Awful sewer gas smell in the baby's room

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Mad Plumber

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Hi. I just bought a new house that we've been living in for a year. We get an awful sewer gas smell in the baby's room once in a while, and it even smells musty sometimes. I dont know what's causing it. We've had plumbers, heating and cooling, and duct cleaning professionals all take a look at it, and everyone walks away shrugging their shoulders. I had 3 smoke bomb tests done in the ground level cleanout in my garage to see if its a break in the sewer line somewhere, but no smoke came up thru the duct in my baby's room. And then I had plumbers go in with cameras, so the duct was clean as a whistle, he went in 12 feet with it, and the sewer line in one of my ground level cleanouts looked fine, he went in about 32 feet with his camera. We saw nothing out of the ordinary. Is it possible that it could still be a break in my sewer line somewhere? Just farther out? Or is it a heating and cooling problem and should we take out the furnace and a.c. to check beneath it? T!
he plumber wants to come back and flood my sewer lines....should I let him do this, and how does it work? Will we find the break if he does it??? Also, a heating and cooling guy is coming out next week to take a look at the system and ductwork in my home. If you have any advice or know what this could be, We dont want to live with this smell anymore, and I need to utilize my baby's room. She sleeps with us now, because we're afraid the sewer gases are going to come up and affect her as they can be harmful... any response would be appreciated. Thank you.
Goldie
 

Cass

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How old is the house?

Are the drains plastic, cast iron and galvanized, or copper?

Were there any additions added to the original house.

Basement, crawl space or slab.

Is the bedroom on the 1st floor or 2nd.
 

Goldy

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The house is about 15 years old. There were no additions to it. The baby's room is in the back of the house on the second floor. The house is on a slab. Behind the house about a hundred feet back from the deck is a beautiful creek, or like a drain for rain. It is not for sewers though. Its huge and goes all the way around my neighborhood, could this be apart of the problem?? None of my neighbors are complaining of the smell and they are on slab too. If you have any more questions or ideas, please feel free to email me at GMolecule@aol.com. I would love to repair the problem if we can find out what the source is. Thank you.
Goldie.
 
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Jadnashua

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Where are the vents that go through the roof? Does this happen when the windows are closed or when they are open or does it not matter? Can you get to the attic? Does it smell up there? Do you notice this smell anywhere outside? Does it get better or worse if it is windy? Does the direction matter if it does?
 

Goldy

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THe vents that go thru the roof are probably in the attic above our bedroom, its all insulated and very windy up there. Impossible to walk in it. This happens all the time whether or not the windows are open. I do not think the attic smells, and the smell comes up thru the vents in my room if we push a towel down the one in her room to block it from coming up. I notice it gets bad when we turn on the heat, and when it rains outside, mostly in the wintertime. Hope this helps. thanks.
Goldy
 
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Cass

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Here is just a thought. Look and see if there is a floor drain near the furnace. If you don't see one look under the furnace if you can. If there is one near or under it pour a bucket of water in it and see if the smell goes away. I had a similar problem once and it turned out to be a dry trap UNDER the furnace, no one knew it was there.
 

Terry

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Dude, There you are puffing away on a cigarete and suggest a "smoke test".

That's was mentioned on post one. Been done.

So tell the truth, you just like smoking don't ya?
And someone your age shouldn't even be chewing tabacoo.

What if it's just a dead rat in the attic?
 

Cass

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Do any of the heat / return vents go under the slab???

How long have you had the problem?
 

Cal

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Just had this job 2 months ago,,,,

Lady calls with AWFUL smell in bathroom.After much plumbing detective work, squirrel is found dead and rotting in the exhaust fan.

Sounds like you have something dead in the ducts .Check them again .
 

Goldy

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There is no dead animal in the attic Mr. Terry, nor is there one in the bathroom. And yes, I am a lady. With respect to that, Dead animals decay and the smell eventually goes away. Again, they are sewer gases that come up thru the ducts in the baby's room. Believe it or not, some "ladies" actually know what sewer gases are. BTW....... yes the ducts do run beneath the slab. And yes, there is a trap primer next to the furnace with water in it. When we ran the cameras into it we noticed the water was brown. Does this indicate something? We also ran the hose in there to see if it was backed up, and it wasn't. It is never dry, and filling it with water does not alleviate the smell. There was a huge crack underneath the slab where the garage door meets the furnace room. The heat and air came up through it when we turned on the heat, so my husband poured concrete filler into it to seal it. Hope this helps. If anyone has any ideas, please let me know.
 
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Dunbar Plumbing

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I know Terry......gonna be dippin skoal by the time I'm 3 :D

Goldy when the smoke test was done.........was there someone on each floor when the test was done, did they have someone in the attic when this procedure was done?

