What That Gurgling Toilet Is Trying to Tell You

You flush. It empties. And then—blub blub blub—your toilet starts to talk back.
If you’ve heard those weird bubbling sounds in your toilet, you’re not imagining things. And no, it’s not just “old pipes.”

That sound is your plumbing system trying to breathe — and it means something isn’t working the way it should.

Across Toronto and the GTA, UPR gets calls about gurgling toilets almost daily. And in most cases, that sound is your early warning sign that a bigger problem is building up underground.

So What’s Causing the Gurgle?

Think of your plumbing like a highway. Water flows in one direction, and air flows behind it to keep everything moving. When there’s a clog, backup, or bad vent somewhere along that line, air gets trapped — and your toilet becomes the release valve.

That gurgling? That’s air bubbling back through the toilet bowl.
Sometimes it’s just a partial clog. Other times, it’s a blocked vent. In worse cases, it’s a sewer main under stress.

And here’s the thing: it doesn’t take much for gurgling to turn into full-on backup — especially during heavy rains or high usage.

Other Clues to Watch For:

• Gurgling gets louder after laundry or showers

• Smells near the toilet or floor drain

• Bubbles when other drains are used

• Water levels rising or falling unexpectedly

These are all signs that pressure is off somewhere in the system.

What UPR Does (The Right Way)

When we get to your home, we don’t just plunge and pray.

We inspect the entire drain and vent system. We may run a camera through the line to find the blockage, check roof vents, test the air flow, and make sure your main sewer connection isn’t holding water.

Once we know what’s wrong, we clear it — properly.

From targeted snaking to full hydro jetting, our goal is simple:
Make your toilet quiet again… and keep your basement dry.

 GTA Homeowners: Don’t Sleep on the Sound

Gurgling today can mean flooding tomorrow. And in homes across Etobicoke, Scarborough, Vaughan, and beyond, we’ve seen small noises turn into very wet floors.

The toilet is trying to tell you something. Let us translate.

Call 647-833-6743

Contact UPR

If your toilet’s got tone, don’t leave it alone — UPR will fix the flow right to the bone.
Serving Toronto & the GTA with no-fluff, no-flood toilet diagnostics and repair.