Questions tagged [smell]
For questions related to resolving a smell or odor.
27
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How can I find the source of a mysterious bad smell?
We have recently moved home, and all is fine appart from a mystery smell which I'm unable to track down. It's driving me crazy (actually, my wife thinks I am crazy as she can't smell it). I'm hoping ...
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8
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How to fix stinky bathroom sink?
It smells like really musty water, but the water itself does not smell or taste bad at all. Only happens when I run the water, so it doesn't make the room smell, just when you fill something up or ...
- 385
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3
answers
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Sewer odor from basement floor drain
I'm experiencing strong "sewer odors" coming from one of the basement drains. This is an old house (meaning the basement floor drains don't have an elbow bend and instead run straight down / there is ...
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What could be causing a urine smell in our bathrooms?
I live in a home built in 2006. We are a clean family and have no pets. In ALL three of our bathrooms I am smelling an odor of "old urine". I do have a 3-year-old son so at first I thought he was ...
- 131
9
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5
answers
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Water from bathroom faucet smells like rotten eggs
The sink is in the powder room on the main floor of our house. When I turn the water on it is fine for a few seconds then it smells horribly for about 3-4 more seconds then it is back to normal. It is ...
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2
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What is the best way to remove cigarette smoke smell from a house?
We're buying a house from previous owners that were smokers. The house still smells of smoke even with no furniture or upholstery in it. We plan to replace all the carpet with wood flooring. We're ...
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5
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How can I make my sink smell better?
My sink has a tendency to smell awful. A few times I've poored a lemon juice & baking soda mixture down it, but it only reduces the smell for a few days. What are some longer term solutions to ...
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3
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Why is water heater making the water smell like sulfur?
I have an electric water heater that gives the water a sulfur smell. It is only from the hot water.
I have heard that changing the anode in the unit can help. If this is the case, what material ...
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3
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104k
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How can I prevent my house from smelling of smoke after having a fire in my fireplace?
We have a wood-burning fireplace in our family room. Fifteen feet from the fireplace is a large cold air return. When the fireplace is stoked, nice and cozy, everything is fantastic. When I shut it ...
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1
answer
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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 ...
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6
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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 ...
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2
answers
10k
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Remove the smell of cigarette smoke from upholstery
I purchased a upholstered chair from a garage sale for cheap, and cleaned all the dog fur and other debris from it, however there is now a lingering smell of smoke from the chair. It has been ...
- 285
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4
answers
7k
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How can I mitigate copper naphthenate (copper green) smell indoors?
Our contractor treated the edge of some plywood and the bottom of some studs with copper naphthenate. The goal was to treat yummy wood at the concrete interface, which is a good thing since termites ...
- 11k
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votes
4
answers
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What is the best way to remove pet odor from concrete?
The concrete floor in my garage had been home to a large dog for several years. There is a visible stain and strong smell in one area of the garage floor. The concrete does not appear to be sealed ...
- 131
2
votes
2
answers
9k
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What could cause tap water to become smelly after a while?
I keep two glass bottles filled with tap water in a small fridge in my bedroom. The tap water smells fine out of the spout. A few days ago I noticed that the tap water begins to smell bad after ...
- 155
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2
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Why is there a musty smell from my HVAC system even after coil cleaning?
I am having trouble getting rid of a smell in my AC (installed 2016), 2 visits by an HVAC professional have resulted in no luck.
Problem:
There is a musty smell, from all vents, as the AC is turning ...
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2
votes
2
answers
32k
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Are there drawbacks to installing a stronger bath fan?
I have a bathroom fan that doesn't seem to be doing the job. I'd like to replace it with something that has much higher CFM (jet speed); is there any reason not to do this?
Is it possible that it can ...
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votes
1
answer
1k
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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 ...
- 21
2
votes
1
answer
52k
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What could cause my house to smell musty after coming back from vacation?
I just returned to my house (northern New Mexico, ranch-style, built in 1972) after a ten day vacation and found an unpleasant musty smell to greet me. The smell is primarily in the living area and ...
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2
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What is allowing septic plant smell through shower drain?
In our very old stone farmhouse, there is a wetroom downstairs with a shower drain. Ever since having the septic tank emptied, and then replaced with a treatment plant, a foul stench comes from the ...
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1
answer
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Do enzymatic pet urine cleaners also clean human urine?
Do enzymatic pet urine cleaners also clean human urine that is present in carpeting and carpet padding?
Specifically, human urine that has been present in carpeting and carpet padding for years.
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vote
8
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Are there any health concerns with using copper green wood preservative indoors?
So we had a roof leak and water was slowly dripping through the exterior wall and drywall. It had been going on for years, but until recently it became noticeably during a heavy rainfall when the ...
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4
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What is causing a smell from under my bathroom sink?
(I'll preface this by saying I'm not an experienced DIYer, especially with plumbing, but this seemed to be the best place to post this question. Hoping someone can help!)
I've had a sporadic smell, ...
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0
votes
1
answer
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How to stop foul smell in toilet
My toilet always leaves some kind of foul smell not sure how it happens , all the toilets and septic tank has vent pipe too.
I personally checked my WC and it's properly attached with floor and it's ...
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0
votes
1
answer
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Bizarre "dirty" smell around house [closed]
I live in a 1987 colonial with siding and brick. About three weeks ago my family woke up choking at 5:00 am from a dirty/ mildew type smell. We identified it as coming from the chimney and had the ...
- 1
0
votes
1
answer
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Need tips, approach, or method(s) to eliminate smell/odor in a closet short of a tear down?
Here's some background:
We bought this house in July of 2017. The previous owner left a hall closet full of GNC-style product (it was packed with pills of all kinds). It primarily smells of those ...
- 2,025
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votes
1
answer
2k
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Intermittent sewage smell from air ducts
My home is two stories, 5100 sq feet, and was built in 1990. I have a septic system, radon mitigation, and central forced air.
This has gone on for two winters now, but not before that.
The second ...
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