Plumbing drain noise diagnostic FAQs set #5:

Recently-asked questions & answers about the types, causes, & remedies for plumbing drain noises & sounds.

This article series explains how to determine the causes of plumbing drain noises, and we refer to key companion articles that assist in that diagnosis, and we include plumbing noise cures.

Q&A to Diagnose Gurgling or Other Noises in a Building Drain Piping - #5

Recent Questions & Answers about Plumbing Drain Sounds posted at the topic home PLUMBING DRAIN NOISE DIAGNOSIS - you will want to review the drain noise diagnosis and repair advice given there.

On 2018-10-17 by (mod) - barking kitchen sink noise?

Fan

I can't say as I have so little information about your case. However there might be some "normal" drain noises that occur in high wind as wind blows over or even down a plumbing vent stack.

On 2018-10-17 by Fancy

We live in an apartment building (5th floor) 6 floors in unit. The other night there was a wind and rain storm and the noise and banking in my kitchen sink woke us up.
I was told this was normal.....

lived in various apartment buildings and never heard this kind of noise before. Is this normal? If not, what could it be?

On 2018-10-16 by (mod) - large bubble sound from the hot water heater.

Michelle

Most likely using up hot water - my daughter Mara knew how to do that when she was a teen - gets the water heater quite excited as it has to make new hot water from a lot of cold that has entered the water tank;

you are probably hearing rumbling or burbling noises from the water heater as it heats up the cold water; in turn, that noise becomes worse when there is a lot of scale formation on the bottom of the water heater.

See the diagnosis and cure suggestions at WATER HEATER NOISE https://inspectapedia.com/plumbing/Water_Heater_Noises.php

On 2018-10-16 by Michelle E Agay

After my son showers and flushes the toilet, there is a large bubble sound from the hot water heater. The same thing just happened as the washing machine was filling (hotwater) and the toilet was flushed - why is this happening and how do we fix this?

On 2018-10-04 by (mod) - noisy floor drain?

Judy:

From your photo it looks as if there is a small diameter drain tube emptying into a floor drain; perhaps that tube is from an A/C or heat pump condensate disposal system or from a water softener drain system.

Either of those may produce a dripping sound or a sound of water movement.

On 2018-10-04 by Judy

We had a new floor drain put in when we put a shower in the basement.

They put in another hole which has an screwed on cover recessed into the floor and a plastic top on it. It sounds like rain noise coming from the drain, but it's not raining.

They also left the old floor drain which still works.

On 2018-09-22 by (mod) - . toilet makes a horrible screaching/beeping sound

Your video is blocked by an advertisement for yourself; There was a chirping sound that I agree sounds baffling and would benefit from an onsite repair person.

On 2018-09-22 by (mod) -

Saundra said:
regarding my post below. The video wouldn't attach. it explains it better than i can. toilet makes a horrible screaching/beeping sound and water starts running. all by itself.

randomly. not related to flushing.
here's the video on my facebook if we are allowed to do this here:

On 2018-09-22 by Saundra

Trying to figure out what this could be. Sent video to our handyman and he said a plumbing issue, not a toilet fix issue by replacing the guts.

On 2018-08-30 by (mod) - The incomplete toilet flush,

The incomplete toilet flush, IF the toilet cistern or tank is properly-filled, suggests a clogged drain or perhaps inadequate venting.

But hearing water running means it's time to look under the bathroom to find what's leaking. ASAP.

Or it may help diagnose the leak source if you can try turning off individual water supply lines to that bath or to its fixtures.

On 2018-08-29 by Sheila

We're on a well system. Hearing water running under / at tub. Toilet will flush but does not completely empty bowl if water with the flush. 1 bathroom home.

On 2018-03-15 by (mod) -

Kam


Please use the search box just above on this page and find our article addressing the phrase

WATER HAMMEr

As what you describe leads me to guess that's what you're experiencing

On 2018-03-15 02:19:54.187552 by Kam

I live in a townhouse. Hot water heater up in attic. I noticed intermittently that when I turn on water in sink or flush toilet, it literally sounds like something is running around up in attic or little kids running around. When I 1st heard this I thought it was the neighbors kids running up their stairs.

