So embarrassed by my stinky house

[tonyclifton]

This house had a weird stink when I bought it 13 years ago. The owner had all the windows open when I checked it out so I did not notice. But have lived with it since then. At times it is worse than other times and I just kind of get used to it. This time of year the humidity inside gets high as I do not need to run the AC and like to keep the windows open until it gets too warm.

I don't know how to describe the smell. It is just a funk - part mildewy, part stale air, part ass, part cat (we have 2), part dirty laundry. I am sure the smell of the cat food, litter box and indoor pet have a large contribution to it but somehow I feel there is something else going on. It smelled when I bought it.

House is built on a slab, 22 years old. No mold issues at all. All electric appliances. I replaced most of my carpet with wood flooring cuz I thought the carpet was trapping odors. Didn't really change. I have some carpet left but it was replaced a couple years ago too. Cats do not pee inside - I definitely know the smell of sour pee from a prior pet - this is not that sharp, rancid smell.

I periodically run water in unused bathrooms/sinks to ensure water fills up plumbing traps to prevent backflow of gases. I still think I might have something going on with the plumbing but can't put my finger on it. No dead bodies in the attic.

My property is very wooded and often smells damp/musky outside just because the woods are close to the house. Sometimes my nose thinks there is a connection between the outside smell and the inside smell although are not exactly the same. I only mention as that outside smell sticks in my head when I think hard about the inside smell.

It is making us miserable. I wish there was a smell business that could come out and figure out exactly what it is. I don't want to replace carpet if that isn't it. I am pretty sure I do not have any mold or water links under my cabinets or dishwashing machine. WTF is it? I'm going crazy.

[acwizard]

It is more than likely mold or some other type of microrganism. There are companies which deal in industrial hygiene, mold remediation,etc. What is the relative humidity inside your home. I am thinking that you may want to invest in a dehumidifier. If you have not been able to find the source then you need professional assistance. You may be risking the quality of your health.

[tonyclifton]

My Trane heat pump thermostat says 70% humidity, although we've had a steady week of rain. House temps have been right at where neither heat nor ac has been needed so I've left it off. I know that is high humidity but house still smells even when heat or ac runs during those times of year. It is slightly better smell-wise when the humidity is lower but maybe 25% less so still noticeable. I always thought (unscientifically) the higher humidity was 'releasing' carpet odors. What signs would I look for if this is a mold problem? I don't have any obvious mold issues in the house that I've ever seen.

[bacciagalupe]

something dead in the walls mice ? under the slab of the house ?

[acwizard]

Have you had a plumber look into the venting or seperated sewer pipe. Animal dead in wall could also be a possibility but usually you would see ants or other insects feeding on the carcass. Back to mold, slimy walls or black spots inside kitchen or bathroom drawers. Dissect your kitchen and bathrooms.

[pmeunier]

"No dead bodies in the attic."
heh.


"70% humidity"
look no further. Bring that down to below 50% and in a few weeks you'll probably notice an improvement, provided you still have a bit of ventilation. It takes a long time to completely go away though, and sometimes it never does. In a closet I had, there was a smell that went away only after I replaced the plaster/drywall and sealed leaks in the exterior wall.

[teddy bear]

What climate are you in?
Keep in mind that the slab is cool and near the dew point of the outside air most of the spring/summer/fall in most green grass climates. It is critical that you maintain <50%RH through these seasons. Also most home do not get enough fresh air change during the mild season to purge the indoor pollutants. The odor problem is not going to controlled by fresh air ventilation but by finding the damp spots in the home.
Consider a whole house ventilating dehumidifier for the "<50%RH" part and fresh air. If that does not fix the problem, crawl on your hands and knees searching everycorner for the damp spot. Long term <50%RH usually fixes most. I work with Ultra-Aire and we fix these problems routinely. Follows with specific questions. Several on the forum have had the experience.
Regards TB

[pmeunier]

What TB said. Even if there's another reason for the smell, the way to find the cause is to eliminate possibilities one by one. Lowering the humidity will help find the source if it's something else. There may even be several sources simultaneously.

[dandyme]

been smelling for 13 years, go into attic, make sure all the sewer vents are actually penetrating the roof

is there a lot of leakage around the windows, doors?

[CONTROLMANIAC]

you probably missing p-trap in one of your sinks or shower tab.

[tonyclifton]

If that does not fix the problem, crawl on your hands and knees searching everycorner for the damp spot.

What do I look for? I've never noticed a damp spot in the house but have not done a hands-and-knees chack as you suggest. I will though. Am I simply sniffing for a wet/mildewy smell or feeling for dampness?

been smelling for 13 years, go into attic, make sure all the sewer vents are actually penetrating the roof

is there a lot of leakage around the windows, doors?

I will check the attic tomorrow! My home is pretty air tight which is why I like to leave the windows open (or at least cracked) when I can during the mild season. I am in Virginia and it will get hot and humid as Spring progresses.

you probably missing p-trap in one of your sinks or shower tab.

I will make it a visually check these, but wouldn't I notice extra stink coming from a sink/shower if this was missing? I notice no localized smell.

