Drain Gurgling

[Dave]

So, multi-level house. Noticed a couple months back, when upstairs and the water is draining on the main level (like when the toilet is flushed), I can hear it "gurgle" as the water flows through the drains. It's quite loud. Just noticed today that the gurgle comes when the wash machine is draining as well. I thought the drain vent could be frozen but, with the warm weather, that shouldn't be froze now.

Could this be happening if the toilet on the main level isn't sealed completely? I noticed the bolts holding that toilet are rusted and broken free since the toilet "swivels" a bit. No leaks anywhere. Is it a correct assumption that the drain system isn't "sealed", therefore, it "gurgles" when the drain in parts of the house is used? I hear the gurgling when I'm upstairs.

[CAMAN]

Can you get on the roof and inspect the vent's? Maybe try and run a hose down them and see if something is clogging it.

A loose toilet shouldn't cause what you're describing.

[Shack]

Without hearing audio of the gurgling it's hard to pinpoint what is going on, such as a system gasping for air or maybe liquid being rushed through a smaller diameter.

I do feel it may be a clog within the system that will only get worse as it builds up or as it clogs further in some fashion. Getting on the roof might be tough yet so I would concentrate on the area the gurgling is occurring. Maybe run a snake if you have one through the area and see if the gurgling stops.

Does a single sewage vent cover the entire upstairs or is it possible the toilet and washer are vented separately?

I agree that a broken or leaking toilet to sewer line seal would not cause this issue. Generally if you have a clogged sewer vent you will get sewer gas smells, especially if the seal (wax ring) under the toilet has been broken.

Some questions:

Have you noticed any smells in the house?

Are you having drain flow issues since hearing the gurgling?

How well does you toilet flush?

Are you hooked up to city sewer and water or are you on your own septic system?

Quote:

Is it a correct assumption that the drain system isn't "sealed", therefore, it "gurgles" when the drain in parts of the house is used?

The idea is not to have a sealed system other than for leakage inside the home and sewer gases entering the home. The system is vented at one point and needs to be for two purposes. Flow-age and vapor/gases management. A broken wax ring on your toilet should not supersede a properly operating vent when it comes to even gases leaking back into the house.

[Dave]

I see one vent above the kitchen main level and one vent above the upper bathroom. They look clear of snow, from the outside and trust nothing can be frozen inside since it's warm.

No unusual sewage type smells.

I hear the gurgling sounds when I'm upstairs and something's draining down in the main level.

The main level toilet did clog when my son's college roommate came for winter break but, seems to be working fine. Everything seems to be draining fine.

City sewer system.

Oh, and I did mean just the toilet seals. I understood that the plumbing system needs venting and wouldn't be totally "sealed". Sorry I wasn't more clear.

[delcecchi]

do you hear any noises coming from sinks and stuff that have a trap in them? Typically if the venting is messed up, air will be pushed back out a drain when you, for example, flush a toilet esp. upstairs.

[Dave]

Nope, no noise coming from sinks. I think I'll remove the "cap" from the basement sewer pipe near the slab and run a snake in there, see if it gets restricted.

[Shack]

Good idea. Also you can run some water from a sink upstairs and see how long it takes to get past the clean out you open in the basement by the slab. If it takes forever or does not really come then you know something is restricting it upstream. If it flows fine then it could still be something downstream and out to the sewer main or a blockage in the vent on the roof.

[frazwood]

To me, this sounds like your have issues with your plumbing vent system. I don't know the actual cause of your plumbing vent (clog, poor design, etc), but I think that's the cause.

One indication is that everything is draining quickly. As the water drains quickly, it will try and pull some air with it. If your vent system can't provide enough air, it will try and pull it from your existing fixtures... where it will potentially make a gurgling noise as it tries to suck air through the P-traps.

I would be particularly worried if this sucking literally siphoned water out of your traps, which would cause sewer gases to start leaking into your house. This is one of the reasons that P-traps are required and that S-traps are illegal.

A few questions:

Is this a problem that has arisen only recently? If so, this would suggest a clog of your vents (but not your drains).

Is your house older? If so, perhaps the plumbing isn't designed properly. We bought a house a few years ago in which most of the plumbing was done incorrectly.

[Dave]

The house is 22 years old. This gurgling started mayebe a few months ago. The bath upstairs is used seldom, that's why I didn't pay too much attention to it and thought maybe the snow covered a vent, the first time I heard it. There's no gurgling noise from the sinks and no sewage smell. I did not remove the clean out cap to try a snake yet. I have to get the snake first.

[Dave]

Looks like I fixed the issue using some water

As I stated, the upstairs bathroom is rarely used. Haven't used that shower for at least a year and the corner tub in maybe two years. I had a thought so, I poured some water into the drains, to fill the P-traps. Problem solved. Any little gurgling in the drains downstairs must've been amplified up the drain pipes into the upstairs. That's all I can figure.

[SkunkedAgain]

Yup - my boss had a condo in Mpls that he rarely stayed at for years. After being gone for a while, he would come back and it would stink horribly....like the sewer. The water would evaporate from the traps.

[cavalierowner]

Yup - my boss had a condo in Mpls that he rarely stayed at for years. After being gone for a while, he would come back and it would stink horribly....like the sewer. The water would evaporate from the traps.

I have a floor drain in my basement that I pour some water in every once in a while for exactly that reason.

[Dave]

But, we didn't smell any sewage odor. Maybe the skunk doesn't smell his own stink...lol

[CAMAN]

I've heard people pour a little olive oil into traps they don't use often to help keep the water from evaporating.

[frazwood]

I recommend against olive oil. RV antifreeze would work much better... it's more amenable to biodegradation.

[frazwood]

But, we didn't smell any sewage odor. Maybe the skunk doesn't smell his own stink...lol

I have been in houses that didn't have any noticeable (to me) sewer odor when the traps were empty.

[Dave]

Glad to hear that!