Recent content by Drdadr

I bought a house that has an outbuilding about 90’ from the house. It was used as a workshop but was fully insulated and heated (in Michigan). There was a water line that went from the basement out to the outbuilding along with the electrical service. (about 42”’down) It was only used for one...

Yep, the smoke test found it when no one else could locate it after multiple visits. Very effective technique! I’m just really thankful the leak was not behind drywall somewhere. A 5 minute fix to cap it off.

Update: okay, so we had another plumber do a smoke test and immediately found a stub of a drain pipe from a no longer existing bathroom, sitting OPEN in a very tight hidden spot just above the furnace air intake between 2 joists. So intermittently the gases would escape and because of the...

My builder mentioned that. Actually I did have a leaky gas meter but that was fixed several months ago and thus not the source of the smell. I think the next step is smoke test and/or scoping the main drain. Don’t know why it is intermittent. It’s not every time the blower runs but many times...

I was told by the builder and plumbing contractor when they came back out, that this is common in open floor plan homes and not against code. I did a couple more tests on my own. Since I couldn’t do a proper peppermint test through the vent stack, I poured a bottle in an upstairs toilet and...

The pipes are PVC. I would think if there are joints within the return ducts, even if sealed and not obviously leaking, the change in air temp and pressure may lead to breakdown of the seal and even the tiniest hole might draw out enough gas with the Bernoulli effect to smell up the duct system.

So just to close the loop, are waste pipes within air returns a matter of local plumbing code? Or is there a straightforward answer? I’d just like to have an idea before I approach the builder again or get another plumber to inspect. The smell comes directly out of the vents when the fan is...

Thanks. I should have clarified is it “acceptable” versus is it technically legal per residential building code.

Can anyone tell me if it is acceptable to have waste pipe running through cold air return? Yesterday the smell was very strong and it seemed to be primarily coming through the vents. When I go down to the basement it does not smell nearly as strong as through the vents.

Peppermint or smoke test sound like good next steps. I don’t think it is from the water. There was a definite sulfur smell from the faucets but that went away after 1) iron curtain and 2) removing anode rode from water heater. This is a different smell. I actually bought an H2S detector and...

Homeowner here, on well and septic. We had an existing 1990s home majorly renovated. We get an intermittent sewer/rotten egg/boiled egg smell in different parts of the house. I’ve had the builder and plumbing contractor out multiple times, usually they can’t smell it. - I did have a lot of iron...

Great advice, thanks!

The vent piping is all PVC. No obvious leaks. There is a condensate line on the furnace that goes down into a very small floor drain, but it has water in it (it’s not dry) and it doesn’t seem to smell when I put my nose right up to the floor drain.

Hello, I have been trying to figure out the source of a sewer smell in our house. We bought the house and extensively remodeled and added on, with mostly all new plumbing. The house is a 2 story with basement (unfinished) and has well and septic. There is a sump pit and a secondary pit (I think...