Although I never hear anything being there is a firewall between each Town house. Then I realized after it happening a couple of times it’s always when I’m turning water on or flushing toilet. What could this be and how do I fix it.

On 2018-02-07 by (mod) - better sewer line under a road or driveway

BeOff

It might be possible to excavate the soil pipe trench, install solid (maybe concrete walls and top) reinforcement over the piping so that it's not affected by over-traffic - that might also reduce the chances of breaking the sewer line.

Or replace under-specified sewer piping with the proper weight and strength pipe rated for under drives (sch. 80?

On 2018-02-06 by beoffwith you

I have a plastic soil pipe outside serving an upstairs bedroom cars passing the house run over a road access hatch and the drum sound travels all the way up the pipe and into the house where there is 1 meter of soil pipe running to the toilet is there any way that I can stop this constant noise inside or outside the house

On 2018-02-07 by (mod) - assistance with a drain line that keeps clogging - after tank is pumped

Shirley

If you still get sewage backups then the problem hasn't been identified correctly. Pumping the septic tank will never fix sewage backups, just defer them for a few days. You need to know if the issue is damaged sewer piping or a failed drainfield.

You might start at SEPTIC SYSTEM INSPECTION & TEST GUIDE

On 2018-02-06 by Shirley R Edwards

I need assistance about a possible vent problem. I had my septic tank pumped, my drain fields cleaned and my lines cleared of clogs, ut i still get back ups after s few days

On 2018-02-03 2 by (mod) - signs of drain venting problem

Sounds to me as if the new drains are not properly vented. When water rushes down the un-vented drain the vacuum that slug of water or waste creates draws air into the drain through nearby traps, causing gurgling. That's not safe in the long run as there is a risk of sewer gases entering the building through a dry trap.

Sewer gases smell and are also potentially explosive.

If the work was done with proper permits and inspections I'd expect the plumbing inspector to have wanted proper venting. If not we missed a chance to do the job right.

On 2018-02-03 by AnnMarie

The gurgling sounds is in the tub

On 2018-02-03 by AnnMarie

We just had our bathroom remodeled. New sink, toilet, tub. Now we have a gurgling sounds when we flush the toilet. What could be causing this

On 2018-01-22 by Jenni

I have a new home with a high effeciency furnace. The condensate drip line drains into the same line as my washing machine.

However, the condensate drip line ends where the opening for the wash machine line starts, therefore when the condensate drains as it's supposed to, it drips all the way down to the P trap so I get to constantly listen to dripping water. Any suggestions on how to quiet this drip, it's driving me insane!!!!

On 2017-04-01 22:46:55.305046 by (mod) -

S

It's possible looking as you described is not being caused by water going down the drain but by water beginning to refill the toilet. Use the search box just above to search inspectapedia for water hammer to read more details

On 2017-04-01 21:49:34.335502 by S

Hi everyone -- I live in a two year old condo and the past three months I have been hearing loud banging noises from the drain pipes upstairs. It is like a little explosion everything and lasts about 3-4 seconds, right with a flush. It's getting louder over time. Do you have any idea what this could be? Property management tells me they have tried to flush and run the tap of other units and don't hear anything in mine. I would like to get to the bottom of the problem. I have recordings of the noise. Thank you!

On 2018-07-26 02:33:50.033646 by Anonymous

I got one for ya...

Kitchen sink with standard plumbing attached to a sump pump that drains to a drain fixture. Vent is between the pump and the sink. Pump gets filled and sends it to the sewage. However, the kitchen drains slow, and in an empty sink, when the water is run, the sink bubbles and begins to back up at fast flow rate, but not at half or slower flow rate. Any ideas?

