You've probably experienced this when you are running a load of laundry in your home in Woodstock: you run the washer and hear it fill, then, a little later, from the bathroom you hear a weird sound, almost like the toilet is bubbling up. There could even be a faint smell. And then everything seems to be working fine again, but the whole sound was a bit unsettling.
In a lot of Woodstock homes, that bubbling sound from the toilet when the washing machine is draining is your plumbing system telling you that the drains are fighting for air. The good news is that this issue is usually easy to diagnose and to fix it too before it turns into a scenario where the water is overflowing.
In this article I'm going to walk you through what is actually happening when you hear this noise and what you can do next if you live around Woodstock, Holly Springs, Canton or anywhere in the suburban region of North Atlanta in you experience this problem, places which share a lot of the same drain and vent layouts and thus have the same issues when it comes to plumbing.
What the bubbling sound really means
A toilet making a bubbling sound is almost always a symptom of air pressure changes inside the drain system. Your drains are supposed to move wastewater out of the house while venting air in and out at the same time through the plumbing vents that go through the roof. Without those vents the draining water creates suction and heavy pressure inside the pipe system, so it's necessary to maintain the equilibrium within the system.
The toilet is an obvious place for pressure in the system to escape through, because it has a big trap and a big opening. When pressure is pushing through the drainage system in your house it comes through the toilet and bubbles rise. Conversely, when suction pulls the air back through, you can get a gulping sound as the air tries to come through the toilet trap.
So the bubbles are not really a problem at all; they are a warning sign and the real problem is usually one of two things: either the drains are partially restricted or there is an issue with the vents that is leaving the system starved for air.
Why the washing machine triggers this noise more than sinks or showers
A washing machine is basically a controlled flood. When the machine drains, it dumps out a high volume of water very quickly. The sudden discharge of liters of water through the drain line can act like a piston, one that shoves air ahead of it and pulls the air along from behind it.
If the main drain in the house is even a little restricted, then the discharge from the washing machine can impact on this restriction especially badly and compresses the air. That pressure has to go somewhere. If the vents are blocked, the system cannot breathe through the vent on the roof in the way that it normally should, so it makes a kind of burp or bubbling noise through the nearest fixture. And that fixture is very often a toilet, especially if the toilet is tied into the same branch of the drainage system as the washing machine.
With many homes in Woodstock, the pipes for the laundry are not far from the pipes for the bathroom, or they share a common line in a crawlspace. When the washing machine discharges, it is simply the loudest test of the health of the wider drainage system because it creates the most pressure.
Partial clogs in the main drainage line: The most common cause of the bubbling sound in Woodstock homes
If I had to pick the most common reason that we see at Plumb N Plumber for why this bubbling sound occurs in Woodstock homes, it is a partial obstruction of the main sewer line or the pipes that serves both the laundry and the bathroom.
This will very often be a partial blockage and you might not notice the fact that the drains are emptying slower yet. The toilets might also flush fine most of the time, but when the washing machine drains it overwhelms the reduced opening in the pipe and you get this increased pressure manifesting as noise coming out of the toilet.
In older neighborhoods in Woodstock these partial clogs are often the result of a buildup of things like grease, soap scum, lint, and allegedly “flushable” wipes in your pipes. In some cases we might also see roots intruding into the pipes, depending on how old the sewer line is and the landscaping around it, especially so if there are mature trees near where the pipes are underground.
Lint is significant. This is the debris that comes out when the washing machines discharges. Over time this material can snag on imperfections inside the pipe and contributes to the formation of a nasty knot of material that reduces the flow of water inside the pipe.
When your pipes can't breathe: Problems with the vents
The second big category of problem concerns the vents in your home. If the vents are blocked or poorly configured, then the air cannot run smoothly through the system when the water is trying to drain out from the washing machine at speed. In these situations the system turns into a kind of suction cup and the toilet becomes the place where the added air pressure reveals itself.
A vent on your roof can be blocked by leaves, pine needles, a bird nest, or even something as unexpected as a baseball. It sounds silly, but it does happens. Occasionally the vent is not fully blocked. Instead it has been compromised when the home was being remodeled. One relatively minor change up on the roof can create a weird venting situation that does not seem to fully break anything, but is causing an issue at the same time.
A tell tale sign is if you smell sewer gas occasionally inside the house along with the bubbling noise from the toilet. A bubbling toilet, when combined with an unpleasant odor is not something you should ignore.
When a minor clog is about to turn into a backed up toilet or shower
Here is the part people don't generally like hearing about: if a toilet is making this bubbling noise, then this can be an early warning sign that water is going to start backing up in the toilet or shower before too long.
Basically, if the minor clog in the mainline gets worse over time, the discharge from the washing machine can start to force water into places it should not go in your home's pipes. For example, it might start pushing its way into a bathtub or a shower, or the water in the toilet bowl will start rising higher than it normal does.
If you run the washing machine and later notice that the water level in the toilet is higher than normal, or the bowl refills in a strange way after flushing, then that is a sign that your system is struggling. If multiple fixtures are behaving strangely, that is the system screaming out for attention.
Some quick checks that you can perform yourself
There are some things you can do to investigate yourself to see how bad the situation might be. Firstly, listen to the other drains in the house when the washing machine is emptying out the water. Do you hear gurgling noises in a nearby sink or shower, or is there a peculiar sound out of the bathtub? If the answer is yes, that might point strongly to a restriction of a kind in the mainline.
If only one toilet is making the noise and nothing else seems to be effected, it can still be a clog, but it could also be a localized problem with the vents or a specific branch of the home's plumbing system.
You should also watch out for fixtures that are draining slowly or a toilet that appears to be flushing in a weak manner. These symptoms support the theory that you have a partial clog.
