Plumbing drain noise diagnostic FAQs:

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

Q&A help find the cause and cure for noises heard at or near plumbing drains.

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.

FAQS: Diagnose Sounds of Gurgling or Other Noises in a Building Drain Piping System - #4

Reader Questions & Answers about Plumbing Drain Sounds posted originally at the topic home PLUMBING DRAIN NOISE DIAGNOSIS - please be sure to see the drain sound cause and cure list and remedies given there.

On 2017-09-19 by (mod) - water supply pipe vibration sources

Typically that's a water supply pipe vibration due to the water velocity, pipe size, routing, length, elbows, and other factors. Often a simple small change in the velocity made by party closing the main water supply valve will fix the problem. That's a good place to start.

Details are at WATER SUPPLY PIPE WHISTLE NOISE https://inspectapedia.com/noise_diagnosis/Water_Pipe_Whistle_Noise.php

On 2017-09-18 by Alice

Hello, the pipes in our bathroom (before once a day, now worryingly more frequently) have been making a horrendously loud, vibrating / throbbing sound that lasts for over a minute (used to be more like 30 seconds, now more like 2 minutes).

The noise has happened after we use the bathroom but also, and more often, tends to wake me up between 1 and 5 am. I've lived here 4 months and this has been the past week only, do you have any suggestions as to what it could be?

We obviously need a plumber to come check but I'm panicking in the meanwhile. Honestly, it's loud enough to be genuinely a bit scary, not a noise I like any part of a house making, can't think what the neighbours think. Thanks so much for any help!

On 2017-07-24 by (mod) - sources of water backflow into a sewage pump or ejector pump making it run "for no reason"

Wow, several hours, how odd. Is there at your property:

a sewage ejector or sewage pump system that is cycling on later is most-likely being triggered by

• new wastewater entering the pumping pit from the building
• groundwater leaks into the pumping station
• backflow from a failed check valve on the pumping system
• backflow from a flooded septic or sewer system

On 2017-07-22 by Terry Medearis

After turning off a bathtub shower and waiting several hours, a vacuum sound comes from the fixture. If I turn the bathtub water on-off quickly, the vacuum sound goes away, only to return several hours later. Any idea what might cause this?

On 2017-07-17 by (mod) - test to see where gurgling sound is coming from

Try pouring a bucket of water, or running a lot of water, into that same sink and see if that also causes a gurgling sound.

Separately when the sink is empty, try flushing the nearby toilet to see if that causes a gurgling sound at the same sink drain. If neither of those events causes gurgling then you are hearing the trickling sound of the condensate draining into the fixture but there is probably not a drain blockage nor a ventng defect

On 2017-07-17 by Nathan

Ok that makes sense. I've noticed now too a slight gurgling in where the ac unit is and this is the sink that the ac drains into. I seem to be the only unit this is happening to. I'm not sure if there's anything I can do about that.

On 2017-07-17 by (mod) - A/C condensate drainage as drain noise source

Good sleuthing. So try temporarily re-routing the A/C condensate as a diagnostic step. If you're in a hot humid climate it's possible that quite a bit of condensate production is continuous.

On 2017-07-16 by Nathan

Ok so I have some more variables here. The bathroom sink that is gurgling is also hooked up to my AC condensation line. And I heard it gurgling a little this morning when I woke up. The sink drain hasn't stopped gurgling in 3 days.

On 2017-07-16 by (mod) - a partly blocked drain can cause drain noises

No Nathan. A partially-blocked drain, particularly if the blockage is pretty far distant from the fixtures or even outside and distant from the building itself, will accept a considerable volume of wastewater, say several toilet flushes in succession, without backing up into the building.

But wastewater "stored" in the waste line upstream from the blockage will then continue to seep through the blockage and give the gurgling you describe. That problem is more likely to be noticed if venting is also inadequate - the seepage of waste past the blockage creates a vacuum behind it (upstream).