On 2018-07-01 by (mod) - one loud pop like a cork popping out of a bottle

I really am not sure from just the information in your message.

It might be worth having both the drain line and the vent lines inspected by a sewer camera.

On 2018-06-30 by Lynne

Loud pressure pop sound when showering seems to be coming from high up outside wall. Sound occurs after several minutes in shower, one pop only, then again about 10 minutes after end of shower there is a softer pop noise from shower.

This noise has occured with only cold water, only hot water, warm water, person inside shower, not in shower running water. Outside I can see vent pipe comes out of roof right at area where i hear the noise during shower.

The sound is always the same, one loud pop like a cork popping out of a bottle, has a plastic sound. I had a sewer back up several months ago, line was serviced by a plumbing company. No more back ups, but this noise started sometime after that. Should I have someone check the pipe on the roof? Could it be clogged and causing that sound?

On 2018-04-29 by (mod) - a little thumping noise about every 2 seconds

I would look for a piece of equipment somewhere inside or outside the home - equipment that is running, making noise, and transmitting that noise into the home mechanically.

Often we hear a periodic thumping noise from a small cycling condensate pump.

On 2018-04-28 by Rich

I am getting a little thumping noise about every 2 seconds continuously through the main drain line of my home. It's non stop and goes whether there is running water or not.

Every time that it makes the noise I can feel it vibrate the drain line with my hand. I've been in the house for 14 years and the noise just started about 2 months ago. Can't figure this out.

On 2018-09-26 17:43:37.102071 by (mod) -

Julia

the noise coming from your washing machine drain it is probably because the air conditioning systems condensate is being disposed of into the same drain system. It's possible that that dream is blocked or is not properly vented.

On 2018-09-24 14:44:31.229643 by (mod) -

Lou

because I'm not at my computer I can't give you the exact link but if you will use the search box just above and search this website for

WATER HAMMER NOISE

you'll see a diagnostic article that should help you sort out the source of the noise that you've described

On 2018-09-24 07:31:54.317430 by Lou

We have banging pipes mainly when it's raining and on Thursday evening, Friday and Saturday . 2 plumbers have drained system and the pipes still bang. Local water authority have denied it's anything to do with them. Been going on for 6 months now. Any ideas?

On 2018-09-20 03:02:44.259291 by (mod) -

That sounds as if your plumbing is sharing a common drain waste and vent system and that perhaps there is either a clogged and the drain piping or in the vent system.

On 2018-09-19 22:51:51.231128 by BerBer

Everytime my upstairs neighbor does laundry, I can hear the gurgling in our sinks. We lose water pressure and heat. We have asked our landlord if we share a water heater. She swears we don't. I'm asking because we pay the gas and electric for our unit which is oddly high. Our neighbor does laundry almost every day and its only her up there. Are we paying for that? I have asked her and she says she doesn't know.

On 2018-09-17 20:15:56.616515 by Julia

Our air conditioning has been not cooling properly. Although it has some cool air coming out of it, it cannot keep up and room is hotter than it should be. For example, a/c is set on 71 and the temp is 84. When this occurs, my washing machine drain hose makes a gurgling sound. If I turn off the unit, the gurgling stops. How are the two connected and who do I call? Thank you.

On 2018-09-15 01:42:27.770673 by (mod) -

unless your sewer line is using a pump to move Wastewater the sound that you describe sounds very strange to me. I might suggest reading the articles on this website about water hammer. Is it possible that there is a water hammer supply piping and the sound is being picked up in transmitted into the drain ?

On 2018-09-12 11:01:00.069616 by sandee

I replaced my inside and outside sewer line in 2011 recently I started to hear a thumping sound after flushing toilet. I thought it was a waterline but since it was getting louder I started to investigate. It is the sewer line banging the basement wall outside. What would cause this?

On 2018-08-06 16:02:09.498693 by (mod) -

Yes

Water is running somewhere into the drain system, perhaps from a running toilet or an air conditioner condensate disposal line.

