Toilet issues like blockage, bubbling, gurgling are issues that should not be under estimated and should not be ignored. They need proper attention and the problems related to these issues should be resolved at once to avoid any mess or big problem in future. If you see the symptoms of a faulty plumbing, you should act at once before the issue goes out of your hands and become unrepairable.
Toilet gurgling is often not taken seriously by many people in the start. People think that the sounds coming from the toilet will go away on its own but this is not the case. Toilet gurgling if not resolved on proper time leads to many problems that affect you and your family. The ultimate result of a gurgling toilet is blocked drain system and this will result in a blocked and unusable toilet.
Why my Toilet is Gurgling?
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Toilet gurgling is a clear indication that there is some issue arising in your plumbing system. There is no one specific reason of a gurgling toilet. It can happen due to many reasons.
Mostly toilet gurgling happens due to air pressure built in your drain pipe. This becomes the reason of creating an airlock which leads to reverse suction. Reverse suction causes the air to be pushed back into the drain pipe.
Due to the reverse suction, the waste in the drain pipe also comes back into the toilet bowl which creates a big mess. The air pressure built is due to blockage somewhere in your plumbing system. This blockage is the reason due to which the air pressure is built because the air does not flow properly due to the blockage.
As a result negative air pressure is formed in the drain pipe. The negative pressure means that the air flows in the opposite direction causing gurgling sounds and become the reason of toilet gurgling. Sometimes you also see bubbles in your toilet bowl. This is also the consequence of blockage and symptom of gurgling toilet.
How to Fix a Toilet From Gurgling?
We have understood by now that a gurgling toilet is a result of blockage. It needs to be fixed at the earliest to avoid any bigger troubles. The method to fix a gurgling toilet is dependent on the cause of blockage.
The way in which a gurgling toilet is blocked decides how it can be fixed. Calling a plumber is the best option of course but you can try some basic fixing methods to avoid the cost of calling a plumber. Sometimes a simple method can also help in resolving the issue.
Following is list of fixing methods that can be used to resolve toilet gurgling issue by you.
- Try a Plunger
- Try a Sewer Snake
- Checking a Vent Pipe
- Call the Plumber
Try a Plunger:
If you are a person who likes to try some hand on resolving issue by yourself, then you must be familiar with the plunging method. A plunger is a device that is available nearly in every home. This device is used to unclog the toilet. It proves very useful in many issues that involve clogging.
In case of a gurgling toilet, the plunger is not used in a traditional way. It is used with a slightly different technique. The first step involves sealing off all the nearby drains for example, tub, shower and sink etc. The reason to seal off the nearby drains is that the clog that is causing your toilet to gurgle needs a high pressure to be extricate.
The nearby sealed off drains will help the pressure caused by the plunging to vent out through these drains. You can seal the drains with a duct tape to avoid any leakages. After sealing the drains, now start plunging the toilet. The head of the plunger that is made of rubber should be placed inside the toilet bowl. Plunge at least 10 times. This will probably extricate the clog and the gurgling will stop.
If plunging does not help to stop the gurgling toilet, then it is recommended that you should ask your neighbors if they are also facing the similar issue. If yes, then there is a probability that there is some issue with your main sewer line. In that case you do not need to worry because this matter will be handled by the community leaders or society heads etc.
Try a Sewer Snake:
A toilet sewer snake is also known as a toilet auger. It is mostly used to extricate hard clogs that are not easy to unclog. It is used for clogs that are inside the drain hole of a toilet sink. A sewer snake is considered to be a very effective method of extricating tough clogs causing gurgling toilet.
A toilet sewer snake comes in two types. One is manual and the other is mechanized. The working is mostly the same. However some people find the mechanized one to be more effective than the manual one. If clog is near to the main hole, then the manual one will also be sufficient to unclog.
If the clog is deep down in the pipe then the mechanized sewer snake will work well. Sewer snakes also have blades on their heads. The blades are designed so that they can help in cutting through the tough clogs.
Toilet sewer snakes are a helpful tool but most home owners own plungers instead of snake sewers. It is however recommended that you should buy one and have it with you at your home to deal with the tough clogs. A sewer snake is far better than a plunger in every way.
Checking a Vent Pipe:
Vent pipes are installed to let the sewer gases and bad smell escape out of the house and to avoid spreading of bad odors inside the house. If your vent pipe is clogged by something then bad smell will start spreading inside your whole house. A clog in the vent pipe restricts the flow of air and causes the toilet to gurgle.
To find out if your vent pipe is clogged, start the process. The things needed are a ladder, a garden hose, a thin flashlight and a thin rope. Now that you have gathered all the tools, you now need to perform the actual task.
- First, tie the flashlight with the rope and switch on the flashlight.
- Now let the rope with flashlight go down the vent pipe and see carefully.
- If the vent pipe is not much deep then you could straighten a hanger, make it a wire, put it down the vent pipe and remove the object that is causing a clog.
- If the vent pipe is deep then try using a garden hose with running water. Utilize the water pressure to wash away all the objects clogging the vent pipe.
Call the Plumber:
If nothing from the above fixing methods works, then you should finally call a plumber. It is good if you first try yourself to fix your gurgling toilet but if it not works then you should understand that the matter needs professional attention.
It has a downside because calling a plumber means uninvited expenses but you should focus on the positive point that not all problems can be solved at home. Some matters require expertise of a professional plumber. It could happen that instead of solving the issue you may make it worse due to lack of knowledge. Therefore it is recommended to call the plumber in this case.
Final Thoughts:
Toilet gurgling is not an issue to be overlooked. If you have identified a gurgling toilet then you should try fixing it first with the above mentioned methods. The methods described in this article are tried and tested methods and we hope that you will definitely get help by applying these methods. However you should not delay in calling a plumber if none of the above methods work.
