Strange noise coming from shower drain

[Glosoli]

Hi all,

I live in a block of flats (one person below me, two above me, four floors total) and recently at random intervals there has been strange noise coming from my shower drain. I googled it and came across a video which has exactly the same "dripping" sound I have been hearing but there was no responses to that particular post.

Does anyone know what on earth could be causing this noise?

Here is the link to the video with the same noise.... https://amp.reddit.com/r/Plumbing/comments/jdzdcv/i_hear_this_noise_in_the_shower_drain_in_my/

Thanks!

 

[dishman]

It might be a good assumption that all the apartment drains join a shared riser drain.

If there is some kind of blockage or odd air pocket, what you could be hearing is the reverberation of someone else's shower draining.

Or perhaps, if it sounds more mechanical, and the drain is shared by other utilities, the drain pump of a dishwasher/washing machine.

I would look at noting down the times it happens to see if there is any consistency.

Or, if you are friendly with the neighbours, ask them to do some tests by putting on their showers and see if the noise occurs.

(I mention this as I used to live in a top floor flat with a shared air vent riser, I could always hear a whirr if someone was in the bathroom in the flat below.)

This is just an educated guess. I'm sure there are other possibilities.

 

[foxhole]

Hi all,

I live in a block of flats (one person below me, two above me, four floors total) and recently at random intervals there has been strange noise coming from my shower drain. I googled it and came across a video which has exactly the same "dripping" sound I have been hearing but there was no responses to that particular post.

Does anyone know what on earth could be causing this noise?

Here is the link to the video with the same noise.... https://amp.reddit.com/r/Plumbing/comments/jdzdcv/i_hear_this_noise_in_the_shower_drain_in_my/

Thanks!

Couldn’t hear any dripping .

 

[vulcancontinental]

It's when it whispers 'help, help' you need to worry.

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Sounds to me like there's a vacuum being caused in the pipework when other flats are discharging into the shared stack, which in turn has pulled the water out of your shower trap, and the noise you can here is the flow in the pipework, echoing back along through your now empty shower trap.

 

[Glosoli]

It's when it whispers 'help, help' you need to worry.

True! Lol

OK thanks all.

If there is a vacuum being caused somewhere draining my shower trap, does that indicate a blockage somewhere in the communal pipework? I am just trying to establish whether it's the property management companies issue (communal) or my personal issue to resolve

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

If its a recent occurrence, then something has changed, so quite possibly a blockage in the communal pipework, (not your problem to resolve). If it's always happened, then could possibly be down to bad design of the plumbing, may be worth seeing if you can fit an Air Admittance Valve into the shower drainage pipework.