If venting is working air is drawn into the waste piping and building plumbing drain traps remain silent and un-bothered. But if venting is blocked or inadequate, that vacuum "sucks" air into the drain system from the building, down through sink, shower, or tub traps and thus, as air passes through those water-filled traps, the gurgling may appear right at the fixture.

Gurgling may continue for some time as wastewater continues to drain past the blockage, even when the fixture isn't in use.

If after hours of no water being run at fixtures you still hear the sound I suspect that there is water entering the drain system somewhere that has escaped attention, such as
- a running toilet
- roof drainage into the waste pipe system
- groundwater leaking into a septic system or wastepipe system

On 2017-07-16 by Anonymous

ok but if it was clogged wouldn't it be backing up some? It drains perfectly just has a constant gurgling sound that doesn't stop ever and is getting louder.

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 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

On 2017-09-19 by (mod) - water supply pipe vibration sources

Typically that's a water supply pipe vibration due to the water velocity, pipe size, routing, length, elbows, and other factors. Often a simple small change in the velocity made by party closing the main water supply valve will fix the problem. That's a good place to start.

Details are at WATER SUPPLY PIPE WHISTLE NOISE https://inspectapedia.com/noise_diagnosis/Water_Pipe_Whistle_Noise.php

On 2017-09-18 by Alice

Hello, the pipes in our bathroom (before once a day, now worryingly more frequently) have been making a horrendously loud, vibrating / throbbing sound that lasts for over a minute (used to be more like 30 seconds, now more like 2 minutes).

The noise has happened after we use the bathroom but also, and more often, tends to wake me up between 1 and 5 am. I've lived here 4 months and this has been the past week only, do you have any suggestions as to what it could be?

We obviously need a plumber to come check but I'm panicking in the meanwhile. Honestly, it's loud enough to be genuinely a bit scary, not a noise I like any part of a house making, can't think what the neighbours think. Thanks so much for any help!

On 2017-07-24 by (mod) - sources of water backflow into a sewage pump or ejector pump making it run "for no reason"

Wow, several hours, how odd. Is there at your property:

a sewage ejector or sewage pump system that is cycling on later is most-likely being triggered by

• new wastewater entering the pumping pit from the building
• groundwater leaks into the pumping station
• backflow from a failed check valve on the pumping system
• backflow from a flooded septic or sewer system

On 2017-07-22 by Terry Medearis

After turning off a bathtub shower and waiting several hours, a vacuum sound comes from the fixture. If I turn the bathtub water on-off quickly, the vacuum sound goes away, only to return several hours later. Any idea what might cause this?

On 2017-07-17 by (mod) - test to see where gurgling sound is coming from

Try pouring a bucket of water, or running a lot of water, into that same sink and see if that also causes a gurgling sound.

Separately when the sink is empty, try flushing the nearby toilet to see if that causes a gurgling sound at the same sink drain. If neither of those events causes gurgling then you are hearing the trickling sound of the condensate draining into the fixture but there is probably not a drain blockage nor a ventng defect

On 2017-07-17 by Nathan

Ok that makes sense. I've noticed now too a slight gurgling in where the ac unit is and this is the sink that the ac drains into. I seem to be the only unit this is happening to. I'm not sure if there's anything I can do about that.

On 2017-07-17 by (mod) - A/C condensate drainage as drain noise source

Good sleuthing. So try temporarily re-routing the A/C condensate as a diagnostic step. If you're in a hot humid climate it's possible that quite a bit of condensate production is continuous.

On 2017-07-16 by Nathan

Ok so I have some more variables here. The bathroom sink that is gurgling is also hooked up to my AC condensation line. And I heard it gurgling a little this morning when I woke up. The sink drain hasn't stopped gurgling in 3 days.

On 2017-07-16 by (mod) - a partly blocked drain can cause drain noises

No Nathan. A partially-blocked drain, particularly if the blockage is pretty far distant from the fixtures or even outside and distant from the building itself, will accept a considerable volume of wastewater, say several toilet flushes in succession, without backing up into the building.

