Toilets gurgle when there is a blockage in your plumbing system that traps air. Pipes that lead to and from toilets use air pressure to move waste through them, so a gurgling toilet is a sign that you may have a messy problem soon if it’s not addressed quickly.
The great news is that a gurgling toilet is an issue that a licensed plumber can quickly diagnose and repair. However, there are a few ways you can try to resolve the problem yourself before calling a professional plumber.
Here are a few scenarios that cause a toilet to gurgle and how you can resolve each issue:
Clogged Toilet
This problem is different than a toilet clogged with waste. When a toilet gurgles due to a clog, only bubbles are visible on the surface of otherwise clear water — not waste. You’ll need to follow a slightly different approach than simply plunging the toilet.
Solution: To clear an unseen toilet clog, seal the surrounding drains (including any nearby shower, sink, tub, or floor drains). This will prevent water or waste from coming out of the nearby drains.
As an added note, here are some things that you should never flush down the toilet!
Plunge your toilet at least 10 times. This should clear any unseen toilet clogs that cause your toilet to gurgle.
Clogged Drain Pipe
Clogged drain pipes might originate from an unseen toilet clog or calcium buildup in your drain pipe.
Depending on your home’s water hardness, the minerals in your toilet’s water tank and drain pipe might build up and cause your toilet to gurgle.
Solution: Use a sewer snake or toilet auger to clear the clog in the drain pipe. Feed a few inches of the auger into the drain and crank the handle to push it further into the pipe until it meets the clog — you’ll feel the resistance.
Keep rotating the handle until you break through the clog, then crank the handle in the opposite direction to pull it out.
Clogged Sewer Main
Clogged sewer mains can have multiple causes, including tree root infiltration and burst pipes.
If your toilet is gurgling because of a problem with your sewer main, you’ll see bubbles in your toilet and notice a foul smell.
Solution: Our experts do not recommend that you try to solve this problem without the help of a licensed plumber.
Contact a local plumber as soon you notice sewage smells. A professional can prevent significant plumbing damage, identify the source of the clog with a sewer camera, and clear the clog with specialty tools.
Clogged Vent Pipe
Many homeowners don’t know that a vent pipe on your roof allows sewer odors to escape and equalize the air pressure in your pipes.
When this vent pipe is clogged with leaves or other debris, toilets in your home might gurgle.
Solution: Call your local plumber. To unclog the vent pipe, a team of professionals will need to climb your roof, diagnose the clog, and remove the blockage.
Do not attempt to climb on your roof and clear a clogged vent pipe yourself.
Choose Penguin for Reliable Toilet Repair Services in the Phoenix Metro Area
When you need fast, dependable plumbers to repair your gurgling toilet, call Penguin Air, Plumbing & Electrical.
Our team of licensed plumbers is available to provide emergency services, so you can rest assured that we’ll restore your toilet and plumbing system as soon as possible.
Call Penguin at (480) 550-9943 or request professional toilet repair online today.