How often do you hear the annoying sound of gurgling water in your bathroom sink? You’ve run the disposal and flushed the toilet, but still the sound persists. What causes that annoying, though harmless, plumbing gurgling under the sink? And how can you fix it if it occurs? Read on to learn what causes pluming gurgling, and how to get rid of it once and for all!
What are Plumbing Gurgles?
Plumbing gurgles are small, continuous noises that occur within plumbing pipes. Plumbers hear it often, and homeowners will often call a plumber because they’re concerned about what they’re hearing. If you notice that your sink is gurgling (or other plumbing fixtures are gurgling), there may be some simple explanations as to why that noise is happening.
5 Causes of Kitchen Plumbing Gurgles
Kitchens have all sorts of plumbing problems. One common one is a gurgling sound coming from under your sink. There are many different reasons for these noises, some are relatively harmless and fixable; others may be signs of a serious problem and should be taken care of by a professional. It’s always nice to know why something doesn’t work so you can fix it. We’ve compiled a list of 5 reasons for kitchen plumbing gurgles. In no particular order, here are our best guesses:
- Corrosion: If your pipes are metal, corrosion can cause bubbling in your water that makes it sound like there is gas trapped in your water line.
- Leaky faucet: Check under and around every faucet in your house, as well as garden hoses (they often leak)
- Running water or a device on demand: Water softeners need new salt or a regeneration cycle after so many days of use; check those first.
- Tankless water heater cycles on-demand: If you have an electric tankless water heater, it will fill up whenever someone turns on a hot water tap or runs some appliances that require more hot water than usual – like dishwashers or washing machines.
- Pipes shifting and bumping one another: This is probably not your problem (because these symptoms typically last longer than 2 minutes), but if you’re sure there’s no other explanation, it might be time to call in a plumber to check for any loose pipes and make any necessary repairs.
How to Stop the Gurgle From Underneath the Sink
Few things are more frustrating than having a constant noise in your home. For some it’s a dripping faucet, for others it might be a creaking door, but nearly everyone has dealt with that horrible gurgle underneath their sink at one point or another. Not only is it hard to ignore, but you can actually get used to it and not even notice that there is something wrong until someone else points it out. Here are 4 ways to stop the gurgle from underneath the sink so you don’t have to hear it anymore!
1. Locate the Source of the Gurgling Sound
The first step in stopping your annoying plumbing problem is locating where exactly that gurgling sound is coming from. That means getting down on all fours and peering around underneath your kitchen sink to find whatever pipe is leaking under there. Pay close attention to any pipes or spigots that have recently been used, because those are usually the culprits behind a leaky faucet. Once you’ve found it, write down which one it is so you can focus on fixing it later.
2. Turn Off the Water Supply to your Kitchen Sink
Before you go tinkering with your pipes underneath your sink, turn off the water supply running to them so nothing else leaks out while you work on it. You should be able to do this by shutting off a nearby valve (often located near other pipes), but if not then just turn off your main water supply and wait for everything to stop flowing through before continuing.
3. Find the Right Tools for Repairs Underneath Your Sink
Unless you want an even bigger mess than before, make sure you have all of the tools necessary to complete repairs when you start working underneath your sink. This might mean pulling out tools like pliers, wrenches, screwdrivers and anything else that might help; even if they aren’t necessarily called for by what kind of repair needs doing (although some basic replacements will require certain tools).
4. Cut out the Leak with a Pair of Pliers
Now that you know what’s causing your horrible gurgle underneath your sink, it’s time to fix it! Start by inserting either a wrench or pair of pliers into an open hole in any exposed pipes until you get something solid inside. If you don’t feel anything at first, look more closely at your pipes and try again until you can grab hold of whatever is causing your leak. Then use as much force as possible to yank whatever it is out—most times that will solve any issues associated with that particular area of piping.