On 2018-08-06 07:14:09.092807 by Jersey girl

Every 6 seconds, the upstairs bathroom tub makes a sound as if a small amount of water were flowing down its drain. It's not loud, but it is annoying. None of the faucets in the house are dripping, and none of the drains are clogged, but this started a week ago. Is there a potential explanation?

On 2018-06-24 22:51:44.291043 by Kathy

Thank you.

On 2018-06-23 17:26:14.754850 by (mod) -

Kathy

Usually gurgling drains are caused by a venting defect (missing, blocked, too long, too small, improperly terminated, etc). or a partial drain blockage.

I would start by asking what was done and perhaps get a sewer line camera inspection of the whole building drain system.

On 2018-06-23 12:23:35.615815 by Kathy

I am having my house completely remodeled. Since they have redone the plumbing, every time you do laundry, run the dishwasher, flush toilets etc., it gurgles through the kitchen and is loud. It seems worse when we have a lot of rain. I had the lines cleaned and that hasn’t helped. What is causing this? Thank you.

On 2018-04-27 17:54:30.037728 by (mod) -

Doris that sounds as if your drain system has one of the following problems:

- partly clogged drain
- inadequate venting
- undersized drain line with too many fixtures draining
- a failing, clogging septic system

Start by having someone inspect the septic tank and distribution box for evidence of back-up or clogging at the tank or of the drainfields.

On 2018-04-26 21:58:07.629397 by Doris Sebring

Sinks and toilet gurgles and water splashes up when the clothes washer empties or when the toilet is flushed. Have a home underground septic system

On 2018-04-10 18:57:53.107171 by (mod) -

glad to assist, keep us posted: what you find will help other readers

On 2018-04-10 18:51:07.513802 by Anonymous

thanks I’ll try that. I think all the stuff is new or partially new. I remember my dad’s friend fixing it for something else. Thanks for the reply

On 2018-04-10 17:21:27.697837 by (mod) -

Could be a partly clogged trap (try a plunger) or could be water leaking into the overflow space - most sinks have a double wall and an air space that directs water from the sink overflow down through this "hidden" space and into the sink drain tailpiece. If the sink drain assembly itself is loose or not sealed to the sink bottom, some water can leak into that air space, then drip out slowly when you've drained water from the sink itself.

IF that's the problem (rather than a clogged drain) then the repair will require disassembling the existing sink drain, removing it from the sink entirely, then matching the parts at your local plumbing supplier, along with a bead of plumber's putty to re-seal the flange of the drain to the sink bottom.

See SINK LEAK DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR - https://inspectapedia.com/plumbing/Sink_Drain_Leak_Repair.php for details.

On 2018-04-10 04:33:38.189462 by Dan R

Hi. After multiple family passings I am now the only man in the house and all this work is faking on me. My dad always did it or had his friends but now it’s just me. Anyway after I run water in my sink for about a minute it sounds like the water is dripping into the drain. I would think that it’s clogged but not a lot but I’m not a plumber and I do not plumb lol. Any guesses?

On 2018-04-04 11:07:45.090147 by Gee

Thank you very much.

On 2018-04-04 00:26:40.562344 by (mod) -

Gee

I suspect that water has flooded your under-floor heating ducts. If so the ducts need to be emptied and cleaned.

On 2018-04-03 23:39:24.382104 by Gee

My state had heavy rain the last few days. It is a 1 story small ranch built in 1955 with a crawl space. No sump pump or AC. I hear water gurgling pretty loudly from the floor furnance vents. It's particularly loud in the LR which shares a interior wall with the attached garage that houses the furnace & water heater. Help pls. What could be going on?

On 2018-01-06 17:39:17.619657 by (mod) -

Cindy

A regular, periodic gurgling sounds to me as if water is running somewhere -at a toilet or elsewhere. Try turning off the water supply to each toilet, one at a time, and let me know what happens to the noise.

On 2018-01-06 15:16:28.789141 by Cindy

Two of our toilets are making gurgling/rattling noises about every five minutes for about 5-7 seconds. Our washer may also be making the noise as it is on the other side of the wall of the tub and toilet. It's loud enough to be concerned. I think it started when we hit the freezing temperatures. Any help is appreciated.

On 2018-01-01 17:23:18.011692 by (mod) -

I suspect there is frost forming in and blocking the plumbing vent. But take care about going onto a snowy icy roof - the risk of falling is greater than the risk of a slow drain.

On 2017-12-31 16:53:43.140156 by Paul

My question ever since we got into this cold four days every time you flush toilet hear s flogging sound from the bath tub drain but every thing flushed normal weird ever since the deep freeze took place also went up onto the roof to clear the snow and ice from the hole also ?

On 2017-11-20 18:22:32.363784 by (mod) -

Thomas

Adding:

You could test the theory by turning off the water supply to your refrigerator for a bit.

On 2017-11-20 18:20:28.953124 by (mod) -

Thomas

Depending on brand, model, age, a refrigerator might drain during defrost cycle, but usually that just spills into a pan in the fridge base where it is "disposed-of" by evaporation. Still, 1/4" is so small that I'd bet on a refrigerator or A/C condensate drain line or maybe, depending on how the water filter works, filter wastewater (such as from an RO system).

Below in my first test of a new Comments Box feature I'm clicking the little image icon next to the "Comment" button to see if I can drag in a photo of a more-typical under-sink appliance drain connection into the sink drain tailpipe.

On 2017-11-20 14:40:48.030615 by thomasmyers21

Thanks, Dan. I totally get that. When I look at the connections under the sink I can see a small (maybe 1/4" diameter) black plastic hose connected directly to the drain pipe about 5 inches down from the drain base.

I cannot tell where this line runs to, however. With my fingers it feels as though it parallels the copper water line that runs to the refrigerator, but cannot be certain.

I confess that I don't have a good knowledge of how the refrigerator water system works.

Our fridge has a filtered water system for drinking water and ice making.

With that said, are you saying that there is a problem perhaps with the refrigeration filtration system or something??

On 2017-11-20 by (mod) - if there's no water in the sink the drain noise is from another source

Thomas

A sink cannot be draining water unless there is water to be drained. Take a look under the sink to see if there are not connections to its drain line such as water from a refrigerator condensate drain, a dishwasher, an air conditioner condensate drain.

On 2018-02-07 by (mod) - better sewer line under a road or driveway

BeOff

It might be possible to excavate the soil pipe trench, install solid (maybe concrete walls and top) reinforcement over the piping so that it's not affected by over-traffic - that might also reduce the chances of breaking the sewer line.

Or replace under-specified sewer piping with the proper weight and strength pipe rated for under drives (sch. 80?

On 2018-02-06 by beoffwith you

I have a plastic soil pipe outside serving an upstairs bedroom cars passing the house run over a road access hatch and the drum sound travels all the way up the pipe and into the house where there is 1 meter of soil pipe running to the toilet is there any way that I can stop this constant noise inside or outside the house

On 2018-02-07 by (mod) - assistance with a drain line that keeps clogging - after tank is pumped

Shirley

If you still get sewage backups then the problem hasn't been identified correctly. Pumping the septic tank will never fix sewage backups, just defer them for a few days. You need to know if the issue is damaged sewer piping or a failed drainfield.

You might start at SEPTIC SYSTEM INSPECTION & TEST GUIDE

On 2018-02-06 by Shirley R Edwards

I need assistance about a possible vent problem. I had my septic tank pumped, my drain fields cleaned and my lines cleared of clogs, ut i still get back ups after s few days

On 2018-02-03 2 by (mod) - signs of drain venting problem

Sounds to me as if the new drains are not properly vented. When water rushes down the un-vented drain the vacuum that slug of water or waste creates draws air into the drain through nearby traps, causing gurgling. That's not safe in the long run as there is a risk of sewer gases entering the building through a dry trap.

