FAQs about vent noises - typically related to plumbing drain noises, odors, defects.

This plumbing drain and vent noise article series explains proper plumbing vent piping and how errors cause trap siphonage, odors, and plumbing noises such as gurgling or a glub-glub-glub noise at plumbing drains or fixtures.

Plumbing Vent Noise FAQs

These questions & answers about the causes of, significance of, and cures for noises traced to plumbing vents were posted originally atPLUMBING VENT NOISE - by Alan Carson, Carson Dunlop Associates, a Toronto home inspection, education, & report writing tool company.

You'll want to be sure to review the causes and cures discussed there.

Illustration provided courtesy of Carson Dunlop Associates, a Toronto home inspection, education & report writing tool company [ carsondunlop.com ].

[Click to enlarge any image]

On 2018-10-18 by (mod) -

That's not a cause for water hammer.

Search InsperctApedia for WATER HAMMER to read diagnosis and cure procedures

On 2018-10-16 by Sandra Earwood

Can my water pipes hammer if i have inadequate venting?

i hear water hammering when i turn any faucet on or off and when i flush a toliet.

The hammering is in a wall behind a jetted tub and sort of in the middle of two toliets.

On 2018-04-05 by (mod) -

Drew

That's a strange situation. There could be a partial vent blockage such that water sent down drains, as it pulls air in through the vent system, is causing a vibration.

In that case an inspection of the vent and drain system, perhaps using a drain camera, might find the problem.

If the vibration occurs when no water is being run in the building then I'd look for a mechanical system point of contact with some equipment that's causing the noise.

On 2018-04-05 by Drew

Kitchen sink vent ("magic vent") started vibrating this morning. Was intermittent (once every 5-10 minutes for ~15 seconds), by end of day it's now consistent. Is this an indication of pressure? Clogged drain pipe?

Malfunctioning vent?

Owned the home for 3 years, this is the first instance. No smells of sewer gas. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

On 2018-03-09 by (mod) -

Kay

I apologize but I just don't have enough information to make a useful guess. I suggest asking for help from a plumber, on-site.

She can look for obvious trouble, can pressure test the drain or vent lines if needed, and might also look at water velocity noise in the toilet valve or supply pipes.

On 2018-03-08 by Kay

I hear a shrill squealing sound from the attic that comes and goes. It stops (temporarily) when I flush the toilet. I am concerned about sewer gases.What causes this and how do I make it stop.

On 2017-08-27 by Terry

We have an 18 suite apartment building with a gravel roof and it appears over its 42 years that birds have tried to build nests in the vents. They are 5" taped down to about 2 1/2 " and the very last piece is not glued but can be removed or slid up and down.

One time we found a fairly large rock stuck in the vent, so it is possible we have gravel build up at the bottom of the vent stack, perhaps where it turns 90 degrees. Two adjacent suites have poor drainage and experience gurgling and burping noises.

The sewers appear ok as the plumber augured them out and ran his camera out to the street. If it is gravel, can it be sucked out or do we need to open the walls?

Can special vent caps be installed, once this problem is solved?

On 2017-04-24 by Anonymous

Thanks for the advice and information.

We have had a spell of rain here in California which may account for it - and winds and temperatures have been all over the place!

I've noticed a problem with the hot water in the shower on the other side of the wall - there is only about a .5 inch play in adjusting the water temp - ice cold before you even get the know to the middle of the temp adjustment knob! Guests had been complaining . . .

On 2017-04-24 by (mod) -

Ar


See if the tapping is related to temperature changes: there may be a pipe or other building component moving by thermal expansion or contraction;

See if there is a relationship to humidity or to plumbing fixture use - leaks - or to hot water usage in that bath.

Before tearing walls apart, try a mechanic's stethoscope to see if you can narrow down the area of noise, then try inspecting outside the wall and also try a borescope inspection of the wall cavity.

On 2017-04-24 by Arroyo Grande

I have an intermittent tapping noise from the bathroom wall. I can't duplicate it or stop it by doing any particular thing.

Sometimes it is happening when I awake and stops when I "add a little water" to the toilet. Sometimes I can flush the toilet and it stops.

Often nothing I do can stop the tapping (a regular beat, like a metronome or heartbeat, rather than a drip/plunk) and it seems to occur spontaneously. There are days when it's not there at all. It started a few months ago.

It's different from the noise made when hot water is run on the side of the house farthest from the hot water heater (Rinnai) and the pipes make a ticking noise as they expand.

Any thoughts before I have the bathroom walls torn apart?

On 2017-03-22 by Anonymous

Nothing that I'm aware of. To mention, I do have 90 degree elbows on both vent stack pipes. Not sure why. I'm thinking of cutting the elbows off and leaving the pipes flat, or installing a "T".

On 2017-03-06 by (mod) -

Anon

Certainly Anon's question is a helpful diagnostic. Gurgling typically means a partly clogged drain or defective venting on the plumbing system.

On 2017-03-05 by Anonymous

is anything.. (toilet..faucets...something..?? letting water slowly leaking & running and draining into sewer line and your not aware of it?

On 2017-02-17 by Jared

I hear a constant gurgling noise from the pipes in the wall (not the sink, tub, or toilet). it's more noticeable when the house is quiet, of course.

All drains work efficiently, nothing drains slowly. A plumber asked me to shut off the heater for 30 minutes (I kept it off for hours), as it may be an incorrect pitch on the heater vent.

Noise still occurred hours after heater had been shut off

I have a second company coming on Sunday, but looking for any insights as I cannot find any related information so far on this site.

Question: do kitchen sinks need venting

(July 21, 2014) Andrea said:
do kitchen sinks need venting too, or does the drain trap suffice?

Reply:

Yes the kitchen sink needs venting too. The trap doesn't vent.

There are add-on vacuum breaker vents installed below a kitchen sink (the "V-200" for example) that are permitted in SOME jurisdictions where no adequate venting has been provided.

Question: bathroom sinks drain very slowly and gurgle

(Nov 10, 2014) Ray Holowaty said:
We have moved into a new house and the bathroom sinks drain very slowly and gurgle. We have experienced smelling sewer gas in the laundry room but not always.

Reply:

Look for a clogged drain that is probably just partly blocked; the longer you can run water before drains slow the more distant is the probable blockage.

...

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

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