Water tank bubbling & gurgling noise & sound diagnostic suggestions.

This article series provides answers to frequently-asked questions about how to diagnose noise problems with the water storage tank or water pressure tank including hissing, gurgling, bubbling, or clangs, bangs and clashes at or near the water tank.

Bubbling / Gurgling Water Tank Noises: Causes, Cures, Warnings

Bubbling and gurgling noises at the water pressure / water storage tank or at the water pressure tank are usually caused air in the well piping system or for municipal water supplies, air in the municipal piping system, though as you'll read below, there are also some other less-obvious causes of this sound.

For buildings on a private well, look for a leak in the well piping system or at the pump, or check for or low water levels in the well itself.

Now let's look at a list of all of the possible reasons that you may hear bubbling gurgling noises at the pressure tank, described by a detailed conversation with Jim, an InspectApedia reader.

All Possible Causes of Bubbling or Gurgling Sounds at the Water Pressure Tank

On 2023-04-15 by Jim - recently started hearing gurgling noises in the water tank after the pump has been running for a while

My well tank is about 3 years old. I recently started hearing gurgling noises inside it after the well pump runs for a bit before shutting off.

Once the well pump stops the gurgling slowly fades and stops. There is no air coming through the faucets. Well tank pressure seems to remain steady after sitting for long periods.

On 2023-04-15 by InspectApedia Editor (mod) - well may be running out of water but there are other possible causes of gurgling noises

@Jim,

Detailed List of Causes of gurgling noise at the water pressure tank

You've thought this question through pretty much as I would.

• Pump Drawing Air from the Well - running out of water:
  
  Gurgling noise at the pressure tank can indeed be air coming up from the well. But if you're never seeing air discharge at faucets it must be very modest.
  
  This is the most-important cause of water tank gurgling sounds. The noise will occur only when the pump is running.
  
  The concern is that the pump is pumping water out of the well faster than water flows into the well - exhausting the well, and possibly indicating a well with deteriorating, failing, or simply inadequate flow rate.
  
  You can improve this condition by slowing the pumping rate (partly close the valve between pump outlet and tank inlet) but the root problem of well inadequacy remains.
  
  
• Leak in well piping or at the pump itself:
  
  A more subtle source of air-based gurgling noises at the water pressure tank is a leak in well piping that may leak water out when the pump is on but that may leak air into the piping system when the pump stops.
  
  Usually that sort of leak is in the well and above the top level of water in the well, OR a leak anywhere in the well and pump piping system above ground.
  
  
  also see
  
  See AIR DISCHARGE at FAUCETS, FIXTURES
  
  
  See details at WATER TANK BLADDERS & CAPTIVE AIR
  and
  at WATER TANK BLADDER REPLACEMENT
  
  - water leaving the pressure tank through a leaky check valve or foot valve after the pump has stopped
  
• Deliberate addition of air into a water pressure tank,
  
  making up lost air pre-charge, can make gurgling noises too. You may find this noise at water tanks that do not use an internal bladder but not at bladder-type pressure tanks.

Other causes of gurgling noises at a water pressure tank might be

• Turbulence of incoming water
  
  passing into the water tank or tank bladder, an artifact of pump flow rate, or piping and tank opening physical arrangement.
• A decrease in water tank or nearby piping opening
  
  size due to accumulation of sediment or debris from the water supply or due to a build-up of rust if iron pipes are present (what kinds of water pipe do you have installed?) (Is there sediment in your well water?)
• More serious: a torn or ruptured bladder in water pressure tanks
  
  that use an internal bladder can cause new tank noises including gurgling or even screeching sounds.
  
  If your tank bladder is ruptured or leaky you'll find that eventually the pressure tank becomes water-logged and the pump will be cycling on and off more frequently when you're running water.
  
  You may also find water squirting out of the pressure tank air valve.
  
  See details at WATER TANK BLADDERS & CAPTIVE AIR
  and
  at WATER TANK BLADDER REPLACEMENT
  
• On occasion a water tank bladder may tend to stick to itself
  
  when the tank is fully emptied. That, too, can cause odd water tank noises when the pump attempts to re-fill the tank and the initial water entry is having to force-apart a partly-stuck-to-itself bladder.
  
  If this is the cause of your water tank noise you'd observe it principally at the beginning of a pump-on cycle.
  
  More often that noise will be a screeching or squeaking sound.
• If the water tank is making gurgling noises after the pump has stopped,
  
  and if you're dead certain that no water is running in the building, look for a bad check valve or leaky foot valve.

On 2023-04-15 by Jim - gurgling at the pressure tank is recent and followed construction and a new well next-door

@InspectApedia Editor , thanks for the quick reply.

My water does indeed have a lot of iron and sediment and the only iron piping is at the well tank (inlet tee). Unfortunately there is no valve going into the tank to restrict the flow.

Is it possible to have too large of a well tank? When I replaced it, I put in a bigger one that is at least a 4-6 person household capacity.

The gurgling from the tank is recent and quite noticeable, there's no ignoring it when your near it. I just don't understand the gradual decrease of gurgling after the pump has stopped.

Usually takes about 45-60 seconds. I should also mention I have an iron filter and softener after the tank. For all practical purposes the pump seems to be working normally and running for more than a minute or 2 when filling.

With the construction of a new house and well near me, I also wonder if the water table has been disturbed. I believe my well is 38 ft deep.

On 2023-04-15 by InspectApedia Editor (mod) - suspect local water table has fallen

@Jim,

That is helpful additional water tank gurgling noise diagnostic data:

RE: My water does indeed have a lot of iron and sediment and the only iron piping is at the well tank (inlet tee).

