What is the strange inflatable ball-like object in my roof stack causing a metallic sound, and how can I safely remove it to stop my sink from gurgling during laundry?
Asked by Philip Poulsen 
4 months ago
Last Updated: July 26, 2024
My sink makes a weird gurgling noise whenever I do laundry. I took a look at the roof stack and saw something strange. It seems to be one of those inflatable balls used for checking drainage or ventilation, but it makes a metallic sound when I tap it with a long screwdriver. Any thoughts on what this could be and how I can get rid of it?
It seems like the size is just shifting. Make sure to have your drain cabled.
Can you try to fit a shop vac in there? If the pipe isn’t too tight, you might be able to attach it to the end of the vac hose.
I’ve been feeling under the weather lately but looks like the weather is improving. Excited to give this a shot! Thanks!
If you’re hearing gurgling and bubbling, it could mean there’s a clog in the drain. We’ve been dealing with the same issue when we use a lot of water, like for laundry or showers. We suspect our drain pipe from the house to the septic tank is damaged because mud actually came back into the shower drain. We have someone coming after the holidays since ours is covered by the new house warranty. If it wasn’t covered, we’d be digging it up today. If I were in your shoes, I would snake the laundry drain, sink drain, and any accessible cleanouts.
I think this might be a clog. I dealt with a similar issue in my previous house. I tried to clear it by running a hose up there, like I did before, but this time the hose only goes so far and I hear a metal clinking sound – definitely a solid obstruction. So, I ended up using a camera to see what’s going on up there. I was hoping for an easy fix because this stack is in a difficult spot on the roof/attic with no easy access.
It could be that your old house just has pipes that are too small for newer appliances. I recently had to replace all the sewer pipes under my house for a different issue, and they discovered that some of the pipes were actually too small. But now the problem is fixed.
Make sure to have your drains snaked regularly.
I had that taken care of when I purchased the house
From up on the roof, noticed a possible clog in the vent pipe.
Currently dealing with a stubborn blockage… that was my initial concern; how do I get rid of it? I originally thought it was an inflatable test ball used by inspectors for drain/vent testing, but it made a metallic clinking noise when the hose touched it.
Is this the soil vent stack from the roof? The best option would be to go into the attic, remove that section, push the obstruction out from underneath, then repair it using 1.5” schedule 40 pipe, a coupling, and a union. If you’re lucky, you might only need two couplings. Doing this should eliminate the gurgling.