How to Stop a Gurgling Bathroom Sink

The bothersome gurgles emanating from a bathroom sink can be concerning. A gurgling bathroom sink sometimes indicates a much larger problem than simply a noise.

This problem will need a professional to investigate. However, you can still troubleshoot on your own. With some DIY expertise, you can a few different things to hopefully solve the issue. Or at least you can rule out the less serious causes.

Here is how to stop a gurgling bathroom sink:

1. Don’t ignore a gurgling bathroom sink

A gurgling sound from your bathroom sink drain for no apparent reason is not normal. Do not ignore it. It’s, in all likelihood, a simple blockage somewhere close to the top of the drain or further down the pipe. If that’s the issue, clearing it is easy and should effectively resolve the uncomfortable sounds.

2. Note when you hear the gurgling

Observe what time of day you hear the gurgling. Maybe it comes and goes or only happens during certain hours. Check other sinks in the house to see if they’re going through the same problem.

You may discover it’s more than just an issue with your sink. It could be your entire property’s plumbing. Note how quickly the water drains. If it drains slowly, you know it’s a blockage.

3. Inspect your home

A lot of things can cause a gurgling sink. The easiest thing to do is walk around the house, conducting your quick visual inspection. You may look around appliances like washing machines, dishwashers, air conditioners, and heat pumps. These all can emit sounds.

If there are toilets or drains in your home that don’t get used a lot, flush them or run some water down. If there’s a plumbing drain line in the attic, check it for any irregularities.

4. Contact a plumber

You may be able to save money by attempting these troubleshooting steps yourself. However, after all these methods have been tried, likely, what’s causing a gurgling bathroom sink isn’t in the U-bend or in a place you can reach. It could be further down the line.

At that time, contacting a professional plumber is your best bet at resolving the issue once and for all. A plumber Hamilton has the right diagnostic and assessment tools to determine precisely what’s happening and repair it.

5. Use a plunger in the gurgling sink

A quick way to clear a blockage in a sink drain is the same as tackling a toilet. Use a plunger. Fill the sink with hot water up to three-quarters of the way. Then, take your plunger and put it over the sinkhole, pressing it down and releasing repeatedly.

It may take a couple of minutes, but this will suck the air out of the pipes and create pressure that should dislodge a clog. You may have to attempt this as many as 3-5 times to fully clear the drain.

6. Try a drain cleaner

Drain cleaners are designed to remove clogs. You have bio-enzyme drain cleaners that use enzymes to break down biodegradable materials in the drain. They are very eco-friendly. A homemade solution can be made from distilled white vinegar and baking soda mixed with hot water.

There are, of course, chemical drain cleaners. Ideally, you want to avoid these. A drain cleaner made from chemicals is a last resort and won’t likely do anything a bio-enzyme drain cleaner can’t.

7. Remove your u-bend

The U-bend pipe is located underneath the bathroom sink. It is connected to the main water pipe. Assuming you’ve done everything else to clear the blockage if it’s still there, it’s likely in the U-bend. If you remove it, you can manually clean it out.

Place a large bucket underneath to catch the water when removing the U-bend. You can untwist the two nuts with a monkey wrench and take it out. Next, use a coat hanger or drain snake to run through the pipe, eliminating clogs.

8. Note what you smell from the sink

As you go through these bathroom sink troubleshooting steps, you may pick up on foul odours. If these odours do not disappear after you’ve cleaned out the U-bend and tried a drain cleaner, the gurgling noises could be coming from a clog in your home’s sewer line.

Another sign that this is happening is water backup in the tubs and other sinks. Please note this is an immediate health hazard. A professional should be brought in immediately to inspect your plumbing.

9. Install a catch screen

If you’re fixing gurgling bathroom sink noises and clogs all the time, install a catch screen to hopefully eliminate the debris that’s going down there. Be mindful of what products flow down the sink. Any hair, grease, or products that could cause buildup should not be allowed to flow down the bathroom sink. It may seem safe, but they can coat the insides of the pipe and make clogs more possible.