How to find & get rid of smells & odors in buildings: These articles explain how to diagnose, test, identify, and cure or remove a wide range of obnoxious or even toxic odors in buildings, in building air, in building materials, or in the building water supply. We discuss odors from a variety of sources including animals including pets, dogs, cats, or unwanted animals or dead animals, formaldehyde odors in buildings from building products or furnishings, plumbing drains, plastic or vinyl odors from building products, flue gases, indoor mold odors, oil tanks or oil spills, pesticides, septic odors, sewer gases, and even abandoned chemicals at properties. Our page top photo shows our local skunk rummaging on a nearby golf course. This is about as close as you want to be, especially if you see a skunk meandfering in daylight. This skunk was found dead two days after this photo was taken, most likely due to rabies. © , All Rights Reserved. At left the author demonstrates a smell-patch test that can be used to track down odors to their source in buildings.

You can start tracking down the cause or source of an odor in one or more of several ways: Here are some possible sources of an odor or smell in building air, water, mechanical systems, heating, cooling, or other locations.holmes desktop air purifier manual ADHESIVES or GLUES & SEALANTS used in buildings: many adhesives use a solvent that can produce very strong odors, especially when the adhesive is recently applied. modern furnace air duct cleaning edmontonWe suspect that adhesives used over wide areas are more likely to be noticeable in buildings, such as carpet or flooring adhesives. rinnai convector heater/air purifier see GLUES ADHESIVES, EXTERIOR CONSTRUCTION. Air conditioning & heat pump system odors & smells: air conditioning refrigerant gases are generally inert and odorless.

If you smell burning such as from overheating electrical components you should turn off the equipment immediately. Fujitsu has pointed out that at least in some cases, odors perceived as coming out of the split system air handler of a wall-mounted A/C or heat pump system may simply be existing room odors moving through the unit (such as from tobacco smoke, fireplaces, cooking, animals). Odor Traced to HVAC Condensate Pump [We] had a very bad smell in basement some days worse than others changed seal on toilet at the top basement steps re caulked the lead seals on the two cast iron stacks. The days we washed clothes [the smell] seemed worse so we washed one day and didn't dry until the next day. When we ran the dryer the smell really was bad. So I got on the floor started smelling every thing I could find. I finally got by furnace and got close condensate pump [on the floor next to] the air handler [heating and air conditioning equipment]. And there it was [the source of the horrible odor].

I had installed [the condensate pump] about five years ago and I had never cleaned it. I [removed and thoroughly cleaned the condensate pump] AND NO MORE SMELLS! Comment: Odors coming from dirty condensate pump reservoir Thanks Gene for pointing out that a dirty condensate pump can be a source of unexpected odors and smells. I suppose that on an HVAC system whose condensate pump runs only seasonally, water left in the pump body may support both algae and bacterial growth that could smell horrible. Cleaning the pump with household cleaner or even a dilute bleach solution was a smart step. I'd take a look at the condensate pump tubing as well; sometimes crud can collect in a low spot in the plastic drain tubing that ultimately blocks drainage. Air movement in buildings by natural convection as well as air transported by mechanical ventilation systems can move odors from a remote source into an areas where people complain. Remember to attend to these air movement pathways such as stairwells, elevator shafts, duct systems, and natural convection when looking for the source of a building odor complaint.

See AIR MOVEMENT in BUILDINGS ANIMAL SMELLS or urine odors may be due to current or prior pets in a building, pet urine or fecal waste, cat boxes, animal hair, dog dander, cat dander (are allergens and are indicators of the level of prior pet activity), dust tracked in by dogs. But animal odors in buildings can also occur when an animal such as a mouse or rat has died in a building cavity. A dead animal smell has been described by our clients with a wide variety of terms ranging from a vague noxious stink that seemed to vary with humidity to a sweet sickly smell. Dead animals or even insect nests in building plumbing, especially building vents, can also produce unexpected sewer odors - see SEPTIC SYSTEM ODORS links discussed below. Electrical or burning electric odors & smells: buring insulation, wiring, switches, appliances. Reader Question: Burning or Electrical Heater Odors: tracking down a burning smell when the air conditioning is on For the past 3-4 months, some of our employees are complaining about a burning smell ( like the smell when you turn on the heater after a very long time) in the building when the air conditioning is on.

I had a couple of HVAC companies come and check out our system but they couldn't find anything wrong. Watch out: If you believe people are really smelling something burning, it could be unsafe and certainly justifies a more expert onsite inspection. Some simple tests like turning off suspect equipment might help too. FIRE & SMOKE ODORS from building fires, cigarette or cigar smoke, heating system malfunctions, from wood stoves etc. require special expertise for effective remediation. This article describes the procedures used to remove fire & smoke odors from buildings, building contents, vehicles etc. This article also warns about ineffective and even harmful (but popular) methods that try to deodorize smoke or fire smells and don't work or worse, cause further damage. FLOOR DRAIN / TRAP ODORS - how to diagnose and cure odors from floor drains and under-floor drain piping FORMALDEHYDE ODORS and outgassing from UFFI, urea formaldehyde foam insulation, odor diagnosis and cure are discussed further within our articles on ozone and ozone generators.

UFFI (Urea Formaldehyde Foam Insulation) was previously considered a hazard (formaldehyde outgassing). Subsequent research virtually closed concern regarding this material; however formaldehyde appears to remain a health concern for sensitive individuals. GAS ODORS: A Toxic Gas Testing Sampling Plan for Residential Indoor Air Investigations. This document outlines gas toxicity levels and gas testing procedures we use in field IAQ and environmental health investigations for a range of indoor gases which may be produced by building product outgassing, mold and MVOCs, mechanical systems, fire damage, or contamination from nearby industrial, beauty parlor, dry cleaning, or other activities which often produce noxious or toxic odors and gases. GAS EXPOSURE HAZARD LEVELS: for Toxic Gas Exposure to Ammonia, Arsine, Arsenic, Bromine, Carbon Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide, Hydride, Ozone - allowable exposure levels and hazard levels GAS MEASUREMENT TOOLS recommendations for selection and use of gas detection equipment and descriptions of how gas testing equipment is used

GAS TESTING methods of screening for various odors, gases, and chemicals in the indoor environment GLUES ADHESIVES, EXTERIOR CONSTRUCTION - may be sources of odors in buildings, especially during and shortly after new construction or remodeling, countertop resurfacing, floor tile installation, etc. HAZARDOUS MATERIAL WASTE DUMP SITE MAPS from ATSDR - U.S. CDC Gather - "Geographic Analysis Tool for Health and Environmental Research" online public access to data pertinent to public health Continue reading at ODOR DIAGNOSIS SIX STEPS or select a topic from the More Reading links or topic ARTICLE INDEX shown below. Or see ODOR DIAGNOSIS FAQs - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice. Green link shows where you are in this article series. OR use the Search Box found below at Ask a Question or Search InspectApedia Click to Show or Hide FAQs Use the "Click to Show or Hide FAQs" link just above to see recently-posted questions, comments, replies, try the search box just below, or if you prefer, post a question or comment in the Comments box below and we will respond promptly.