How to Answer a Gurgling Sink

How to Deal With A Gurgling Sink?

A healthy home’s drainage system is nearly silent when in use, save for the sound of water flowing through its pipes. If strange sounds are produced whenever you use your sinks, bathtub, or toilet, then it’s an indication that something isn’t quite right. While the most common cause of gurgling sinks and drains is due to venting problems, that’s not always the case. There are a few other reasons why your drain or sink’s gurgling, all of which require local professional assistance to repair.

At Hy-Pro Plumbing and Drain Cleaning, we are committed to serving the province of Ontario by providing exceptional workmanship and customer service. Whether you’re dealing with clogged drain issues, such as a clogged bathtub drain or a gurgling kitchen sink, we’ll provide you with proper drain maintenance and repairs.

Call our friendly office team at 1-877-554-9776 to tell us more about the plumbing issues you’re experiencing. From gurgling sounds to sewer gas and water drain issues, we have your back!

Why Is My Sink Gurgling?

In the average Ontario home, water flowing through the drains fills and seals the pipes to create a vacuum. A sink and main vent pipe alleviate the pressure created by the vacuum, preventing its suction from gathering air into the plumbing system. When these plumbing vents are damaged or clogged in any way, then the pressure created by the vacuum goes unchecked, and the air is sucked in behind it. When air rushes through the standing water in your pipes, you’ll hear your sink gurgling.

Are You Also Experiencing A Gurgling Toilet And Bathtub?

While gurgling sinks is one thing, you may also experience your tub or toilet gurgling, which can point to far more serious consequences. This suggests a blockage in the main vent, which is responsible for removing the build-up of sewer gas bubbles in your drain pipes. A blockage prevents it from directing gas from your pipes to the roof, which means you’ll be able to smell sewage in your bathroom.

There are plenty of reasons why your drain vents or sink vents may fail and lead to bathroom sink gurgles. Improper installation at the time of your house’s construction can place vents too far apart to effectively relieve the vacuum. This would require extensive repairs to get your drainage system back up to Ontario code. More often, however, the calls our plumbing experts answer in Ontario are due to less serious reasons. Blockages created by animal nests, debris, and sediment, or a broken p-trap can easily block vents and just as easily be removed.

If it’s not your vents that are causing the gurgling sink, a clog could be the reason you hear strange noises. A clogged sink can sometimes contain pockets of air. Until the clog is big enough to cause a backflow, it will release the air, and its bubbles moving through the standing water may lead to your sink gurgling. In a more severe scenario, this clog may have its origins in your sewer line, which will first present itself as gurgling before sewage backup is pushed into your home and causes serious damage. Backflow can lead to serious health risks, as it could contaminate your house’s water supply.

How To Stop A Gurgling Sink?

Because there are so many reasons why you have a gurgling sink, we advise that you call one of our team members before you try to fix it yourself. Oftentimes, homeowners believe that they can repair the issue themselves by pouring chemical drain cleaners down their sinks and bathtubs. These caustic chemicals actually do more harm than good to your pipes, as they can corrode your drain pipe’s interior if used too often. And in the case of a blocked vent pipe, it won’t help at all. Unfortunately, the same also applies to natural household remedies, such as combining white vinegar and baking soda and flushing it with hot water. While it’s a good idea to create a paste to brush inside your bathroom or kitchen sink drain opening from time to time, it won’t eliminate the underlying problem.

Some homeowners may try to use a drain auger as a common solution, but they can only dislodge nearby clogs, and if you’re not familiar with how to use them carefully, you could risk damaging your drain lines. While a gurgling sink may not seem like an emergency, it could develop into one down the road.

To prevent needing an emergency plumber, we recommend hiring our Ontario plumbers to assess your drainage pipe and determine exactly where the issue stems. Using state-of-the-art pipeline video inspection technology, one of our experts can insert a small, debris-shedding camera into your pipes without disrupting or shutting down your water. Offering a full 360-degree view, this camera can reveal even the smallest damage or blockage. It can help locate and examine your air admittance valves and reveal any clogs or anything else that can cause abnormal flow conditions. Once they identify the issue, they will report back to you and suggest the appropriate repairs. Hy-Pro’s drain cleaning or hydro jetting services use high-pressure water jets to clear stubborn blockages and clean pipes from the inside out. We also use an environmentally friendly enzyme drain cleaner to promote your pipes’ longevity.

How Do I Best Prevent Gurgling Sinks?

The best way to protect your plumbing system from gurgling drains is to keep healthy household habits that include the following:

Refrain from flushing down:

• Paper towels
• Wet wipes
• Feminine hygiene products
• Tooth floss
• Hair
• Other foreign objects

And also refrain from washing down your kitchen and bathroom sink:

• FOG’s (fats, oils, and grease)
• Food scraps
• Coffee grounds

But for your peace of mind, we highly recommend that you schedule an annual plumbing maintenance and inspection service with your expert plumber. We’ll ensure you won’t fall victim again to haunting gurgling noises and that your drain line and sewer system are in good health.

Need Someone To Look At Your Gurgling Sink?

Plumbing issues are inevitable, even when you treat your pipes responsibly. But there are always hard-to-detect problems that require a professional plumber to investigate, and that includes a gurgling sink.

When you have a sink gurgling or worse—you smell unpleasant odours in your bathroom—it’s a sign that you need professional help. Our team of licensed and experienced plumbers in Ontario specializes in a variety of plumbing services, so they can identify the root cause of your gurgling sink and repair it. Should their inspection reveal any other issues threatening your drainage system, they’ll report back to you and suggest your best course of action. So before a gurgling sink becomes a bigger problem, call your expert plumbers at Hy-Pro Plumbing and Drain Cleaning at 1-877-554-9776. We’re here to help.