Sewer gases smell and are also potentially explosive.

If the work was done with proper permits and inspections I'd expect the plumbing inspector to have wanted proper venting. If not we missed a chance to do the job right.

On 2018-02-03 by AnnMarie

The gurgling sounds is in the tub

On 2018-02-03 by AnnMarie

We just had our bathroom remodeled. New sink, toilet, tub. Now we have a gurgling sounds when we flush the toilet. What could be causing this

On 2018-01-22 by Jenni

I have a new home with a high effeciency furnace. The condensate drip line drains into the same line as my washing machine.

However, the condensate drip line ends where the opening for the wash machine line starts, therefore when the condensate drains as it's supposed to, it drips all the way down to the P trap so I get to constantly listen to dripping water. Any suggestions on how to quiet this drip, it's driving me insane!!!!

On 2017-11-26 by (mod) -

Dave,

What you describe is a bit unusual in my experience. Let's start by checking the length of the tailpiece that is above the actual P trap.

It may be this length is quite great and that if you move the Trap up you can reduce the noise of water falling into the bottom of it.

On 2017-11-26 by (mod) -

Dave,

What you describe is a bit unusual in my experience. Let's start by checking the length of the tailpiece that is above the actual P trap. It may be this at length is quite great and that if you move the Trap up you can reduce the noise of water falling into the bottom of it.

On 2017-11-21 by Dave

Just put in a bathroom sink....when I run the water, the draining water makes a loud noise as it hits the water in the p-trap. Wrapping the p-trap won't make much of a difference since the nice is coming from the drain itself....what can I do to reduce the draining sound?

On 2017-11-02 by Megan

I've got 2 sinks in my kitchen, The sink in the island gurgles if pouring a lot of water at once into the other sink which is right across it. Sometimes the washer down in the basement floods as a result.

we had 2 major floods and thought it was blockage and had called ppl in to unclog it but soon after it starts gurgling again. We never know when we'll have another flood again. Any ideas as to why this happens? Thanks!

On 2017-10-16 by Lauren

Intermittently I have heard the sound you hear after you flush the toilet - the water running- but it's sounds if it is coming from my below my bathtub a good 30 sec
I heard it this morning when I got up to use the restroom. Toilet hadn't been flushed since night before

On 2017-10-03 by Renee

One of my 2 bathrooms has gurgling noises coming from the toilet and/or bathtub. This happens when water drains from sink or toilet is flushed. Both the sink and toilet are draining into the bathtub.

Liquids or solid like tissue will come back up through the bathtub. The water drainage from a shower or bath causes water to flow from under the toilet. The bathtub is the only 1 out of the 3 to drain slowly.

I have a second bathroom towards the from of my home that is draining normal. No noises either. All other drains don't have any issues. I have tried augers up to 25 ft. in the toilet, bathtub, and roof vent. I ran a stream of water by hose down the roof vent and no water returned, but it all went into the bathtub and from under the toilet. It may help to know that we experienced this problem 4 weeks ago, but a 10 ft, manual auger cleared the problem

It has now returned. Is there anything else I might look at? Would a bad wax seal cause these problems (since I didn't change it 4 weeks ago during initial problem)?

On 2017-09-28 by (mod) - kitchen sink has sound of running , dripping water in the drain

If a careful inspection below the area convinces you that there is no leak I would be looking for a partially blocked drain

On 2017-09-28 1 by Anonymous

Our kitchen sink has sound of running , dripping water in the drain area . It's a double sink noise not in the garbage disposal area. What to look for to fix.

On 2017-09-18 22:31:26.236867 by Anonymous

Water heater exposed next to has stove no drain no vent! Is this legal?

On 2017-06-11 1 by (mod) - glug noise when toilet on flat above is flushed

Bill,

That sounds to me like a clogged drain or a defective plumbing vent system. As the problem is recent a clog is more likely than an original design problem with the drain or venting system. A plumber can inspect or use a sewer camera to scope drains and vents to look for a blockage.

