Why Is My Kitchen Sink Gurgling?[Reasons+Prevention Methods]

What if I told you that the gurgling sound in your kitchen sink is entirely normal? Would you believe me?

This article is a complete guide on the possible reasons for the gurgling noise from your kitchen sink. While the sink doesn’t work noiselessly, loud gurgling sounds aren’t normal. 

Your kitchen sink is a part of your home’s drainage system that works every day as long as you’re around. Like many other home appliances, kitchen sinks require troubleshooting after consistent usage, and the gurgling sound is a sign. 

JUMP TO: Causes of Sink Gurgling | Methods to Stop Sink Gurgling | Gurgling Sound Prevention Methods | Conclusion |

Gurgling Sink – What Are The Causes 

The sink’s gurgling sound may not be the nicest thing to hear. But it’s the only way sinks communicate with the homeowners. 

Luckily, kitchen sink gurgling is usually a minor problem. 

Some of the most common causes of this sound include; 

Source: goldcoastplumbingcompany.com.au

Vent Pipe Obstruction

Different things, from food to bacteria, go into the kitchen sink daily. According to research, under the kitchen sink is one of the most toxic locations in your home. 

Harmful gases like ammonia are a part of the toxic substances in your kitchen. The vent pipe is the part of the sink responsible for safely passing these harmful gases out of the home. 

The vent pipe runs from under your sink, and the outlet is usually at the roof. When anything is blocking the gas movement, the gurgling sound occurs. 

Over time, the harmful gases can backtrack into your home, spreading bacteria and disease. So it’s better to troubleshoot immediately after hearing the gurgling sounds.

Broken P Trap

As the name suggests, the P trap is a sink part that stops debris, gases, and other substances into the home. 

Imagine how much work the p-trap has to do daily to stop dirt inside the home. Over time, the volume of the debris and gases may be too much, causing the p-trap to break. 

When the P-trap breaks, a vacuum opens, and the drainage system starts to malfunction. If water now takes more time to drain, it is a pointer that the issue is with the p-trap. 

Food Clogs

It’s always good to take a variety of food down your stomach, not your kitchen sink. Food entering your kitchen sink is one of the most common causes of sink clogging. 

The first announcement of clogged sink drain pipes through food is a gurgling sound. Make sure that you have a garbage disposal; then you should flush down water after each use. Because the food particles can build up in the garbage disposal and the clogged garbage disposal, causing the gurgling noise.

Some meals have lots of oils that can block the drain, while some, like pasta, expand when they come in contact with water. 

While there are comprehensive lists of meals to not put in the sink, I’ll strongly suggest that you don’t put any food there. 

Source : ahs.com

Related Read: How to Unclog the Rv Kitchen Sink?-[9 Proven Methods]

Partial Blockage In The Sewer Line

Your kitchen sink pipe connects directly to the main sewer line of your home to take the waste out. Over time, the sewer line can get blocked, and it will affect every connected pipe to it. 

You will start to hear the gurgling noise from your slow-draining sink. 

Some of the common causes of a sewer line blockage include;

• Grease 
• Hair
• Sanitary materials
• Poor pipe connection
• Broken line 

Important Note: Sewer lines troubleshooting is a bit complex, so calling an expert is usually the best solution if a sewer line is an issue. 

Poor drain Installation

Hard pill: most of the issues with your kitchen sink are due to poor installation. 

Kitchen sink installation has a process, and it’s not about having the best handyman in the country. You need to understand the kitchen sink design details to avoid mistakes.

If you make the mistake of fixing it yourself, you will cause even more problems. 

Also Read: How to Cap Off Sink Plumbing? Permanent+Temporary Methods

How to Stop Sink from Gurgling?

The best step you can take when you hear the gurgling sound is to call an expert. However, it may only be a familiar sound, and you’ll waste time and money. 

Therefore, you need to do some troubleshooting before calling an expert. 

Here are the steps to fix a gurgling sink sound;

Determine the exact problem point

The first thing you can do is find out the problem. Check the sink if you can’t fix what you don’t know. 

You may not need any tools for troubleshooting.

Here’s a list of the places you can check: 

• Check installations: The most accessible place to check first is the installation of the pipe. Check to see if there are any leakages or broken pipes in the plumbing system. Ensure that you trace each of the vent pipes to the sewer line. 

• Confirming blockages in the vent and drain pipes: This is easy – if the sink drain is blocked, water will remain in the sink. If you stay in a high building, you should call an expert to check the blocked vent pipes. Pour water into the vent opening at the roof to see if it goes or returns. 

• Check the central vent pipes for dirt: Get under the sink and try to remove the pipe directly under it. Remember to put a bowl beneath to receive water and wear a face mask because of the smell. 

• Check air admittance valve: Instead of the roof vent pipe, some kitchen design features an air admittance valve. If that is your kitchen design, you need to check it correctly. 

Unclog with Plumber Snake or Auger

After discovering the problem with the kitchen sink, take some steps on your own. 

If you found a clog to be the problem, you’re lucky! It’s easy to fix if you have a plumber snake or a drain auger. The plumber snake is best for slight clogs, while the drain auger works for larger ones. 

Source: Spruce.com

Important note: A plumber snake will pull the plugs out while the auger will push them down. That’s why snakes are better off for the smaller clogs. 

Unclog Using a drain cleaner 

The easiest solution to any gurgling noise is to clean the sink. 

As a matter of fact, I’ll advise that you do this without hearing the gurgling sounds. 

You have three options to choose from when you want to clean the sink; 

• Chemical cleaners: These types of cleaners have chemical compounds which may be unsafe for your body. However, they’re excellent at dissolving whatever clogs may be in the sink. They’re cheap but can damage your sink if used consistently.

• Enzyme cleaners: Enzyme cleaners contain enzymes, bacteria, and other compounds that can dissolve whatever clogs are causing the sound. These cleaner types may be more expensive, but they’re safer for the sink. 

• Homemade drain cleaners: If you’re anything like me, you’ll agree that white vinegar, baking soda, and other home substances have super cleaning powers for your partially clogged drain. Mix these substances in the right proportions and get them down the drain pipes to clean them. 

Hire An Expert

The safest step you can take when your kitchen sink is gurgling is to hire an expert. 

Now, an expert doesn’t necessarily need to be the one who installed the sink. That person may have been the cause of the problem. 

At the same time, there are better steps than just picking any random plumber. You need someone with the right tools, expertise, and, most importantly, experience. 

Source: Dreamstime.com

How to Prevent Gurgling Sound From The Sinks

It’s almost impossible to stop your gurgling kitchen sink. However, if you want it to gurgle silently, follow these steps;

• Clean regularly
• Flush with hot water at intervals
• Avoid Flushing some food items down the sink.

Important Note: Not all pipes can withstand the temperature of very hot water. Be sure to know the pump type you have before pouring hot water consistently.

Conclusion

Troubleshooting your gurgling kitchen sink is not a good idea because you may worsen the problem. However, if you tried fixing the sink and it still gurgles, you need professional repairs. 

Unlike you, the professional will make more informed guesses and have the right tools to open any part. That way, they can find the problem and fix it quickly.