However, if all of the drains in your home are slow and you’re also noticing the other issues described in this section, blocked sewer vents are more likely to blame. And slow drains can certainly be an indication that there’s something clogging your main sewer pipe. In some cases, gurgling noises indicate that there is no vent for that particular drain or fixture.Ī single slow drain usually indicates a blockage in the drain itself. This indicates that these two plumbing fixtures share a vent-and it is blocked. For example, if you flush a toilet, you may hear gurgling in the tub. Note that in some cases, you may hear gurgling in drains other than the one you’re using at the moment.
The air should be flowing up and out of the sewer vents, but since they are blocked, it has nowhere else to escape but through the drains. The gurgling is caused by air escaping through the drain. You may also hear gurgling coming from your toilet shortly after you flush. You may hear gurgling or even see water bubbling up and out of the drains as they drain. The following are common signs that your sewer vents could be blocked. For this reason, some cases of blocked vents go undiagnosed for months or years while the homeowners try DIY fixes to clear drain lines-but to no avail. The signs of a blocked sewer vent often mimic those of a blockage in the drain pipe. If they become blocked, your system won’t drain properly. They regulate the air pressure in your system, allowing waste to flow freely. Located on the roof, these vent pipes allow gases to escape from your sewer system.
But there’s another part of your plumbing system that can become blocked: your sewer vents. When you think of clogged plumbing, blockages in drain pipes are probably the first issue that comes to mind.