Gurgling sounds of a toilet are an alarming sign of a faulty plumbing system. They are a clear sign that there is some blockage in your plumbing system. The blockage could be anywhere in the whole plumbing system. It could be in the drain pipes, sewer pipes or vent pipes etc. the blockage hinders the flow of water and air.
When the air and water does not smoothly pass through the pipes, it creates an air pressure inside the pipes. This air pressure creates reverse suction and becomes the source of gurgling sounds from your toilet or pipes. This toilet is known as a gurgling toilet. Gurgling can also affect your septic system.
What is a Septic System Tank?
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A septic system is an underground compartment. It is made of plastic, concrete or fiberglass. The waste water of a household flows through this compartment. It is buried under the ground. It is basically designed to treat the raw domestic waste water.
The most common type of septic sytem has two components. One is known as the septic tank and the other one is known as drain field or soil absorption field. Heavy solids settle down at the bottom of the tank. Grease and light weight solids float on the top. When the waste water is discharged into the drain field the solid remains at the bottom of the tank.
There are different types of a septic system. It comes in different designs and sizes. The different types of septic tanks are dependent on varying needs of people. The factors affecting types of septic tanks are soil type, household size, weather conditions, lot size, local regulations etc.
Some of the most common types of septic tanks are listed below.
- Chamber System
- Conventional System
- Mound System
- Recirculating Sand Filter System
- Evapotranspiration System
- Constructed Wetland System
Why My Toilet Is Gurgling On A Septic System?
If your drains are working fine then they are able to flow away water at a speed of nearly 1 gallon every 30 seconds. We do not focus on the fault till we hear gurgling sounds. These sounds start out of nowhere and then we focus when we hear loud sounds.
The gurgling sounds actually come from the bubbling of air pressure or water pressure that is trapped inside the pipes. The sound coming from septic pipes, vent pipes, drain pipes or sewer pipes is not a sound that should be ignored. Gurgling toilet clearly indicates that a big trouble is on its way towards your plumbing system. Following are given some causes that why your septic tank is making your toilet to gurgle.
Blockage of Plumbing Drain:
The simplest and least troubling reason of a gurgling toilet on a septic system is that your plumbing drain may be blocked. The plumbing drain right under your sink or toilet from where you are hearing gurgling sounds may be clogged or on the way to clogging. This will lead to slow drainage of air and water in the pipes. Therefore you hear gurgling sounds in all components that are attached with that particular drain including the septic tank and septic system.
In most cases the matter is solved by using a simple sink plunger. You just need to plunge out the clog through the sink. If the plunger does not work, then the second option is sewer snake. For a sewer snake to work properly, first you have to open up the drain and then snake out the clog.
There are also chemical draining agents available in the market but they are not recommended. They are a very dangerous agent that will affect the ecosystem within your septic system. These chemicals also cause damage to your pipes. The damage of pipes will become trivial with the passage of time because continuous use of these chemicals will lead to plumbing failures in future by damaging the pipes.
Blockage of Sewage Pipes:
Sewage pipe is the one that leads all the waste water of your house hold towards the septic system. The blockage of these sewage pipes will also cause your toilet to gurgle. These sewage pipes leading to the septic system may develop a clog. This clog can be caused by many reasons. The most obvious reason is the flushing of foreign products.
You have to understand that your toilet does not absorb all items. All items are not meant to be flushed down your toilet. Items like wipes, dental floss, hair and tissue paper etc are major culprits in case of a blocked sewage pipe or other drains.
This is the reason why you hear gurgling sounds. In this case you will notice a drastic decrease in how quickly your toilet or sink drain. You can easily notice the decrease in speed on the days when there is a laundry day or when there are guests at your home.
In these days water output is more as compared to normal days. Therefore you can easily notice the difference in speed. A simple snake sewer is enough to help you remove the clogging of sewer pipes that are causing gurgling in your toilet and the septic system.
Blockage of Drainage Venting Pipes:
After you flush your toilet or drain the tub and hear gurgling sounds in the nearby drains, this is a sign that your drainage venting pipes are facing a problem. Drainage venting pipes are part of a venting system. This system is part of your house hold plumbing system.
The venting system is designed to let the harmful sewer gases vent out of your house through a pipe that has an opening outside your home. The venting system mostly has pipes that are directed towards the roof of a house.
Another function of venting system is that they allow the air to enter into the plumbing system of your house. This air helps to equalize the pressure caused by the water going down the drainage system.
Gurgling in pipes, bad odors and slow drains are the signs of blockage in the drainage venting system. This could also be a sign of a failure in your septic system. If you notice any of the above symptoms, then it is advisable that you get your septic system serviced and also get your drainage venting system checked to save yourself from bigger trouble.
Overflowing Septic Tank:
Another very common and important reason of gurgling sounds in a toilet on a septic system is the septic system itself!! A septic tank that becomes full and overflows affects the functioning of a septic system very badly. This causes the failure of your septic system by damaging the drain field.
It also causes the sewer pipes to create backing up of the waste which affects your whole plumbing system. Therefore, gurgling toilets on a septic system are a clear indication that septic system of your house is demanding attention and you should not ignore these warning sounds.
Concluding Thoughts:
The above article has given enough information about gurgling toilets on septic systems. The above mentioned causes are enough for you to identify if the gurgling sounds coming from your toilet on a septic system are a warning sign that your septic system or plumbing system needs your attention!!