But wastewater "stored" in the waste line upstream from the blockage will then continue to seep through the blockage and give the gurgling you describe. That problem is more likely to be noticed if venting is also inadequate - the seepage of waste past the blockage creates a vacuum behind it (upstream).

If venting is working air is drawn into the waste piping and building plumbing drain traps remain silent and un-bothered. But if venting is blocked or inadequate, that vacuum "sucks" air into the drain system from the building, down through sink, shower, or tub traps and thus, as air passes through those water-filled traps, the gurgling may appear right at the fixture.

Gurgling may continue for some time as wastewater continues to drain past the blockage, even when the fixture isn't in use.

If after hours of no water being run at fixtures you still hear the sound I suspect that there is water entering the drain system somewhere that has escaped attention, such as
- a running toilet
- roof drainage into the waste pipe system
- groundwater leaking into a septic system or wastepipe system

On 2017-07-16 by Anonymous

ok but if it was clogged wouldn't it be backing up some? It drains perfectly just has a constant gurgling sound that doesn't stop ever and is getting louder.

2013/01/11 (mod) - thump noise at sink when "air compressor" runs

Wayne I need more information: I have no idea why your plumbing system is using an air compressor nor how that would be connected to building drain piping.

Possibly there is mechanical noise transmission? For example if an air conditioner compressor/condenser unit were in mechanical contact with building piping its operating noises might be transmitted into the building - that'd be odd but it's the sort of thing for which to look.

On 2013-01-11 by E Wayne Rouse

I had the septic tank pumped recently. Now, when the outside air compressor comes on, I get a loud continuous thump from one sink in the bathroom. No other sinks make a noise.

Occasionally, the toilet backs up, but it is not making any noise, and is flushing normally now. The thumping will cause the stopper to vibrate. Do you have any idea what I should do, or why it just started?

On 2013-01-09 by Help!:) - Every 2 seconds, "donk"

We are in a new home, so a new septic tank system. Been here two years now. It's a pump system into a mound it's been very very rainy, fromVanvouver. Anyway the tank outside is making a banging noise.

Every 2 seconds, "donk" loud enough that we heard it inside. The alarm on the pump has not gone off yet this banging noise can not be good. It's almost like a pump is going off with nothing inside. ... Like its lacking water.

On 2013-01-05 by Ellen

When it rains and when tub drains I then hear in the other bathroom the toilet seems to flush or water running in pipes. Or on its own the sound happens in the middle of the night What causes this?

On 2012-12-29 by Susan

We live in an apartment and can hear a glug glug glug noise in the wall between our apartment and the neighbor next door to us. We share a wall. Her bathroom is in the area we are hearing the noise.

Her unit and our unit are a bit staggered, so our bathrooms are not in the same places. Our kitchen wall is on the other side of her bathroom. So we are hearing this sound come and go constantly.

We will be sitting in our apartment and hear this glug glug glug noise for about 1-2 minutes and by the time we figure out exactly where it's coming from it stops. Then an hour later it's doing it again.

The noise is getting louder and louder. Any idea what this could be? I'm inclined to think it's an issue with her drain. Thankfully we don't share drains. our units have separate main drains that meat up in the back yard behind the building. (I know since I used to be an onsite manager).

On 2012-11-25 by (mod) -

Trevor

Sewer gases may come up from the sink drain and the drain may be noisy because you have no working plumbing vent

On 2012-11-24 2 by trevor

my sink makes farting noises, what is it? why is it doing this? and it smells like fart gas HELP!

On 2012-11-23 by (mod) -

Jazen,

Often when we encounter the situation you describe the problem is a blocked or otherwise defective plumbing vent. If sufficient air cannot enter the drain line through the vent stack to satisfy the negative pressure in the drain as a surge of water flows through it, the suction created draws air into the drain through nearby traps, causing the sound you describe.

On 2012-11-22 by Jasen

also.... on that last question I noticed that my voice recognition on my phone is translating "and the" 2 in the :)

On 2012-11-22 1 by gurgle and draining sound coming

so here's my question, anytime I flush my master bath toilet I hear the flushing/gurgle coming from my jacuzzi overflow. when I run water down the drain of 1 of my master sinks I hear the water draining in the tub overflow.

when other toilets on the second and first floors are flushed I also sometimes hear it in the overflow. I don't think that I have ever heard it when I use the other sink in my master bath.

