Do you have strange bubbling noises coming from your toilet when it is not being used? Don’t worry, you’re not about to have some sewer dwelling animal come up from below, instead you most likely have a problem with the plumbing system. Your drain pipes are not empty, they are full of sewer gas, a foul smelling gas that comes from the mixture of all the waste in the sewer system. This gas can be harmful if you are exposed to it, which is why it is contained. Your sewer system has a vent pipe that is meant to allow displaced sewer gas to escape into the air outside, but if this was to get blocked, the gas will find another way, hence the bubbling in your toilet. If this is the case, you can check your vent pipe for a bird’s nest, or similar, that is not allowing the gas to escape properly. Once that is removed, your bubbling toilet should go back to normal.
