Questions tagged [smell]
For questions related to resolving a smell or odor.
1
vote
1answer
59 views
New washing machine using the same valve as the sink, water smells and tastes like plastic
So I have been using the same valve for actually two washing machines and a sink, and when I got the new washing machine the problem started appearing. I am guessing this is because of the new washer ...
0
votes
2answers
26 views
Drainage issue, water causing foul odor in home
I live in an apartment building where the building is built on a concrete slab. There is NO overhead drain pipes or gutters and the water pools up along the side of the building next to my living room ...
0
votes
0answers
25 views
Is there a simple way to evaluate whether a vent stack is clogged?
I recently spoke with a home owner who has had a number of plumbing issues, ultimately resulting in a new sewer line run from the residence to the main. The homeowner is concerned that there may still ...
3
votes
1answer
71 views
Can you sand drywall to get rid of cigarette smoke?
We are living in a house that was remodeled after purchasing from heavy smokers. Our source tell us that they used to smoke packs of cigarettes a day. Then, it was purchased and remodeled. 5 years ...
0
votes
2answers
143 views
Why do I have a urine smell under vanity in bathroom
I live in a condo & under my vanity it smells like urine which makes the whole bathroom smell like urine. Why & how to get rid of this!! My cabinet is wood & I’ve clean with lysol but ...
0
votes
1answer
64 views
Warm Weather Smell…Again
Trying to track down an odor that has once again shown up, now that weather is getting warmer. I believe it to be a sewer odor, but no water leaks in the sewer pipes. House was built in 1910...with ...
0
votes
1answer
35 views
Is there a temporary solution to alleviate wet carpet stench in the basement?
Yesterday I discovered that part of the carpet in the basement is soggy and there's a sewage-like stench. I've contacted both the water damage restoration company and the insurance company to evaluate ...
0
votes
1answer
70 views
Can primer cover up a smoke smell inside house?
House was formerly owned by a smoker. Will 1 coat of primer(Kilz in my case) cover and seal in odor inside the house?
0
votes
2answers
108 views
How to permanently get rid of old cigarette smell from previous resident?
We have recently moved into a rental apartment (built early 1990s). The previous resident was a smoker, and there is a distinct smell of cigarette smoke. She lived there for 15 years. The apartment ...
0
votes
1answer
42 views
Room above garage smells
I live in Ottawa in 15 year old house. The room above garage smells like wet wool or rubber. I removed the carpet and a foam padding to examine. The padding and plywood smell as described above (...
0
votes
1answer
172 views
Getting rid of ozone and/or burning plastic smell left over from a dead box fan
Almost had a housefire a few weeks back. We left a Lasko box fan (that we use for white noise while sleeping) on during the day and when we went to go to bed there was a horrible burning smell coming ...
2
votes
2answers
160 views
Foul smell in living room [closed]
For the past couple days I have noticed a foul smell in my living room and I can't seem to locate it. It smells more like dog poop and/or puke. I have a dog but she has never pooped in the house ...
1
vote
1answer
99 views
Downstairs exhaust fan venting into upstairs?
I recently purchased a bi-level home with two full baths. The inspection didn't include ductwork, but it seems to me that the downstairs bathroom is somehow venting into the rest of the house. There ...
0
votes
2answers
212 views
Can I disconnect a Corian Sink Overflow tube?
We have noticed a foul odor from our sink which has the corian overflow tube (made out of plastic) that sits outside the bowl. As soon as we turn the water on, the odor appears. I have taken it ...
0
votes
1answer
56 views
How to remove smell from exposed plywood Bathroom cabinets
Recently purchased an older home and the cabinets in the bathroom have an off smell that transfers into the towels as they sit in there.
There is exposed, unfinished plywood and I’m assuming it’s ...
1
vote
1answer
1k views
How to I eliminate the smell coming from my Mitsubishi mini split units?
I have 2 Mitsubishi mini split units on the 2 additions on my house. One is a Mr. Slim Inverter and the other is an Inverter.
During the warmer months when I am running them in A/C mode, they ...
0
votes
1answer
78 views
Bathroom Sink Odor
I have recently replaced my bathroom vanity with a new vanity top and built in sink. When I turn on the water, especially the cold, there is a smell like rotten eggs that is coming from the vent in ...
