Gurgling Sink Drain?

[dcyrilc]

Bird...Just a thought but if you use Tidy Bowl to clean your toilets....maybe the tidy bowl guy got flused and is drowning...:laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing: So Sorry...I could not resist..Will I be punished ? :laughing:

Normally I would say yes, but I'm laughing too hard to care right now.:laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing:

 

[Kays Supply]

Just for giggles, the next time it runs and gurgles, pull the filter out of the furnace and see if it changes tune. Does the drain for your kitchen sink go in the wall or into the floor? No other drain makes any sound? Try putting some liquid soap down the drain. See if it blows bubbles when it gurgles.

 

[Bird]

Will you be punished? Well, if that Tidy Bowl guy ever gets out of there and catches you, you might be.:laughing::laughing:

 

[Bird]

Just for giggles, the next time it runs and gurgles, pull the filter out of the furnace and see if it changes tune. Does the drain for your kitchen sink go in the wall or into the floor? No other drain makes any sound? Try putting some liquid soap down the drain. See if it blows bubbles when it gurgles.

I don't think I want to have to go up in the attic and pull that filter. The drain goes into the wall. This is a double sink; small sink with disposal on the left, larger and deeper sink on the right, the dishwasher discharges into the top of disposal, and the condensation drain for the HVAC is PVC down inside the wall, then a rubber hose into the big sink drain, near the top, so of course before the P trap. Incidentally, you can also stop the gurgling simply by putting the stoppers in both sink drains. So I reckon that's the easiest solution.

 

[SandburRanch]

Furnace shut off; no more gurgle.

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With the furnace blower running try temporarily plugging the drain pipe that drains the AC condenser pan and see if that changes anything.

 

[kenstrac]

So if the drain from the A/C goes into that drain and you have not run the unit in cooling mode the water is probably evaporated in the trap on the A/C allowing the air through.

 

[CurlyDave]

Incidentally, you can also stop the gurgling simply by putting the stoppers in both sink drains. So I reckon that's the easiest solution.

That is a huge clue. The air pressure in the house is higher than in the drain line.

Somewhere you have a blower or fan pushing air into the house.

Maybe your furnace, maybe an exhaust fan that is somehow reversed, maybe something else.

 

[ronjhall]

Could be you have a furnace hot air leak in the attic. To make up for lost air, the old air intakes have to draw air from somewhere. Path of least resistance could be your drains.
I would think you would get some smell in the house if that was the case.

 

[Redneck in training]

I would suspect suction duct. The furnace is drawing air from outside pressurizing the house.
In fact you might test which way the air is going in the sink. If you smoke blow smoke on the drain when it gurgles. If the smoke is being sucked in the house has positive pressure. Then inspect suction duct in the attic. If the smoke gets blown away or the gas smells then the house has negative pressure. Inspect discharge ducting in the attic.

 

[Bird]

Well, I'm not even sure it's a pressure problem. I was just in the kitchen getting another cup of coffee, the heat was on, the sink was gurgling, the heat cycled off, and the gurgling stopped. Now the outlet in the ceiling in the kitchen/dining area does allow some air to blow directly into the sink. I just cannot imagine it being enough volume of air, or pressure, to cause that gurgling. And I also cannot understand why this just started happening earlier this month. However, it's only happening when the heat is on; not the cooling (volume of air being moved feels about the same). We had a complete new HVAC system installed in May of this year, so other than very brief testing, the heat wasn't used until this month.

But anyway, I'm just happy to know I don't really have a serious problem.