The help from this forum was so consistently brilliant when we looked for the water leak behind the walls (e.g., using a laser thermometer to identify the temperature difference in wet walls), I’ve returned to the well.
(FYI, guided by the laser “moisture meter,” we found the leak. Some nitwit hit the underside of a pvc drain pipe with a circular saw (it was a 1″ deep cut) and just sealed up the wall. Lovely.)
The project now is finding the source of a faint, but noticeable, sewer gas smell that is only around a kitchen and bathroom on just one floor (the third) of a building. The homeowners say it’s been there to some degree for a couple of months. The kitchen and bath share a common wall. We’ve been sniffing around like a pack of bloodhounds, but we can’t find a source.
The smell isn’t in the obvious places, such as the kitchen drain or the toilet. But under the sink had it a few moments, and then it was gone. Then the bathroom.
We tried stuffing rags into the overflow drain in the bathroom sink and partially filling the sink and tub, but there still wasn’t anything overt in the kitchen.
Suggestions and ideas are completely welcome.
Thanks.
Neal
Replies
If you can find it then you can over to the west coast and help me find mine. I've been looking for the smell for 2 years. My wife thinks it's me.
roger
Ran into this several years ago in a new house. Had a nail in a vent pipe and the odor randomly released. Could be a nail in the base in the bath or a screw in the sink base. Good hunting.
I have heard of two tricks. One is to use a smoke bomb. The other is a "peppermint test". Not sure of the details, but it is strong scent that is more definite that the sewer oder.
.
A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
I too have a faint sewer gas smell in a condo that we own and rent. It is a maddening problem and unfortunately I have no good answers.
I was hoping someone would mention an Acme sewer gas detector model #1234 that could be rented and would zero right in on the problem but, alas, no such detector exists as far as I know.
Maybe one of the companies will train sniffer dogs for that task.
Being faint is the tough part. When you get close to the problem the smell is rarely faint. Since it is in 2 rooms, can you close the bathroom for an extended time? The stink should build up to something very noticable.
The only way I know to find it is to start cutting/ drilling to eliminate where it isn't. We once had a house with a stink that made no sense... was no where near plumbing most detectable in a kids closet, everyone thought it was rank sneekers. Finally we removed the base and started cutting drywall. It was more then apparent when we hit the stud bay where the drywall hangers left a big old bag of shrimp shells.
Edited 10/26/2007 11:16 am ET by sledgehammer