilet on your own, using an auger instead of a plunger will give you a better chance to succeed.
When the clog is near the toilet’s drain hole, you can unclog it with a manual auger. However, if the clog is found deep within the pipe, the mechanized model will be necessary. Keep in mind to see if the plunger’s head can fit through the drain hole of the toilet sink before using the mechanized auger.
Take a look at the vent pipe
Not all people are comfortable with climbing up the roof, so do it only if you’re ok with it. Tree roots, dirt, cigarette butts, etc. could clog the vent pipe. Such clogs can alter the airflow and make the toilet gurgle.
If you’ve decided to solve the clogged vent stack on your own, you should at least have the proper tools and equipment within reach, get a garden hose, a small flashlight, a thin rope, and a ladder. Ask a family member or a neighbor to hold the ladder every time you go on the roof. No matter how skilled you are, you always want an extra hand and another pair of eyes when climbing up the roof!
Tie the small flashlight with the rope, turn on the flashlight, let it go down the vent pipe. Take a good look and try to discover the clog. If you’re lucky and the clog isn’t far down the blocked vent stack, you will be able to remove it with a wire hanger (straighten the hanger first). However, if the clog is deep, you can use the garden hose and wash it down the vent pipe. Ideally, the clog will go out through the sewer main line. As for the duct tape, you should use it to make sure that the flashlight doesn’t fall apart from the rope.
Call the plumber
Even if you deserve all the applause and appreciation for trying to solve the gurgling toilet, sometimes you simply need to call the plumber. Slow draining, clogged drains, exhaust gas in the drain pipes, etc., are plumbing problems that only professionals can manage. A home improvement specialist can also recommend you improve the home’s plumbing system to avoid such issues in the future.
Home’s plumbing can be tricky and you should have the budget for unexpected repairs and fixes. Despite your enthusiasm, it’s wise not to try solving problems that you’re not familiar with. Drain lines, plumbing vents, and all the drains inside your house need proper maintenance and service for best performance and durability. Don’t forget about the safety issue– you don’t want to end up in the hospital from falling down the roof! The medical bill will be higher than fixing the gurgling toilet. Call a plumber when you don’t want to take any chances with your plumbing problem!
Keep your toilet quiet for the longest time
With anything else in life, you can prevent plumbing issues and toilet gurgling with proper maintenance. Here are some things to keep the drain line, toilet bowl, and vent stacks clear for a long time:
- protect the vent stack from foreign objects by covering it with hardware cloth. Secure it with a hose clamp so that animals, debris, and leaves don’t get inside.
- Only flush waste, toilet water, and toilet paper
- call the plumber for regular inspection to see if everything is up and running. Even if you have a plumber’s snake, you don’t want to have to use it every couple of days.