That's a common point at which clogging occurs; it's not likely to be urgent, but you might replace the Tee at the water tank inlet.

Unfortunately while it's SOP to install iron reducing equipment on a home water supply, often that's downstream from the pump and water tank so those components and their piping continue to be at risk of iron sediment clogging.


RE: Unfortunately there is no valve going into the tank to restrict the flow.

Not to worry, that's not critical, it just means we don't have that diagnostic tool; we don't often find a valve in that position anyway, for other technical reasons.


RE: Is it possible to have too large of a well tank? When I replaced it, I put in a bigger one that is at least a 4-6 person household capacity.

Not in that size range, EXCEPT that if your well is a low-yield well (poor rate at which water flows INTO the well when you're taking water out) then a very large water storage tank, say 50 gallons to hundreds of gallons, may demand more water than the well can deliver in a short time.

The solution is to add a pump protection device or a well foot valve tailpiece designed to prevent the pump from ever running "dry" and pumping air (which can damage or ruin the pump)


RE: The gurgling from the tank is recent and quite noticeable, there's no ignoring it when your near it. I just don't understand the gradual decrease of gurgling after the pump has stopped.

Interesting; I speculate that you're hearing air entering the tank as we've been discussing. When the pump stops sending in water and air the gurgling should stop. Why doesn't it stop immediately when the pump turns off?

I don't know. Possibly a torn tank bladder. Look at the condensate line on the tank or feel its temperature to see if it looks as if the water line is above the mid-point on the tank. If -so the bladder may be leaking.


RE: Usually the pump on cycle takes about 45-60 seconds.

That's in normal range.


RE: I should also mention I have an iron filter and softener after the tank.

I commented on this above.


RE: For all practical purposes the pump seems to be working normally and running for more than a minute or 2 when filling. With the construction of a new house and well near me, I also wonder if the water table has been disturbed. I believe my well is 38 ft deep.

Unless construction disturbed and damaged your well piping itself (not likely), then yes, what remains is the good chance that a new well drilled nearby is tapping into the same aquifer that feeds your well - dropping the water level and reducing your well's total static head as well as its flow rate.

If this is the case you *might* improve matters by having your well drilled deeper - an option to discuss with your well driller after you've had the well inspected for current flow rate, casing damage, and static head volume.

A 38 ft. well is going to have a very small static head
- explained

at WELL DYNAMIC HEAD & STATIC HEAD DEFINITION

that means you're almost totally dependent on its flow rate.

Thank you for a helpful discussion. Keep us posted - what you and your well driller find will help other readers who need to diagnose a gurgling water pressure tank.

Keep Records to Help Find The Cause of Bubbling/Gurgling Noises at the Water Tank

The start and stop of water pumps or surrounding equipment (a water softener entering regen mode, or make-up water entering a heating boiler) can often help us find the cause of water tank noises as well as pointing to the actual device that is making the noise.

At SOUND EVENT LOG we suggest just what information should be recorded to help track down the source of building sounds & noises.

Take note of the relationship between when a water tank noise is heard and events such as

• water is turned on
• water is turned off
• a pump starts
• pump stops
• temperature changes
• even more subtle observations such as the time of day at which the noise occurs may point to an increase in water use, or for municipal water supply systems, a variation in the water supply pressure from the municipal water main.
• changes in the water source such as a failing well or dropping water table or for municipal water supply systems, work on the supply system piping

 

Reader Comments and Q&A

On 2022-11-10 by InspectApedia (Editor) - gurgling sound probably means that there is air in the water supply system

@Tamela Hamrick,

I suspect you're describing a gurgling sound that probably means that there is air in the water supply system.

Does air ever come spurting out at faucets?

Causes can be low water in the well, an air leak in piping or at the pump, or ... something else I've not considered.

On 2022-11-10 by Tamela Hamrick

Our water tank sounds like a coffee pot running

On 2021-06-08 by danjoefriedman (mod) - Could the blurping or bubbling noises mean a torn bladder?

@Claire,

DO NOT ADD AIR

Don't add air to your water pressure tank - that will not fix an empty water tank nor will it fix a bubbling blurping water tank, and instead it may prevent the tank from working properly at all - risking short-cycling your water pump and burning up the pump.

Watch out: worse, if you pressurized the tank to above its rated safe pressure it could burst, injuring you or anyone nearby.

It sounds more as if your well has a limited flow rate or poor recovery rate - and that you've drawn water out of the well faster than it can recover.

So your pump is sending up air to the tank.

TURN OFF THE PUMP.

Wait and give your well time to recover - 1-3 hours or more; see if that fixes the trouble - if so we know it's a well problem.

In the Article Index given at the end of the article above you'll find articles on how to prime the well, solving well priming problems, well piping leaks, loss of prime, and how to increase the yield of a well.

Keep us posted on your well and what you find and we can comment further.

On 2021-06-07 by Claire

the water pressure tank makes blurping or bubbling noises and the system won't prime.

the air pressure in the pressure tank read zero, so we thought the tank was empty of water and we tried adding air. Could the blurping or bubbling noises mean a torn bladder?

On 2019-03-07 by Anonymous

Gurgling noise

On 2017-02-24 by (mod) - periodic gurgling bubbling sounds at the water tank

Sounds like a bad check valve is letting water drain back to the well, causing a submersible pump to turn on. But then I can only guess with just partial information

On 2017-02-24 by Cody

I have a 500 gallon well water holding tank in the attached garage.

Every 30 seconds to 1 minute, a gurgle bubble sound that lasts for about 2 seconds can be heard from in the house. My pressure valve says 60. I also tried resetting the pump protection plus. Any ideas?

...

Continue reading at WATER TANK DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

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