On 2017-06-11 by Bill

Hi, when person in the flat above flushes toilet there is a loud 'glug glug' sound accompanied by a 'slight drains smell' in our bathroom. Person upstairs does not notice anything unusual, nor does person below us. Flats are 5 years old. This is only a recent problem. Can you help?
Bill Annison

On 2017-06-05 by (mod) -

Bob,

I agree that the dream noise situation that you described sounds puzzling. However it is still possible that the problem is a partial drain blockage a bit Downstream in your system.

The probability that the specific fixture causes the drain noise that you describe maybe in part a function both its drainage rate and the volume of water that is run through the fixture. For example taking a shower probably runs a total larger volume then emptying lav basin. And the rates of drainage are different as well.

If the blockage is farther Downstream than the length of your plumbing snake, you would not detect it who you tried a longer snake or perhaps and a sewer camera through the drain system. That's what I would try. Do keep me posted as what you learn will help other readers.

On 2017-06-05 y Bobk - new noise at sink drain when shower runs

When my second floor shower drains, my kitchen sink drain on the first floor has started to make a glug, glug sound. The kitchen sink is diagonally below the shower drain.

The noise is new. I have checked both drains for blockage and there does not appear to be any interference as both drains freely and quickly. Also, the same drain handles the shower/sink and I don't hear any noise when draining a Full sink.
Do you have any recommendations?

On 2017-05-22 by (mod) - whistling noise when water runs

Marie if the whistling noise occurs only when water is running then it's a water supply pipe noise not a drain problem nor a septic tank issue. Let's start with that diagnostic step.

On 2017-05-22 by Marie

My restroom sink is making a whistling sound, I dont know if its the septic tank or what.

On 2017-04-23 by (mod) -

Great. Good detective work. Keep me posted.

On 2017-04-23 1 by John Mathisen

That is a useful suggestion. We don't have AC but we do have MVHR which has a condensate drain.

The MVHR is in the loft and the drain goes down inside the wall of the bathroom and presumably joins the main drain there. The installation instructions say this should go into a u bend to create a trap if it discharges into a soil pipe. I can't see a u bend! The next time I hear the noise I will power off the MVHRto see if that stops it.

On 2017-04-21 by (mod) -

I don't have a good guess, John, but I'd look for equipment that might be dumping wastewater into the drain system - HVAC equipment for example.

On 2017-04-20 22:20:05.597861 by John Mathisen

I have a newly built house. One shared bathroom with bath, shower, basin and WC sometimes gets an ocillating noise as if water is swishing back and forth at about 72 beats per minute. It can carry on for hours but stops overnight. It's not clear what starts it and why it does not happen every day.

All the fittings have full traps and when they drain, there is no delay. There is a Durgo air inlet valve in the bathroom. The noise can also be heard when you lift the cover on the main drain just before it joins the public drain in the road.

An ensuite bathroom with its own external stack has no noise. What can be causing this annoying drain noise?

On 2017-04-17 by (mod) -

That's indeed curious. Are you sure that there are no nighttime uses of your drain system such as a water softener regenerating or rental tenants in other areas of the building?

On 2017-04-17 by hudson valley family dental

why leaks..gurgling...water splashing throgh sink drain only in the morning

On 2017-04-06 by (mod) -

I'm not sure, Wendy, but if the problem is new I suspect a remote partial drain clog;

You may need to hire a plumber who can run a camera through the drain line.

If you do so, let me know what you're told and we can perhaps offer some suggestions.

On 2017-04-06 1 by Wendy

We have a tapping or drumming noise when water drains out of our kitchen sink....what is the likely cause and a solution... We have tried drano to it and no success.
Thanks....

On 2017-03-25 by (mod) -

Sounds like a venting problem. If new, then a vent may be clogged by an insect nest or something like that.

On 2017-03-25 by Doris

When I empty the kitchen sink, the drain in the laundry room gurgles.