If the bubbling sound happens only when the washing machine is draining, that clearly suggests a flow and pressure problem. If it happens randomly, like after you flush another toilet or drain a bathtub, the problem could potentially be a broader one. These checks are not a replacement for calling a plumber and getting a skilled diagnosis, but they can help you to describe the issue clearly when you call Plumb N Plumber.
What you should and shouldn't do: Get a plumber to diagnose it
A common impulse when you realize there is a problem is to pour some chemical drain cleaner into the drains. These rarely relieve a clog and can damage the pipes depending on the product used. They can also make the job more hazardous for whoever comes to fix it, as the chemicals remain in standing water and are dangerous.
Plunging the toilet or drain can help if the issue is a minor one, yet plunging the toilet over and over again can also splash contaminated water around without doing anything to address the primary issue with the main sewer line.
Instead of doing these things, start with trying to understand which fixtures in your home are impacted and what symptoms are evident. From there, drain cleaning or a camera inspection is often the best next step, especially if the home has a history of clogs and water backing up.
A drain camera inspection is exactly what it sounds like: a plumber will use a camera to see what is causing the problem, from a lint buildup or wipes, to intruding roots or a broken pipe section. The value of this method is that you stop the guesswork and get a clear idea of what's going on where your eye can't naturally see. You can then choose the right solution for the problem.
If the line is blocked, a professional drain-cleaning service will clear it by using the right equipment, not just employing a small auger or snake that pokes a hole through the clog and leaves the rest of the debris behind. If your vents are the issue, they need to be cleared and and sometimes they need to be fixed in other ways.
When it's time to call a plumber
So how do you know when it's time to call a plumber about these issues? Firstly, if wastewater ever starts to come up through the drain of the shower or bathtub when the washing machine is draining, then there is a serious problem and you need a plumber.
Equally, if the water level in the toilet rises or threatens to overflow while you are doing laundry, ring a plumber. Do so as well if you smell an odor regularly. Finally, if it is coming up to the holidays or a visit from family and friends and you think there might be a plumbing problem, that is not the time to cross your fingers and hope for the best. It's time to ring a plumber.
Getting it fixed in Woodstock for a fair price
If you live in the Woodstock area, or in Canton, Holly Springs, Hickory Flat, Sixes, Marietta, Roswell, East Cobb, Alpharetta, Milton, Kennesaw, Cumming, or around Lake Lanier, and you are experience plumbing issues, then call Plumb N Plumber.
Plumb N Plumber started in 2014 as one guy and a truck. It has since grown into three teams serving the North Atlanta suburbs daily. We're known around Cherokee County for offering a straightforward service with transparent and fair pricing. If it is a simple drain cleaning job, we just tell you that without trying to upsell you.
Our crew includes Matthew LoPiccolo, Master Plumber MP210628, along with J.T. O'Neill and Taylor Melton, both license pending, Andrew Bridges, Journeyman Plumber JP507671, Parker Bonchonsky, Apprentice, and Ben McCullough, license pending. This is a good mix of experienced eyes and manpower to actually solve your problem.
If you need our assistance don't hesitate to reach out through our contact form or give us a call. Our headquarters is at 2449 E Cherokee Dr, Woodstock, GA 30188, and we're open from Monday through Friday from 08:00 AM to 08:00 PM.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Why does my toilet make weird sounds when water is draining out of the washing machine?
The strange sounds from your toilet during a washing machine's drain cycle are caused by changes in the air pressure of your plumbing system. When the washer dumps a large volume of water out quickly, it pushes and pulls air through the drain lines. If there's a partial clog or venting issue within the system, this pressure can then escape through the toilet trap, causing these bubbling sounds and sometimes even faint sewer odors.
Why are these bubbling noises heard specifically when the washer drains out and not when the sinks or showers are running?
Washing machines release a large volume of water rapidly, acting like a piston that compresses air inside the pipes and drains of your home. This sudden surge in pressure exacerbates any problems with the vents more than is the case with sinks or showers because those fixtures drain water much more slowly. If the drain is partially clogged, then the pressure has to escape somewhere, often through a nearby toilet connected to the section of the house's drainage system.
What is the most common cause of a toilet bubbling in Woodstock homes?
For many homes in Woodstock, partial clogs in the main sewer line are the primary culprit of this. These clogs often form from grease, soap scum, lint from the washing machine's discharge, and non-flushable wipes, building up inside the sewer lines. Roots intruding into the pipes from mature trees can also contribute to the problem depending on how the property is landscaped.
How do problems with the vents contribute to noises coming from the toilet and smells from the sewer?
Vents allow air to enter and exit your plumbing system to balance pressure during drainage. If the vents are blocked by debris such as leaves, pine needles or bird nests, or if they are not the right size due to changes made when the home was being remodeled, the flow of air in and out can end up being restricted. This creates suction and pressure pulses that force air back through fixtures such as the toilet, causing the bubbling noises you're hearing.
Can bubbling toilets indicate an impending plumbing problem?
Yes, a toilet that is making a bubbling sound can be an early warning sign that there is a partial clog developing in your main sewer line. As the pipe becomes more restricted, wastewater may back up into the toilets and shower. You might notice higher-than-normal water levels in the toilet bowls or strange water patterns after running the washing machine. If multiple units are making this noise, it usually signals that your drainage system needs some immediate professional attention to prevent overflows.
What quick checks can I carry out myself if there is a noise from the toilet when the washing machine is draining?
When your washing machine starts its drain cycle, listen for out for sounds in the nearby sinks or from the shower. Observe if the water level in the toilet is fluctuating after the washing cycles and also check the vents for any visible blockages like leaves if these can be safely accessed. These simple steps can help identify the possible problem before calling a professional plumber to come and diagnose and repair the problem.