1
vote
1answer
54 views
How can I determine what is emitting chemical fumes in my home?
Our home is a reconstructed 1890's log home moved and rebuilt in the late 70's or early 80's. They used 1 inch thick styrofoam board in the ceiling under the pine tongue and groove. I think it is the ...
1
vote
1answer
101 views
Expoxy Araldite and smell
2 weeks ago I used some 5 min araldite epoxy on one of my projects that consists on pine and tolex / leatherette near one of the joints.
I've gone to bring it inside and in my small office there is ...
2
votes
1answer
43 views
How to get rid of odors in wood?
My attic floor was home to nesting mice for years before I bought the house. I've kept the mice away, but the smell hasn't lessened after a year of ventilation.
Short of replacing the wood, is there ...
4
votes
2answers
347 views
Stinky dishes and cups from the dishwasher - but only after it rained
The house I live in is 14 years old and is connected to the municipal water and sewage system in the Toronto, Canada, suburbs. I am on my second dishwasher. The first one was a cheapo Whirlpool, the ...
0
votes
0answers
63 views
Can leaving AC on while cooking cause odors to spread around house?
From what I understand the central AC sucks in air, the hot air is expelled via the outdoor fan, the cool air is pushed back into the home via the small vents.
So, after it sucks in air (which ...
2
votes
0answers
477 views
Chemical Smell After Tankless HWH Install
I recently had a plumbing company install a tankless hot water heater in my crawlspace. Everything with the install works and looks great, but we are experiencing a very strong chemical smell (like ...
1
vote
1answer
108 views
Metallic smell when HVAC Unit. fires up. What could it be?
Background:
The HVAC unit I have serves both the 1st and second floor, but does a poor job of distributing heat to the 1st floor. The previous owner added a hydrodronic boiler and baseboards to the ...
1
vote
1answer
107 views
Fridge has a weird smell coming from where the compressor is
I have a fridge that has some kind of weird smell coming from where the compressor is. Ive checked the wires and any connections to see if theres any burnt wires, theres nothing. Its not really a ...
0
votes
1answer
98 views
How to insulate drywall from odor?
I have a strong odor coming from my "hoarder" neighbor upstairs. It is seeping through a drywall column that houses a metal ventilation shaft (in the corner of my bedroom closet).
I am thinking of ...
1
vote
1answer
2k views
Dishwasher causes terrible smell in disposal - why?
Our 15-year-old Asko dishwasher has its drain connected to the garbage disposal on our sink, and it in turns drains through a P-trap into a sewer pipe that has a "sure vent" (not vented to the roof or ...
0
votes
0answers
117 views
How can I patch a large hole in a particle board with something removable?
I live in an apartment building on the second floor, and there is a strong smell of cigarette smoke coming through a vanity. After removing the drawers, I saw that there was a roughly 5x12" hole sawed ...
0
votes
0answers
24 views
prevent kitchen aspirator exhale from other condominium kitchens
first of all sorry my bad english.
I live in a condominium in a rented house and the owner installed very cheap appliances in the kitchen.
The condominium has the kitchen aspirator pipe for the ...
0
votes
1answer
403 views
Unidentified pipe and smelly water trickling under slab into basement floor drain
Our house is in Toronto, Canada and was built in the late 1960's. We have lived here 5 years and currently rent out the basement suite. A few days ago, our tenants complained of a sewer smell ...
1
vote
1answer
61 views
How to isolate dead animal odors in crawlspace?
Some animal, likely a squirrel or largish animal, obtained entrance to a crawlspace and died there. No one is able to isolate the location of the carcass. The odor seems to be too ubiquitous in the ...
0
votes
1answer
960 views
Sewer smell every time it rains
I've just moved into a newly build house a few months ago and every time it rains, it smells like sewer in a bathroom and the living room.
I'm using the municipal sewer and I checked in my own yard ...
1
vote
0answers
614 views
New septic tank + smell in house
We have recently had a new septic tank put in our house (about 3 months ago). 1 month after the works were complete, there started to be an overwhelming septic tank smell in the house. There is only ...