I do not seem to have any slow drains in the house. there appear to be at least four vent stacks on my roof 1 of which is a large.

Home is about 4500 square feet 2 floors in the basement with 2 bathrooms on the second floor in the laundry room 1 powder room on the first floor and the kitchen and 1 bathroom in the basement. interestingly enough it looks like the kitchen sink in the bathroom sink in the basement both have those cheater valves attached. home is only about 16 years old

On 2012-11-03 04:27:42.455876 by Richard A

I have a basement floor drain near washer that started to gurgle and bubble when clothes washer drains water. I noticed water level in drain was low which was not the case before. I can fill water in it and it does not overflow so I assume no blockage and I snaked it a couple months back.

Now the gurgle stopped after I filled drain whole back full of water. The drain for washer and drain in floor are same smaller diamater so I think they are connected before the main sewer drain.

No toilets or sinks gurgle and drain seems to only gurgle when laundry was done. Now that it stopped gurgling was this just because water level was lower than pipe at bend and allowed air to push through?

On 2012-10-17 00:16:24.879838 by (mod) -

Tim,
If the basement drain never gave those problems before i suspect that either it was blocked or not connected to the main drain that was recently repaired, or during repair we lost a connection to a plumbing vent, or previously the floor drain was indeed drawing air in when the main drain was in use but was dry )no gurgling), or, another possibility is that your repair has lest a partial drain blockage downstream.

See if youncan have the drain system checked by camera.

On 2012-10-17 by (mod) - look for a shared drain or vent line

Debbie, look for evidence that your flat shares a drain or vent with another

On 2012-10-16 by Tim

We just had exterior plumbing work done on the sewer line between the house and the city main. Our basement floor drain is now wicking/siphoning/emptying and the smell of the CIPPs liner and sewer is coming into the house. I have done a brief check for causes of the emptying, but if you have any suggestions... thanks in advance

On 2012-09-29 by Debbie C

I also meant to point out I have only owned this property for 2 months, and the noise has become considerably more evident over this period so I assume it was there before. It was previously a rental property, so nobody had mentioned these issues to me at time of purchase.

Thanks for your message. The bath is gurgling without any taps run/toilet flusing etc in my property a lot more regularly now, so I'm not sure what to try in terms of checking for clogs?

Would you recommend either high strength cleaning agent down the plugholes, or snaking the bath drain perhaps?
If its any help, I have been informed that the bath drain is actually lower than the toile waste drain, so I don't know if that may be something to do with the noise? Just keen to make it stop now! :(

On 2012-09-28 by (mod) -

Sharon,
It sounds as if you may be describing a partly blocked drain or vent. Ask your plumber to check those.

On 2012-09-28 0 by (mod) -

Debbie,

the plumber had a good suggestion. To diagnose further, consider that as the noise is new we shouldnaskmwhat may have changed. A clog, for example wouldnbe a change. If the problem were due to originalndesign or installation the symptoms ought to have been present since the time of construction.

On 2012-09-21 by Debbie C, UK

I live on the 3rd floor of an apartment building in the UK. Whenever I use a toilet cleaning product, and flush away, the bubbles in the toilet bowl seems to cause the bath drain to gurgle loudly.

I spoke with a plumber who advised if it only occurs in this instance it is likely down to an anti-vac valve having been fitted, so left it at that. This morning however, the bath made the same noise although the toilet in my property was not flushed, so I can only assume was caused by a neighbour or flat above/below flushing their toilet

I then flushed mine twice (with no waste or cleaning products in) just to see if the flushing action caused the noise again, which it did - 3 times - so I am now concerned that this is maybe a fault with stack vent pipe or something in the building itself, rather than limited to my property.
Any help will be greatly appreciated.

