The Gurgling Sound in My Kitchen Sink

A gurgling noise in the kitchen sink could be caused by a number of different problems. Some of these might not be serious, while others might be indicative of a larger problem with your plumbing. In either case, when you hear these kinds of noises coming from your kitchen, you should take time to root out the primary cause.

A garbage disposal can cause noises in your sink. This happens when the disposal becomes clogged up over time. The material that gets stuck in the disposal creates pockets of air throughout the pipes. The sound that you hear is gurgling through the blockages caused by the disposal. Follow the instructions in your garbage disposal manual for unclogging a clogged unit.

In a regular sink, if you let too much debris wash down the drain you can also get a blockage in the pipes that causes the gurgling sound that you hear. The best way to address this is with a commercial drain-cleaning product. Use a product that you pour down the sink. This job is easy enough for anyone to complete safely. If the problem persists, a plunger may force the blockage through.

The gurgling sound in your sink could be caused by a problem in the venting system. Sinks need to have a vent that allows air to escape and enter so that the proper balance of pressure is maintained. When that balance is disturbed, the imbalance presses air back up through the pipes, causing the noise that you hear.

Keeping your sink from clogging in any way helps prevent the situations which cause these gurgles, whether located in the pipes, disposal or venting system. Don't wash food down the sink if you don't have a garbage disposal. In particular, avoid anything that is tough and won't break down easily. Meat, celery and potato peels are primary culprits to avoid. Also, grease should always be thrown out in the trash instead of washed down the sink.