Why’s My Drain Gurgling?

5 Common reasons why your drains are gurgling:

Drains come in all shapes and sizes and run in all sorts of directions and lengths. So, at some point in the drain’s life, gurgling or a stoppage is likely to form. Though a gurgling drain can seem problem-less issue and less of a problem then a full-blown stoppage, it could be a sign of something more in depth. Here are five common reasons your drains can gurgling.

1. A partially clogged pipe

A kitchen drain line or bathroom sink line is commonly ran in 1.5’’ or 2’’ PVC or Metal pipe depending on the age of your house. Over time, pipe can collect all sorts of grease, soap scale, hair, and other various debris. These can collect on the side walls of the pipe, closing it off partially. This restriction can cause fluctuating pressure of air, that can cause gurgling. Removing these debris sooner than later can prevent major, difficult main back-ups. Our team is fully equipment with all size drain equipment to safely clear blockage.

2. A partially clogged/clogged vent pipe

All drains within a house will have a vent pipe, that terminates through your roof. This vent helps in odor control and flow of contents within pipe. If one of these vents becomes clogged, it will wreak havoc on your in-house plumbing. Our team is skilled in removing these tricky stoppages!

3. ROOTS IN YOUR PIPE!

In many older houses that are built prior to the 1990’s, there is a chance your main drain outside of your house is made of clay. “Terracotta” as it was called, was ran heavily for many house sewer pipes. Commonly, in time, this clay pipe settles, chips, and roots can infest inside. When a shower is running or a toilet is flushed, gurgling/bubbling can commonly occur before a major back-up. Our team is fully trained to identify, locate, and solve these issue that this older pipe presents, in the most cost- effective way.

4. Improper installation of a drain

Was your kitchen, bathroom, or roof recently renovated? If a existing or new drain/vent pipe was installed and not tied in properly, gurgling can likely occur on multiple occasions. Our technicians perform in depth inspections of all plumbing lines to ensure there are no code violations and all is plumb correctly.

5. Undersized/ No vent thru roof.

In some rare cases, particularly with older houses, vents were installed to no sizing standard. This, with the older types of plumbing fixtures, never caused a issue. Now and days, new type of toilets have the ability to flush faster which can cause a greater fluctuation of air in your system, causing the gurgle. We have many cost-effective solutions for this issue.

The takeaway:

Whether your new to your house, or been there for years, a gurgling drain can be the sign of many different things. We at Pullman Plumbing are here to help with our highly skilled techs, camera equipment, and drain cleaning tools. Call to schedule your inspection today.