Gurgling Sink Drain?

[Bird]

We have an exceptionally loud gurgling sound coming from our kitchen sink drain. It happened off and on for 3 or 4 days a couple of weeks ago, then quit, but it's back this morning. I can find all kinds of possible causes and fixes on the Internet, but everything I've found is for gurgling while draining. Problems range from stopped up roof vent to garbage in the drain pipe from the disposal to the other sink, to P-trap obstruction, etc. Ours drains just fine, as does every other drain in the house. It's while there is no water running that it's so noisy.

Any ideas as to cause or cure?

 

[MikeInEburg]

I'm in the "blocked vent pipe" camp. Since drain can't vent thru roof pipe, it's venting thru your drain, maybe drawing your trap empty at the same time.
Mike

 

[kenstrac]

I have had one drain do that,when the wind would blow in the right direction and speed the upstairs drain would gurgle.
Another possibility could be a negative or positive pressure in the house,exhaust fan ,dryer ,etc.

 

[Bird]

Mike, I'd agree that's a possibility, but if it were the roof vent, why would it have quit for a couple of weeks, and then started again.

Ken, now there's a possibility I hadn't thought of. The official temperature this morning was 26 at the airport. My thermometers showed 20-22 on the patio. Calm, no wind, so I don't think that could be the problem. However, I think our house is pretty well insulated and pretty tight. I noticed that gurgling about 6 a.m., but didn't think about whether the HVAC (heat pump) was running or not. Anyway, a few minutes ago, the heat turned off, and now no more gurgling. So I'm hopeful. Of course, the heat has been on in the past, too, when the drain was not gurgling, so I guess time will tell.

Thanks to both of you.

 

[Bird]

A few minutes ago, I noticed that sink drain gurgling to beat 60 and the HVAC system was blowing warm air. I turned off the heat, opened the back door and the kitchen window and in a couple of minutes the gurgling stopped. Looking more all the time like you diagnosed it, Ken. I would have never thought of that. Once again TBNers come through for me. Thanks again, Ken.

 

[CurlyDave]

Bird:

Are you on septic or sewer?

A loud gurgling sound like that implies at least an inch or two of water column pressure difference between the drain pipe and the house.

If the house itself had that much pressure difference between inside and outside you would notice doors being either hard to open or slamming shut. And, if it really is a house to outdoors pressure differential, you should see immediate relief upon opening the door or window.

If you have septic look for a blocked vent on the tank. If it is sewer, you still have a drain line to house pressure difference, but your options on correcting the problem are more limited.

 

[Bird]

Dave, we're on the city sewer line. That's one thing I thought about initially because in the 5 years we've been here, we've had no sewer problems ourselves, but have just very frequently seen the city truck out here, within a couple of hundred yards of our home, flushing the sewer line. And this summer they replaced and re-routed some of the sewer lines within a hundred yards of our house. One thing I considered, but still haven't tried is to go out and removed the cap on our own sewer clean out line.

But, nope, no problem with the doors in the house.

 

[Kays Supply]

It could be a duct that has came loose under the house or in the attic. That would make a pressure differential between the feed and return lines in your house. If it is a negative pressure and you are on city sewer you should get a sewer gas smell from the drain that is gurgling. If it is a positive pressure ,no sewer gas, it could be a blocked filter in the cold air return.

 

[Bird]

It could be a duct that has came loose under the house or in the attic. That would make a pressure differential between the feed and return lines in your house. If it is a negative pressure and you are on city sewer you should get a sewer gas smell from the drain that is gurgling. If it is a positive pressure ,no sewer gas, it could be a blocked filter in the cold air return.

Nothing like a good puzzle, huh? Furnace blowing warm air, drain gurgling, no sewer smell at the sink. So I went out and removed both plugs or caps from the clean out line. That did not change the gurgle, but you could sure smell the sewer out there; as you'd expect. So I felt for air coming from each register in the ceiling; one in each of 3 bedrooms, one in each of 2 bathrooms, two in the living room, and one in the kitchen/dining area. Naturally, some put out more air than others, but air coming out of each of them. Then I went up in the attic. We have the round aluminum looking flexible ducts. Couldn't find any of them loose. There are 4 return air registers, very low on walls in the entry way and each bedroom. I checked them with a candle and, yep, holding the candle in from of them, you could see each one trying to pull the flame. Furnace shut off; no more gurgle.

As for the return air filter, there is only one; an Aprilaire 2200, biggest filter I've ever seen on a residential HVAC system. It's just before the evaporator coils. It normally only needs changing once a year and I did that on August 10. However, I pulled it and looked it over today and everything looks good, clean, and properly aligned.

It seems very odd to me, too. Since the HVAC system is circulating the air; shouldn't be pulling any in from outside and shouldn't be blowing any out of the house, so I don't understand how it could be changing the pressure. Nor do I understand why the first time this happened was 3 weeks ago; the 6th of this month.

I guess I need to call the ghostbusters, or hunt the gremlins.

 

[brin]

Bird...Just a thought but if you use Tidy Bowl to clean your toilets....maybe the tidy bowl guy got flused and is drowning...:laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing: So Sorry...I could not resist..Will I be punished ? :laughing: