Loud gurgling noise -- do I have to live with it?

[alex.birchall]

I have been living in my second floor ond-bed apartment for just over six years. The apartment is above a shop and is in a six-storey block.

About six months ago I started hearing a loud gurgling noise emanating from my kitchen sink when I was not using any appliances. I initially assumed this was due to people living in the apartments above me using new appliances (such as a power shower) and that there was not anything that I could do about it.

However, a plumber told me that the gurgling noise could be due to a "partial blockage in the stack". He told me that a faulty "water seal trap" can be identified by either a gurgling noise and/or a foul smell.

I informed the buildings owners of the problem and they were skeptical. They told me that they would pour something down the drains to clear them. But this has done nothing to resolve the problem.

Is this loud gurgling noise more likely to be caused by people above me using more water than before, or a faulty water seal trap. How can I convince the buildings owners to investigate this possibility?

[Joseph Meehan]

Your plumber was correct. The building people don't have a clue. That stack could be clogged above all the drains and preventing proper venting. That would be my guess. You don't fix that one with drain cleaner. You end up on the roof to fix it.

[mm]

Of course not. Divorce her.

[mm]

I don't think there is any traing program for building owners, or even for paid staff in places with many apartments. I don't know what the problem was, but they poured drano or lye down the drain of people above my mother's place, and it backed up into my mothers sink and ruined the dutch oven that she had had for maybe 50 years. Used it once or twice a week all that time with no problems.