What’s that sound coming from the sink? Is it a monster? Is there
something terribly wrong? No, it’s not a monster and most of the
time there isn’t something terribly wrong. That gurgling noise in
the drain happens as a result of air in the pipes, but that could mean
there’s an issue with the sink vents.
What Causes The Gurgling Sound?
Ever wonder what causes that strange sound down in the drain pipe? Here’s
a bit of background information that might help clear things up. Typically,
when you open up a sink drain or flush a toilet, water enters into the
waste pipe and as it fills the pipe, it pushes air in front of it to create
a vacuum effect. The vacuum effect helps push the water down into and
out of the trap.
That noise you hear is air passing through the standing water in the sink
or at the bottom of the trap. When air mixes with water, it creates that
gurgling noise.
What Are Sink Vents?
As water passes through the drain and down into the trap, it needs to pull
air from somewhere behind it. Sink vents help supply the drain with the
air it needs and if there isn’t enough air from the vents, or there
are no vents at all, air will be pulled from the sink.
If the sink vents are clogged, or are not working properly, the gurgling
sounds can be even worse. Lack of air in the pipes can lead to additional
sediment settling in the pipes or more frequent blockages and back-ups.
Think you might have an issue with your drains? Call on the experts at
Hero Plumbing, Heating & Cooling today. After all, we’ve been serving the entire Twin Cities area
for over 100 years, so you know you can count on us!