On 2012-09-21 by Sharon

We live in a 20 yr old 2-story colonial with walk-out basement. Recently, our upstairs bathroom sink began emitting a stinky odor from the sink. I used drain cleaner several times but the smell remains.

A bit more recently, we began hearing a glub-glub sound in the powder room pipes when running the water in our kitchen (which is next to powder room). We only hear the sound when the water is run longer than 20 seconds or so.

Are the two connected? What needs to de done?

On 2012-09-16 by (mod) - unsuccessful effort to clear blocked drain

Joe B

It sounds as if you are not actually reaching and clearing the drain blockage. For example if a sewer line is partly collapsed, the partial obstruction can cause solids to back up at that point; plunging or using other means such as a pneumatic drain blockage clearing tool can push the waste past the pipe damage but that point quickly clogs up again.

An experienced drain cleaner using a rotating snake can sometimes feel an obstruction or break in the sewer line, or s/he may pull out tree roots - both indications that excavation and line repair are needed. Or you could get lucky and clear a blockage that stays clear for a time.

On 2012-09-16 by joe b

i have 3 bathrooms two on the top floor one in the basement the one in the basement overflows when i plunge in it eventually goes down but then again fills up and very slowly drains also i hear gurgling sounds bubking sounds could my main drain need to be cleaned out or is it poor ventalation there is no smell

On 2012-09-06 2 by (mod) -

Heather:

to unclog a pipe yourself, presuming we're talking about a drain pipe, follow instructions that start at
CLOGGED DRAIN DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR (links found at the ARTICLE INDEX near the end of this page) - try a toilet plunger first.

On 2012-09-06 by (mod) - I can hear noises in the bathroom

Sandra,

It sounds pretty baffling, I agree; If close under the floor tile in the bath you describe there is a heating pipe or hot water pipe through which hot water has been flowing that could explain the warm tiles - or do you have radiant heat flooring?

But FIRST, check for a leak in the hot water piping in the area you desctibe - inspect that bath floor from below, looking for signs of a leak in a hot water pipe.

I'm not clear on a likely link between plumbing noises elsewhere in the house and warm bathroom floor tiles.

On 2012-09-05 by sandra

I can hear noises in the bathroom as if the water is on somewhere else in the house. At the same time, the tile feels hot to the touch in the same bathroom.

On 2012-08-17 by Heather

How do I unclog a pipe myself?

On 2012-06-20 by (mod) -

Rick, I'd try using a mechanics' stethoscope or a similar device (Radio Shack) to see if you can zero in on (and photograph for us) just what you find. It could be a loose pipe mount., I wouldn't expect thermal movement alone, in a drain line, to explain this tapping sound.

Also, is there a check valve anywhere in the drain system? Could that be making the noise?

On 2012-06-20 0 by More on the "tapping" sound

Dan, Thanks for the reply. I tend to lean toward the latter, only because of the sound it makes. Sometimes (but not always), it will occur after the first person takes a shower in the morning.

That didn't happen today, but it did happen after my wife did a load of laundry. The sound is very rapid (about 5 per second), and above the master bathroom it literally sounds like someone is shaking the pipe back and forth.

On 2012-06-18 by (mod) - tapping noise in drains

Rick,

a "tapping noise" coming from a drain line is often a drip - water droplets fall down a vertical section of vent or drain piping until they hit a bend or elbow where they can make a smack or tap noise.

See if you can track the tapping noise to use of certain plumbing fixtures - for example, a long hot shower taken in cold weather may lead to condensation inside the vent pipe as it passes through a cool attic. Also check for dripping faucets and running toilets that send a slow leak down a drain line.

Another source of "tapping" sounds we find in both supply and drain piping can be due to thermal movement of the pipes as temperatures change. Sound isolating fittings or more clearance at openings for pipes can cure that trouble.

On 2012-06-15 by Rick Bolan

I have an intermittent "tapping" sound that I can hear in the ceiling of my main bathroom, which can be heard very clearly in the drains of the kitchen sink

. The area of the ceiling is where a large drain vent pipe is located, and the kitchen sink is on the other end of the house. It seems to come back every week or so, and it continues on and off for maybe a 1/2 hour.

Initially I thought we had an animal in the attic, but there are no signs of that, and the sound is too "rythmic" to be an animal. It happens at no particular time of day, and doesn't seem to correlate with any large water use. Furthermore, all the drains in the house seem to work perfectly, especially the kitchen sin

k. I'd call a plumber in, but I can't predict or control when it's going to occur.

Any ideaa? It sounds almost like someone's upstairs shaking the vent pipe back and forth.

On 2012-06-14 19:29:44.363408 by (mod) -

Wendy, thanks for the question, but I just don't know what a steaming noise sounds like - do you mean hissing? Steam, produced by boiling water, is not itself a sound. As you hear the noise at drains, its a plumbing question not a furnace question.

On 2012-06-14 by wendy - steaming nooise at drains

my drains are making a steaming noise (best way i can describe it) i hearing it in all the drains (sinks, shower,etc) in the basement it sounds like it coming from a part of the furnace the humidifier...any suggestions as to whats wrong??? who do i call a plumber or some one for the furnace???

On 2012-05-31 by (mod) -

Trish: loud humming is not a sound I've found traced to drain piping, but the fact that you hear it increase when a fixture is used suggests to me, with so little information, that perhaps there is a pump involved in your drain or sewer piping? If so check for pump noise being transmitted through piping. The fact that you hear the humming when drains are not being used argues in the opposite direction, but if it's from a drain pump it may not be activated until a reservoir is filled to an action level.

In sum, accurate tracing of the sound to its source may be aided by more recording of times of occurrence, and observation of what other equipment may be operating at that time, or even wind, insect, or animal activity.

On 2012-05-31 by (mod) - air conditioner drain noises

Frank, regarding air conditioner drainage and pumping and drain noises: an A/C condensate line usually has a trap right at the cooling unit, then slopes continuously to its drain point - in your case a sump. If you can trace the sound to that drain system I'd look for a partial blockage in the drain piping.

I'm unclear on what you mean by water heater drain pans - perhaps you mean a pan under a water heater intended to catch a leak and prevent floor damage? That pan is piped to a drain? If that drain is a building drain and it's gurgling it suggests a partial blockage further into the main building drain piping system.

On 2012-05-31 by Trish

having problems with Loud humming noise in house located in bathroom - happens at night when the sink has not been used or the toilet has been flushed can hear this all though the house for hours on end. and gets worse if any fixture is used.

Plumbing is all new installed 3 years ago. Plumbers say no toilet leak and no leaks in the system and it is working as it should. had all vents spray jetted and flushed out and still had the noice that evening - City has ben out and replaced thier meter and still noise.

Sewer contractor after scoping entire sewer line that it is old and should be replaced but would not cause this noise...I am at my whits end and am getting no concrete answers as to how to fix this...but have spent a lot of money and gotten no where....any ideas

On 2012-05-30 by Frank

I live in a 7 story condo. Last year the association installed a outside sump to curtail flooding that was supposedly caused by the air condition drainage.

The sump, as explained to me was connected to only three unit stacks, e.g. units C, D, & E. In the last two to three months several neighbors have noticed a sort of knocking, gurgling sound coming from the line that serves the drain pan for the water heater, which I assume is also connected behind walls to the line that the air condition drainage for all units.

Maintenance people and on site manager say it isn't the sump! If water is poured into the drip line it does evacuate with no problems. What do you think? Sounds like something sucking air.

On 2012-05-29 by (mod) - water supply pipe noise may suddenly appear, in the form of running water,

Deene,

A water supply pipe noise may suddenly appear, in the form of running water, might be traced to a lost or loose pipe support, insulation that has been removed or become wet (conducting more sound), or noticing a noise that actually was present before. Often when we first notice something we are sure it's new when in fact it may not be in some cases.

If the noise is in drain piping, your system may have developed a partial drain or vent blockage, leading to a new gurgling sound that was not there before.

On 2012-05-29 by (mod) -

Liam, check for a partially blocked drain or vent pipe.

