Exclusive Tips on How to Fix A Gurgling Kitchen Sink

Almost every one of us gurgles in the morning while freshening up after brush teeth. However, what if you hear your kitchen sink gurgling? Please don’t get me mad. If there’re problems with the attached vent of the sink, you will listen to a gurgling sound from it.

Thus, you might want to know how to fix a gurgling kitchen sink. Fortunately, you can solve the problem without calling for professional help. That’s why we have come up with exclusive tips to troubleshoot the gurgling kitchen sink.

How to Fix A Gurgling Kitchen Sink

The gurgling sound in the sink happens when the vent isn’t appropriately fixed or blocked inside due to debris. Thus when your kitchen sink starts communicating with you with such odd sounds, you should fix it properly.

There are three main reasons behind a gurgling kitchen sink. These reasons are-

1. Inappropriate installation of the vent and drain pipe
2. The vent pipe got blocked due to wastage
3. The drain pipe has become blocked for some reason.

When the vent or drain pipe gets blocked, the water inside it won’t flow freely and start accumulating. Thus, water will get trapped and sound like a gurgle as it puts extra force to pass through the drain pipe.

So, you have to check all these three reasons to solve the gurgling kitchen sink problem.

Checking the Air Valve

While most kitchen sink is installed with the vent, some brands will equip with air admittance valve instead of the duct. It is set underneath the sink. It is used in plumbing works and operates through the air-pressure mechanism. If homeowners want to get rid of the conventional roof vents and pipes, they will use the air admittance valve.

You have to check the valve’s condition when you hear the gurgling sound. If the valve becomes immobile or trapped or clogged, the water can’t flow through it. You need to replace the air admittance valve in this case.

Unclog Drainage Pipe

The most common reason for a kitchen sink gurgling sound is a clogged or trapped drainage pipe. Water flows through the line, slowly causing residual build-up inside the pipe when it receives insufficient airflow.

Thus the residual accumulation will block the water flow and cause the gurgling sound of the sink. So, you should regularly clean the pipe to remove such blockades. The cleaning procedure includes the following steps.

1. Place a large bucket underneath the p-trap to collect the water when you remove the drainage pipe.
2. Remove the coupling nuts from the p-trap with the pliers set.
3. Then, remove the trap from underneath the sink.
4. Use a wire coat hanger in a straightened manner to remove the pipe inside.
5. Alternatively, you might use a bottle brush. When cleaned, reattach the pipe and p-trap correctly with the sink.

Checking External Wastages

The vents of the sink usually extend to the outer part of your home. Sometimes, it accumulates additional wastage due to birds, plant leaves, etc. Such wastages will stack right on the vents joining points and block the water flow.

You have to flush water on the wastage right at the venting points. Since it needs powerful water pressure, we recommend you use an auger for the flushing process. Push the auger inside the vent as far as you can until it is stuck with the debris. Then pull the junk with the plumbing auger carefully. It creates the space inside the vent and removes the gurgling sound.

Use Salt and Boiled Water:

At times, the main problem might be just inside the kitchen sink itself. Hence, you should flush the kitchen sink properly to eliminate the gurgling sound quickly.  When you clean plates and bowls in the sink, often food particles will go and accumulate inside the drain pipe.

Thus, you need to find a way to remove these food particles and fat accumulation from the pipe through the kitchen sink.

1. Pour some salt right on the sink and allow it to go through the drainage pipe.
2. Boil 2 liters of water on the stove. When the water starts boiling at full throttle, pour it over the sink.
3. Thus, the salt and boiling water will run through the pipe and remove the food particles and fat from it.

In the case of large food items, you need to use a plumbing snake.

Using Plumbing Snake:

Plumbing snakes are a simple tool with a spring-loaded canister. When necessary, you can insert the spring inside the drain and rotate it to get hold of the wastages and debris inside it. These are also known as augers or drain snakes.

Remove the stranger gasket from the sink mouth and access the drain pipe. Insert the drain snake and try to collect the debris inside. Rotate the tool properly and accumulate as much debris as you get. Also, try to go as deep inside the drainpipe as possible.

Use Denture Tablets to Clean a Slow Running Sink

Denture tablets are just not for cleaning your teeth anymore. I have found out that they are quite good a cleaning other household items including cleaning a slow-running sink. To do this you will need to do the following. The denture tablets have a bubbling action which helps move particles around releasing the drain. They also kill bacteria and it will help with any smells coming from the drain.

Add a few denture cleaning tablets to the sink with the problem. Cycle additional water until the problem goes away.

For stubborn drains, it could take a few more tablets and a few more minutes before the drain starts to clear.

Conclusion

These are the best troubleshooting tips for how to fix a gurgling kitchen sink. Luckily, these quick-fixing solutions are easy to follow and apply. Nonetheless, if you still hear the gurgling sound after trying all these troubleshoots, the reason might be a damaged or clogged central venting system of the home. In such cases, we recommend you call a professional plumber to fix the issue.

You can fix the central vent alone, but it runs the risk of filling your home with sewer odor. So, be aware of such smells if you want to accomplish it without professionals.