Said It Here

Why is my plumbing or AC making bubbling noises?

A bubbling or gurgling noise often indicates a blocked condensate line in the system. This disruptive sound makes it difficult to breathe comfortably while trying to figure out what is wrong.

What people tried

Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.

  1. 1
    Calling an HVAC or plumbing company for assistance
  2. 2
    Using a shop vacuum on the end of the condensate drain pipe to clear clogs
  3. 3
    Shutting off the water supply and draining the system to rule out plumbing leaks
  4. 4
    Checking the furnace cabinet, coil, and drain pan for moisture
  5. 5
    Inspecting suction lines and duct dampers for loose parts
  6. 6
    turning on the water faucet to stop the noise
  7. 7
    waiting to see if the issue goes away on its own

In their words

Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.

Your condensate line is blocked. It’s gurgling and I can’t breathe.source ↗

MiserableMagician254 · r/Plumbing · 1 upvotes

It sounds to me like air is unable to easily get through for whatever reason.source ↗

Kevlar2351 · r/Plumbing · 1 upvotes

Trying to figure out if this is something that we need to tell the landlord now or if we’re able to wait and it will just go away on its own eventually.source ↗

Kevlar2351 · r/Plumbing · 1 upvotes

I hear what sounds like water droplets hitting metal from one of my vents.source ↗

I just dont get it... if anyone has a wild idea what it could be. Help would be appreciatedsource ↗

Accomplished-Cress35 · r/hvacadvice · 1 upvotes

It sounds like a bubbling type noise.source ↗

Technical_Sea4426 · r/Plumbing

Where this came up

People with this problem also raised