On 2012-05-20 by deene

recently I'm hearing a noise in my walls whenever water is running upstairs and I'm downstairs. It can be a toilet flushing, the shower running or the washer running. I've never been able to hear it before and there haven't been any plumbing changes. What might be causing it?

On 2012-04-20 by (mod) -

Anon:

I don't have a clear understanding of your question: a self-flushing toilet? The only versions of that I've seen use an IR sensor and are in public restrooms. I suspect you have a bad flush valve.

If you mean you hear flushing water through the drain pipes but no water is being run in that bathroom, then clearly you've got water coming from somewhere else - perhaps a higher bathroom or nearby plumbing fixture? With so little information I can't diagnose it.

On 2012-04-18 2 by Anonymous

My downstairs bathroom will flush every 5 minutes without using the toilet. Flushing sound is coming from the piping. The home is over 60 years old with copper piping. What is causing this noise?

On 2012-04-17 0 by (mod) - gurgling noise that comes from all of my drains

Chris gurgling drains can mean a blocked vent or a partial drain blockage - as you've been exploring. The duration of the gurgling sound, if it's a blockage or a vent problem, varies by the amount of wastewater being sent down the drain. The toilet doesn't gurgle because it's in a sense self-venting - it draws air into the toilet bowl and drain during the flush cycle.

You can add a vacuum breaker "anti-siphon" device as a diagnostic - that will help only if the problem is inadequate venting or a blocked vent.

On 2012-04-13 2 by Chris R. Stevens

I have a gurgling noise that comes from all of my drains except the toilet. I have tried to auger all of the drains to no avail. The gurgling is loud and only lasted about 30 seconds. Now it is slower and last about 2 minutes or longer.

Th e house was built in the 30's and has only one bathroom on the main floor and a sink and drain in the basement. I have been told that I should add an anti siphon trap as a remedy. If that is the problem where is it installed?

On 2012-04-07 by (mod) - hissing at a tub drain

Ted, hissing at a tub drain is not a sound I've come across, but I still suspect it might be a combination of a partial clog and an incomplete plumbing vent system - it sounds a bit fantastic but if a lower drain has water running through it and needs to pull air into the DWV system, and if that air is blocked from the vent piping, air might get sucked into the drain from any other plumbing fixture.

We can get past this arm-waving speculation with a test: try filling the un-used tub drain with water - just to fill the trap. Then run water or flush toilets in baths on the lower floors or at other fixtures nearby. Listen at the (rarely-used) tub drain. Do you hear gurgling or bubbling?

Keep us posted - it'll help other readers and might also permit a smarter comment.

On 2012-03-26 by Ted Kierzyk

Got a question for you. Just started hearing a hissing noise coming from the master bath tub drain this morning.
This tub is rarely used and we have a septic system. No city drain. Any ideas what this might be & should I act quickly and get a plumber out there today?
Thanks in advance for your prompt response.

On 2012-02-28 by Judy Baca

I have a knocking noise in one of the sinks in my bathroom whenever the heater comes on. It is a heat pump. Can you give me any clues as to why?

we had yhe tank pumped but we still here this noise when the toilet is flosh

On 2012-02-07 by (mod) - signs of inadequate drain venting include noises

Mark:

The noise you describe is often caused by either inadequate drain venting (or a blocked vent) or by a partially clogged main building drain. In the second case, water runs down the drain until it hits the obstruction then slows and "gurgles" as it makes its way through the partial blockage.

On 2012-02-04 by Mark

After running the water in our bathroom sink, the water drains out completely, then a couple seconds later, we hear, "glub, glub, glub." It lasts only a couple seconds and is gone. The bathroom is on the ground level, and we have a finished basement, if that means anything.

On 2012-02-01 by InspectApedia Publisher

Wade: there may be another cause but I've seen the bubbling toilet drain behavior you describe when there was inadequate venting and on occasion in response to a blocked drain. If you're pretty sure the vent is ok and if none of the drains in the same bath ever seem slow or blocked,

I suppose it could also be an artifact of the particular toilet tank and flush valve. Take off the toilet tank lid and look into the tank during flush - is there a lot of agitation of the flush water mixing air into the system as water leaves the tank and enters the bowl? (It's cold water, not hot, right??)