On 2017-03-18 by (mod) -

Typically that's a clogged drain or main drain - especially likely to be the case if the gurgling is a new or just-recent problem

On 2017-03-18 by Joyce

My drains are gurgling and I smell sewage what is wrong

On 2017-03-16 1 by (mod) - sink water won't stop running

Heck I hate when that happens.

If you're lucky there's a separate shut-off valve on the hot and cold supply riser pipes below your sink. Close those.

If there are no shutoff valves there there may be other shut-off valves feeding that area of your home.

Otherwise your plumber will simply turn off all water to the building while fixing your sink faucet or control.

That's a good time to be sure that other shutoff valves are installed and working too, making repair easier next time.

Also see WATER SHUTOFF VALVE LOCATION - at https://inspectapedia.com/plumbing/Water_Shutoff_Valve_Location.php

On 2017-03-16 19:25:52.059634 by Renee

My sink water won't stop running and my water is turned off, I also hear a noise like coming from the knob on the hot water only

On 2017-03-16 15:35:24.598475 by (mod) -

Interesting question Jose. Perhaps a partial blockage in the drain line; water passing over such a block might cause vibration.

On 2017-03-16 15:10:08.740738 by JoseW

What would cause the main drain pipe from the second floor to vibrate after the toilet is flushed? This started about 2 months ago, and is getting a little louder. It doesn't happen after every flush, only after flushing that included toilet paper.

There is no gurgling in the sink or tub and all drains in the house drain as they should, so I'm assuming the vent is clear. Just to be clear, the main drain pipe is vertical and all the smaller drains feed into it.

The bathroom on the second floor, then the kitchen sink and dishwasher on the first floor.

On 2017-11-20 by (mod) - why is water running in our sink drain when the sink isn't in use?

Thomas

Depending on brand, model, age, a refrigerator might drain during defrost cycle, but usually that just spills into a pan in the fridge base where it is "disposed-of" by evaporation.

Still, 1/4" is so small that I'd bet on a refrigerator or A/C condensate drain line or maybe, depending on how the water filter works, filter wastewater (such as from an RO system).

Below in my first test of a new Comments Box feature I'm clicking the little image icon next to the "Comment" button to see if I can drag in a photo of a more-typical under-sink appliance drain connection into the sink drain tailpipe.

You could test the theory by turning off the water supply to your refrigerator for a bit.

On 2017-11-20 by thomasmyers21

Thanks, mod. I totally get that. When I look at the connections under the sink I can see a small (maybe 1/4" diameter) black plastic hose connected directly to the drain pipe about 5 inches down from the drain base.

I cannot tell where this line runs to, however. With my fingers it feels as though it parallels the copper water line that runs to the refrigerator, but cannot be certain. I confess that I don't have a good knowledge of how the refrigerator water system works

. Our fridge has a filtered water system for drinking water and ice making. With that said, are you saying that there is a problem perhaps with the refrigeration filtration system or something??

On 2017-11-20 by (mod) - where's the drained-water coming from?

Thomas

A sink cannot be draining water unless there is water to be drained. Take a look under the sink to see if there are not connections to its drain line such as water from a refrigerator condensate drain, a dishwasher, an air conditioner condensate drain.

On 2017-11-20 by thomasmyers21

Hi - our kitchen sink will spontaneously start draining water when there's no water in the sink nor is the faucet running. This is a dual sink and I am able to peer into the drain and visually see the water trickling through the drain.

Just prior to this we had our septic lines cleaned and also prior to this we could hear air knocks in the lines. What could be causing this?

The ONLY thing that makes sense to me could be that the refrigerator water system is flowing back into the sink, because I cannot figure any other source where the water could be coming from. I've tried shutting off all the valves under the sink when I see this happening.
Tom

On 2017-10-24 by vee

Please help , gurgling noise always in washer dryer unit in highrise condo

...

Continue reading at PLUMBING DRAIN NOISE REPAIR - topic home, or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

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