[teddy bear]

What do I look for? I've never noticed a damp spot in the house but have not done a hands-and-knees chack as you suggest. I will though. Am I simply sniffing for a wet/mildewy smell or feeling for dampness?




I will check the attic tomorrow! My home is pretty air tight which is why I like to leave the windows open (or at least cracked) when I can during the mild season. I am in Virginia and it will get hot and humid as Spring progresses.




I will make it a visually check these, but wouldn't I notice extra stink coming from a sink/shower if this was missing? I notice no localized smell.

You are sniffing for must odors.
Did you get the point about fresh ventilation? Open windows when nice out is not what I had in mind. You need a continuous fresh air stream, an air change in 4-5 hours when occupied at a minimum to purge pollutants and renew oxygen. To test operate a 60-80 cfm fan blowing fresh air into the house continously for a couple days.
Regards TB

[tonyclifton]

Did you get the point about fresh ventilation? Open windows when nice out is not what I had in mind. You need a continuous fresh air stream, an air change in 4-5 hours when occupied at a minimum to purge pollutants and renew oxygen. To test operate a 60-80 cfm fan blowing fresh air into the house continously for a couple days.

I am trying to get the point. Some of these things are new ideas to me. I like the idea of a fresh air stream but I feel like I will be working against my heat (in winter) or A/C (in summer). How do I set up a fresh air exchange without fighting my heat pump?

[pmeunier]

I am trying to get the point. Some of these things are new ideas to me. I like the idea of a fresh air stream but I feel like I will be working against my heat (in winter) or A/C (in summer). How do I set up a fresh air exchange without fighting my heat pump?

As the saying goes, there's no free lunch.

[dandyme]

you probably missing p-trap in one of your sinks or shower tab.

made me think...............duh.


look under sinks to see if there are studor vents

[snowbertca]

Had a house years ago with a odor of "ethnic food" from the previous owners. Not strong but noticeable. Tsp scrubbed walls , painted, removed lots of wallpaper. Actually brought a small propane bbq inside and cooked peameal bacon until air was blue with smoke several times. Left house smoked up and ventilated when I returned. Improved odor tremendously, someone said house only smelled like laundry detergent & clean clothes. Not bad for a young single guy.

[Conan1]

I was slightly embarrassed myself when I saw the condition of the A-coil when I decided to replace my split unit AC-furnace that was 22 yrs old. I had been getting smells that weren't identifiable. Just last week, we put in a Trane XL16c electric package heat pump w/ Honeywell 7 day programmable thermostat and couldn't be happier so far with what its done to the air inside the house.

[CraziFuzzy]

You say you have a pretty tight house. Do you use the bathroom fan often? You may actually have a bad wax ring on a toilet, and when the fan is run, the negative pressure in the bathroom/house pulls sewer gas into the home. A small leak in a wax ring won't necessarily leak liquids when flushed, but will definitely leak gasses when sucked on.

[tonyclifton]

I took the advice about the humidity. I shut the windows Sunday and turned on the A/C. We were expecting a hot week so seemed like a good time to do it. The humidity dropped 10% and the smell got a lot better! I have a fairly new Trane XL15i unit so it runs the A/C a bit longer because it also is working on the humidity. Smell is not gone but much better.

I'm going to go check on some of these other things.

Where in Virginia How old is the house? Has it been renovated? do you know what type of drain piping you have? The smell you are describing sounds more like sewer gas/ drain odor and could have one or many sources. One thing if it tends to show up in warmer weather is to deodorize the sink drains. The bathroom sink overflows can grow some wicked stuff in them along with the drain tubing between the sinks and the traps.

House is about 24 years old and outside of Charlottesville. My wife has a good nose and usually detects when a given sink is putting out a stink (sometimes the kitchen sink will get a nasty leftover in it. She will find it and blame me of course). No renovations. Original plumbing and I don't know the type. I agree on the sewer gas / drain odor as a large component but do not smell it coming out of any sink/drain and we check those.

I do have a drain field as my septic system and sometimes I worry this is failing. I'm not sure how that would introduce smells, maybe I am just paranoid. Outside of my house can smell damp/musty as well because the property is very wooded so we have a lot of naturally decaying leaf/plant matter. Sometimes I wonder if I am picking up a septic drain field smell or if that is just the smell of the plant matter decaying not far from the house. The house sits nestled in a slight low spot and surrounded by tall trees so it stays cool and the ground may not dry out as quickly as other areas given the reduced sunlight and airflow.

[KEFCOPRES]

If you've been getting your septic tank pumped out regularly and don't run any heavy vehicles, etc over the field you shouldn't have a problem. if only liquid is going out to the drain field there should not be any smell as it soaks down. if its an outside smell coming in it should be very noticeable outside. Sewer gas smell is pretty self categorized just like improper natural gas combustion. 24 years old should be plastic drains. It is possible a vent has come loose in a wall. There is an old trick used to find a smell and rule out the plumbing. We used to pour peppermint extract down the drainage vent pipes on the roofs. If you have something letting sewer gas out you can usually find it or rule it out pretty quick. We didnt ask I think, but are any of your ducts in the slab?