It could also be a partial drain blockage downstream from that  toilet. But if an inspection with sewer line camera or an actual drain cleaning finds no trouble, the issue could be a bad wax ring seal between the toilet and the opening of the waste pipe. Pull the toilet, clean and replace the wax ring. We have an article describing this procedure at 

TOILET REPLACEMENT PROCEDURE  https://inspectapedia.com/plumbing/Toilet-Replacement-Procedure.php

On 2012-02-01 by Wade

When I flush my old American Standard toilet the bottom of the bowl at the beginning of the flush lets a couple of air bubbles up. It does this every time, all drains seem to work and no other problems than it just seems wrong.

What is with the air bubbles at the very bottom of the bowl on the front side of the toilet. Please solve this mystery nobody else can and it is only when I flush. We flush and listen for sucking of other drain pipes to see if that is a clue the main stack vent is plugged but everything seems fine. Help !

On 2012-01-23 by Joe

When the second floor toilet is flushed, a loud almost grinding or whining noise can be heard in plumbing -coming from somewhere between basement and second level.

Nose is delayed by about 20 seconds after flushing, and lasts about 10-15 seconds. Unsure of cause, just started. In freezing climate, will head to roof to check vent as a start - any advice?

On 2012-01-06 by (mod) - clogged drains and glub glub sounds,

Mike: re clogged drains and glub glub sounds, I've posted our discussion in the FAQs above. Take a look at CLOGGED DRAIN DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR (links found at the ARTICLE INDEX near the end of this page) for suggestions on how to proceed.

On 2012-01-06 by (mod) -

Louis, I've moved our discussion of noise complaints around a V-200 anti-siphon valve up to the FAQs section of the plumbing drain noise article just above. Further questions & comments are welcome.

On 2012-01-04 1 by (mod) -

Bonnie,

Presuming that there are normal distances between your patio and the neighbor's plumbing vent roof pipe, what you describe is unusual. I wonder if perhaps the neighbor has

- a problem with their vent system leading to gurgling?
- a new high velocity low-water using flush toilet?

You might ask the neighbor if flush noise is a problem inside their own home, or if there is a drain problem - if the answer is no to both cases, ... well I've asked for additional thoughts from our noise and sound expert and we'll follow-up here.

On 2012-01-04 by Bonnie

We have a covered patio that faces the side of our neighbors house.

We can hear his toilet flush through the vent pipe on his roof. Is that normal? We have never noticed it in other houses we have lived in where our outside space was in close proximity to our neighbors bathroom vent pipe. It is so annoying and embarrassing when we are outside.

Is there anything we can have our neighbor do to eliminate the noise? Thanks, Bonnie

 

...

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.

Or see PLUMBING DRAIN NOISE DIAGNOSTIC FAQs-5 - more recent plumbing drain noise questions & answers

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• CLOGGED DRAIN DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR - clogged drains may gurgle or burp
• PLUMBING DRAIN NOISE DIAGNOSIS - home
  • DRAIN NOISE & slow drain complaints due to plumbing vent problems: causes
  • BLOCKED PLUMBING VENT & GURGLING / SLOW DRAINS - glub glub noises from toilets or other fixtures
  • GURGLING DRAINS
  • SOUNDS of RUNNING / DRIPPING WATER in DRAINS
  • NORMAL PLUMBING SOUNDS
  • HOW TO FIND THE SOURCE OF PLUMBING NOISES
  • REPAIR PLUMBING SYSTEM NOISES
• PLUMBING DRAIN NOISE REPAIR - home
• PLUMBING VENT NOISE - since vent problems can cause gurgling at drain lines

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PLUMBING DRAIN NOISE DIAGNOSTIC FAQs-4 at Insp ectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

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INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to BUILDING NOISE DIAGNOSIS

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