Gurgling toilet - any ideas?

[Monkeybunkey]

I flushed my downstairs toilet last night and while washing my hands heard a "gurgle" a bit like after I've run water in the basin, but this gurgle came from the toilet. It looked as though the water level in the pan was very low at the end of the flush so I poured a little more in and thought no more of it. Having flushed it again this morning, the exact same thing has happened.

Google suggests that I may need to rod the outside drains, but surely if there was a blockage, the toilet would drain slowly after flushing, not empty right out? Or is it siphoning because there's something not right further down the pipe? I do have a set of drain rods and I'm not afraid to use them when I get home tonight if required!

[FlossieFrog]

Hopefully you've sorted it already. Our toilet was doing that a while ago, and we did need to rod the drains. We'd had the soil stack replaced and I think some cement fell in and then attracted toilet debris .

[PigletJohn]

you very likely have a blockage. You can try sending down copious amounts of water, but you need to find the drain covers and look down them.

How old is the house?

Has it had an extension or extra bathroom/wc/kitchen added?

sucking out of the bend is because the soil pipe is full of "water" and it is syphoning.

[Monkeybunkey]

Thanks both. I've lifted both manhole covers and the drains were clear. House was built in 1983 and a loft conversion was done in 2003-ish with bathroom which goes into the main soil stack. This toilet seems to go down into the floor and possibly straight out to the drain outside rather than across the hallway to the soil stack (which runs down the lounge wall, boxed in). Looks like I'll be getting the plunger out tonight then!

[TondelayaDellaVentamiglia]

we have really elderly plumbing and the upstairs toilet does this on occasion, I think the "blockage" is on the move and is sucking water with it if that makes sense. You are only in serious trouble if it lodges between the toilet and the main drain

I issue a "double flush warning" and if it gets worse the offender will have to clear any subsequent clogging.

Happy Plunging! :o

[Monkeybunkey]

Well, I appear to have sorted it. First I stuck a good glug of washing up liquid down and a big bowl of hot water and let it sit for an hour. Flushed and still syphoning. Gloves on, hand in and all I found was a load of limescale. Got the trusty black bottle of Harpic out, gave it a good squirt and shoved it down with the loo brush (I know, I know...) and flushed after an hour and still not 100%. Flushed this morning and all is well! I'm keeping the drain rods handy though, just in case.......