0
votes
0answers
529 views
Screw Shell on light bulb burnt / black after light bulb died
Should I be concerned that the candelabra on a decorative incandescent bulb was blackened / burnt after the light bulb died?
Bulb is hanging from an open air kitchen chandelier. lt created a terrible ...
1
vote
1answer
51 views
Quickest way to fix a wet carpet that smells
So I have messed up. I am moving house.
On Saturday I hired a carpet cleaner and ran it round my flat. Something went a bit wrong when I was doing the bedroom and it didn't dry the carpet very well. ...
1
vote
1answer
66 views
Draining sediment out of my hot water heater
Trying to improve the odor of our well water, I’ve installed a whole house filter and a UV sterilizer (adding it to an existing water softener). Now, the cold water (still with a lot of iron) smells ...
1
vote
1answer
293 views
What's causing the sewage smell in my laundry room?
I noticed my laundry room has developed a strong sewage smell over the last two days. I suspect it may have to do with vent blockage, but I ran a garden hose to the vent in the roof last night and had ...
1
vote
2answers
73 views
If I can smell my trash in my garage from the room above it, should I be concerned about other vapors?
We just bought a new construction home. We have some trash in our garage bin that does have a potent smell, but I assumed it'd stay confined to the garage. This evening while putting my daughters to ...
2
votes
1answer
61 views
What are common causes of smelly HVAC?
From time to time, there's this god awful stench coming from my floor vents. It's not potent enough to where you can smell it directly at the vent, but strong enough to linger in the house and stink ...
1
vote
0answers
48 views
Is this wood the source of the odor?
I moved into a 425 sq ft apartment about a month ago. The AC had a leak for awhile. When I found it, they replaced the AC. I have had the new AC for about 2 weeks.
I have a musky old wood odor in my ...
1
vote
2answers
669 views
Is the discoloration on my bed frame rails mold? [duplicate]
So the wood panels lay on top of the metal beams, it's a bed frame but I noticed these spots on the metal and rubbed them off and smelt like rotten eggs please let me know 😑
2
votes
5answers
972 views
Completely remove nicotine stains and odors from walls?
We're in the process of buying an apartment that was previously occupied by a heavy smoker for 20+ years. This isn't the unit, but the damage is about as bad.
I've scoured the internet for examples ...
0
votes
2answers
103 views
AC smells horrible - Clorox in the drain tube fixes it temp
I moved into a upstairs apartment- studio 425 sq feet. The building is a 2 story building. It was built in 1971.
There is a horrible foul smell from my central AC. When it is not running and with ...
2
votes
1answer
2k views
How to get rid of old house smell?
Our house is pretty old.
It had an old house smell when we bought it.
It's not a mold smell, not a sewer, not cat urine.
It's a smell of old wooden furniture or books.
The house has hardwood floors ...
2
votes
2answers
139 views
Find and eliminate musty smell in bedroom and bathroom
How can I find and eliminate musty smells in my bedrooms and bathroom? These occur in the first floor above a crawlspace which frequently has standing water. I've posted separately about making a ...
1
vote
1answer
845 views
Can you remove foul paint in new construction to bare drywall?
I have an art studio built in the back half of my garage that has been unusable ever since we painted. We built new, with drywall, the building is roughly 6 years new. We finally installed the drywall ...
2
votes
1answer
117 views
How good of a vapor barrier is OSB in a dirt crawlspace?
Some background -
I bought my current house in the middle of a drought in 2007, and knew nothing of vapor barriers.
The house has a nice, albeit uneven crawlspace, that is walkable for about half ...
3
votes
1answer
482 views
How to eliminate odor from crawl space
I'm trying to eliminate damp odor originating from a crawl space.
Here's the situation:
Half of the house has a basement. The other half is a crawl space accessible from the basement through an ...
0
votes
1answer
158 views
Smell from vent in wall?
I have an air vent in a wall in one of my downstairs rooms. Behind the vent is a Studor vent. On the other side of the wall is a small bathroom.
About a year ago this room started having a smell ...
1
vote
0answers
104 views
How is running the water in one shower improving the smell of the other shower?
My wife and I had a mysterious musty smell in our master bathroom shower drain for a few months. We tried various remedies - snaking the drain (removed a small wad of hair), over the counter drain ...
