Why Your Toilet Bubbles When Showering

By |Published On: January 5th, 2022|Categories: Residential Plumbing, Sewer Systems|

If your toilet bubbles when showering, you’re in the right place. This article teaches you why your toilet bubbles when showering and how to stop the bubbles. From plunging your toilet to cleaning your sewer lines with hydro-jetting, you’ll find everything you need here.

Bathroom interior with white bath tub, glass door shower and toilet

Why Your Toilet Bubbles When Showering

Here are three reasons why your toilet bubbles when showering.

1. You Have A Blocked Drain

One of the main reasons your toilet bubbles is because something is blocking your drain pipes.

Your drain is partially blocked – If your drain is partially blocked, you’ll notice the bubbling has just begun. You may not think this is a big deal, but if you leave your drain like this, it can become completely blocked.

Your drain is completely blocked – If water is no longer flushing down your toilet, your drain could be completely blocked. What causes your drains to become completely blocked?

  • Dirt
  • Hair
  • Dead skin
  • Soap residue
  • Clogged wipes
  • Oils, grease, and fat
Sewer cleaning. A plumber uses sewer snake to clean blockage clog. Toilet room repair. Canalization pipe. Repairman hands. Bad smell. Dirty water. Metal wire. Yellow color tiles. Plumbing error. DIY.

2. You Have A Blocked Sewer Line

Your toilet’s drain pipe is connected to the main sewer line beneath your home. If multiple drains are slow or clogged, chances are your sewer line is blocked as well. The main sewer line carries all your waste to the city sewer line or a septic tank and is very important. What causes your sewer line to become blocked?

  • Tree roots have infiltrated your pipes.
  • Your cast iron or terracotta pipes are losing their structural integrity.
  • The soil around your pipes is shifting, causing your pipes to break.
  • Liquid fat is hardening inside your pipes.
  • Drain cleaners with sulfuric acid are corroding your pipes.
  • Flushable wipes are clogging your pipes.
  • A toy got flushed and is blocking your pipes.
closeup of a young man throwing a wet wipe to the toilet, in a white tiled restroom

Read more about when it’s time to replace your sewer line.

3. You Have A Blocked Vent Pipe

Your drain and sewer pipes are connected to a vertical pipe that exits out of your roof. The vent pipe allows air and gas to safely travel through your drains without disrupting your water flow. If your vent pipe is obstructed, your plumbing system won’t function, and your toilet will bubble. What can block a vent pipe?

  • Leaves
  • Birds
  • Small Animals
  • Small branches
  • Trash
  • Tennis balls or baseballs
Closeup of a silver metal worn roof vent stack pipe with cracked and split black rubber boot flashing rotting and disintegrating away needing to be repaired to prevent leaks.

Why You Don’t Want A Blocked Vent Pipe

Vent pipes are meant to help regulate the air pressure throughout your plumbing system. Vent pipes help remove sewer odors from your home, allowing fresh air to circulate through your pipes. If your vent pipe becomes blocked, sewer gases will try to escape through your drains. Smelling sewer gases can cause serious health issues such as:

  • Headaches
  • Nausea
  • Shortness of breath
  • Drowsiness
  • Heart palpitations

How To Stop Toilet Bubbles When Showering

Below are three ways you can stop toilet bubbles when showering.

1. Use A Plunger

It’s time to whip out the old plunger. Now keep in mind that plunging your toilet only works if the blockage is close to the surface. If your toilet is bubbling because of a clog deeper down the line, you can skip this step.

After you’ve plunged your toilet, plunge your shower drain. If you can still hear bubbling when your shower is running, keep plunging or move on to the next step.

Plumber repairing toilet with hand plunger

2. Clean Your Vent Pipe

If your vent pipe doesn’t have a screen to prevent obstructions, debris can fall inside. If that’s the case, you’re going to want to get out a ladder and hose. Call a professional if you don’t feel comfortable getting on your roof.

  1. Climb up on your roof and find that pipe that’s sticking out.
  2. Take a garden hose with you and pour water down the vent. (You will need a second person to turn the hose on).
  3. Listen to hear if the water pushes the clog down the drain.
garden hose on grass

If the garden hose doesn’t work, you can use a sewer snake to pull out any clogs in the vent.

3. Clean Your Sewer Lines

If your sewer line is clogged, and that’s causing your toilet to bubble, then this is the step for you. If you call a professional sewer repair company, they will most likely suggest using hydro-jetting to clean your sewer lines.

Hydro-jetting uses a self-propelled nozzle that shoots up to 4,000 PSI of water through your sewer pipes, breaking apart sludge, tree roots, or anything else blocking or slowing down your drains. Your pipes are accessed using a cleanout or by removing a toilet, making it non-invasive. Hydro-jetting uses different nozzles for different obstructions. It’s the perfect solution for deep, tough clogs.

Read more about hydro-jetting.

Who To Call For Help

If your toilet bubbles when your showering, you need professional help. If you live in the Greater Los Angeles area, call New Flow Plumbing. We’ll get you started with a CCTV sewer camera inspection to determine where your problems come from. Then, we give you a free repair estimate, followed by available repair options.

About the Author: New Flow Plumbing Inc.

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