diagnosing a smell in basement
Need some assistance in diagnosing/fixing a smell in the front of my basement. Not sure what it is, and before I start ripping up the floor or punching holes in the walls to see behind them for mold, I could use an expert to come and help determine the origin of the smell. Mold? Not…
Need some assistance in diagnosing/fixing a smell in the front of my basement. Not sure what it is, and before I start ripping up the floor or punching holes in the walls to see behind them for mold, I could use an expert to come and help determine the origin of the smell.
Mold? Not sure, but it doesn’t smell musty to me. Something else.
From the heating valves? Perhaps dirty water in the steam heat system is coming out of the valves in the front of the basement and making the smell?
Sewer trap issue? Not sure, doesn’t smell “poopy” ish; but that could be it.
Gas/Vapor? Not sure. The meters for the gas are in this area, could it be a slow leak? I thought that gas was odorless, but have heard that the gas company adds something to it to make it noticeable.
Don’t know what to do. Keep the window open in this area from time to time, have put in a de-humidifier, have put in an air-purifier to no avail.
Please help if you can. Am ready to hire someone immediately to assist.
Gas line: get a bottle of Windex and coat everything. If bubbles form you have a leak. You might have a “dresser coupling” where the gas line comes in, looks like a collar around the pipe with 4 long bolts that appear to hold it together. They’re kind of fragile.
Foundation wall: rough stone with mortar, brick or cement block? Buy a couple of those long necked butane lighters and slowly pass them over the wall to see if there is a “breeze”. When the flame flickers that indicates that air is moving through. Depending on age there is often a void behind your basement wall with a rough stone wall against the earth.
The floor: is it rough and uneven concrete? It might be only a couple of inches thick, any crack in the floor might lead to a void of unknown origin. Use the flame to see if a breeze exists there too.
Often even a closed room has a prevailing wind. The direction of the flame in the middle of the room might indicate which wall is the culprit.
If all this fails then light a single candle get several pillows and as many friends, a bottle of Jack Daniels and an Ouija Board, that always worked for me.
How about a dead rodent.
Could it be methane?
If the cap on your sewer line (the one to the street) isn’t working/is broken/missing/etc it could be methane seeping back in.
Just a guess.
Do you have a contractor that you trust? One that might be willing to swing by and do a quick look/smell for a nominal/non fee? Calling a plumber might be your best bet. (I use Weiss on Atlantic Ave)