Here’s Why Your Toilet Gurgles and Spews When It Rains

From Popular Mechanics

• A recent video on Twitter shows a gurgling toilet spewing water looking like it’s ready to blow.

• We spoke to an expert on what causes this phenomenon and what you can do to attempt fixing the issue yourself before things get messy.

Toilets are under-appreciated fixtures in the home and tend to exist unnoticed—until something goes wrong. Plumbing issues can range from minute problems such as a shaky toilet handle all the way through severe clogs and backups.

Or, if you’re this Twitter user, the problem is a gurgling toilet spewing water all over.

“The first thing you should do is ask your neighbor if they’re having that problem too," Jim Ervin, a former compliance manager who worked at the Santa Jose-Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility for nearly 25+ years, told Popular Mechanics. " It’ll tell you if that’s an issue in your house alone or the entire neighborhood.”

If you’re the only person on your street with this problem, you should duct tape drains around your home and try plunging your toilet. The tape will ensure that pressure is localized to help keep the power of the plunging in the pipes.

But if your neighbors are also experiencing the same problem, Ervin says it becomes an issue that the city needs to address. If your toilet only gurgles when it rains, you’ve likely got rain water pouring into your sewer system. But, according to Ervin, it could also be caused by a blockage in your sewer line.

“The overflowing and gurgling is caused by too much water trying to go down a restricted pipe,” says Ervin. “Rainwater could get into a sewer system via a cracked pipe, downspouts from roof drains, or a basement sump pump.”

You’ll want to get a plumbing snake and then look for your sewer clean-out. Once you’ve located the clean-out, use the snake to rod it. “If you find an obstruction and you can break it free, that might fix your problem,” Ervin tells us. However, if the obstruction is too far down, you might need to call a professional to come help.

Ervin says that combined sewer systems—in which both surface runoff and sewage water accumulate simultaneously—could also cause gurgling toilets. “Luckily, newer construction helps prevent issues like this,” he says. The best way to maintain the overall wellbeing of your plumbing is to be aware of what you’re doing and actively fix issues as they arise.

“All pipes break down eventually, but you can still do a few things to take care of your plumbing system,” says Ervin. “Don’t throw grease down the drain. What happens to grease inside of your body is the same thing that happens to grease in a drain. It’ll solidify and accumulate until nothing can pass through and it’s going to cause a major problem.”

Ervins also recommends flushing toilet paper and absolutely nothing else. “Contrary to popular belief, flushable wipes are not good for your plumbing. Don’t flush them—even if the packaging says you can.”

Keeping all this in mind, hopefully your toilet will continue to go unnoticed.

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