I ask this because you need sniffers and lookers on each floor to correctly follow the trail of smoke. Your situation may be a downdraft issue of a leaking vent in the attic being drawn down due to whatever situation may be present. I've seen downdrafting happen in situations that seem impossible.....but they do. A good smoke test of the system takes numerous people in the building in numerous areas to do it right.
 

Terry

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Well Rugged, just keep it down to two packs a day.

I don't think we ever will figure out what is causing that sewer smell.

Smells are tough to dicipher.
I just bought a home, and when the furnace came on, it smelled pretty bad.
Before I could move in, they had replaced the furnace.
No smells now. I don't know what it had been, we had only asked for duct cleaning.

I have also torn apart bathrooms with smells and found dead mice in the walls, and urine on the wood where they had lived in the walls.
I was able to paint over the urine stained wood with Zerolac, a commonly used paint for fire repairs. It's sold as a stain blocker, but does a good job with smells in wood too.
I blocked every opening I could find, rebuilt the bathroom, bottom to top, and there have been no smells there for the last 10 years.

I don't know why Goldy is upset. This isn't gender based information.
Plumbing is plumbing.
 
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Climber

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I don't know how to fix your problem but as a medical professional I do know one thing: Do NOT let your baby spend any time in that room! Not only can the sewer smell be lethal if it is methane, but you described a "musty" smell also and if it is MOLD there is a possibility it can KILL, not only a baby but an adult also. Trust me, I have personally seen it happen. Please note I say CAN, not will.
 

Dunbar Plumbing

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Very valid point Climber. I've told countless people after a sewer backup in their home of the risks involved if they do not take the effort to clean their homes PROPERLY. They just look at me google eyed and figure your a trained monkey to clean the drains, not advise on how they should clean their home. GROSS! Their home, not mine. :eek:

You are describing a moist air-ladened bacteria that can be inhaled into the lungs of child with a fragile immune system, not a nuisance odor. If it was my home and child I would of removed the child instantly and protect them.
 
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Goldy

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There were two guys. One doing the smoke bombs in the ground level cleanout, and one running in and outta the house to see if there was smoke coming up from anywhere. He said it was all coming up out of the vent stacks. Again.....the smells are SEWER GASES, and it also turns into a MUSTY smell when it rains. I'm upset because my one year old baby, and my newborn are in danger of inhaling these toxins on a day to day basis, and I do not know what the source or the problem is, so I can get it repaired. People just come here, take my money, and leave. I wish I could get it repaired, for the safety of my children. Climber, if you would please explain the situation and scenario you've had personal experience with, this may help me to understand more. I need to take more steps to protect my babies, and I do not know how. The best I can do is keep that door closed, and hope that stench doesnt come up thru other vents in my home, as they have been in one of the ducts in my room. What should the next step in this process be? Should I demand another smoke test? More camera work in the sewers, at more than 32 feet? Let the plumber flood my sewers?? You guys seem to be the experts here. What would you do in your home? I dont think I have the manpower to knock down walls like Terry did. Nor do I have the ability to put them back up. All based on what it Could or Might be? I know what the smells are.
Thanks again.
 

Goldy

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Yes Cookie, the bathroom wall does share the same wall as the baby's room.
Could they be linked? I dont know.
 
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CJM

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When the smoke test was done, was the furnace fan on at all?
I am wondering about the ductwork under the cement slab - if you needed to fill a crack in the concrete that was leaking hot air from your furnace then the soil under the slab was/is moving, and also possibly moving the ductwork and sewer pipes around. Weird things happen to the airflow in a duct when it gets bent out of shape, maybe you need the air in the duct moving to suck the sewer gas or smoke into the ductwork? Have you run a camera through the ductwork to see if it's bent out of shape or has joints separating under the slab?
 

Goldy

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Cookie, My real estate agent, would only take their side in this, claiming they did not know about it, and saying that we are responsible for repairing the problem since we own the house now. I would not even waste my time exploring that avenue because I know they will do nothing to help me, or provide information. I have tried, by calling their listing agent, and asking her questions and she has told me that she doesnt have their number, cannot ask them about the smell because she cant reach them. When i've brought it up to my agent, she completely eludes the issue and brings up another topic. I will not waste my time with them now.....right now, I'd like to get the problem repaired. One step at a time...........

CJM....yes, I think that will be my next step. I am in contact on a day to day basis almost with a heating and cooling spe******t who has been very diligent with me, and who is willing to come out here and do a free inspection....he's told me that he will rent a camera if he has to and take apart the furnace and try to get to the core of the issue....and he's also told me that it will run me $800 to $900 to do this, and that we may not even be able to find the source of the problem or repair after all is said and done. He does not want to dissappoint me like the rest. I'm weighing my options at this point.
 
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Cass

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Thanks for the info, now, what room or rooms are NEXT to the babys room and what room is under the babys room?

Is there a bathroom by any chance, under or next to?
 
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