Smokey Posted July 21, 2008 Report Share Posted July 21, 2008 from time to time I notice a smell in my condo at the top of my stairs. It seems to be coming from a 2'x2' HVAC intake grate that's right there. I could be wrong, but that's my best indication of where it's coming from. The question I have is would having someone come and clean my ducts actually help this? The smell shows up for a couple days about once every 6 weeks or so and then magically goes away again. Our condo was a new build about 1.5 years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramsey Posted July 21, 2008 Report Share Posted July 21, 2008 Have you changed the filter? Yes, you can have it cleaned. Do you have gas heat? Does it only happen when you change from heat to a/c, or the other way? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokey Posted July 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2008 this has come and gone thru 2 filter changes, and doesn't seem to get better or worse when the filter is changed. I've noticed it both during the winter (gas heat) and summer (a/c) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramsey Posted July 21, 2008 Report Share Posted July 21, 2008 this has come and gone thru 2 filter changes, and doesn't seem to get better or worse when the filter is changed. I've noticed it both during the winter (gas heat) and summer (a/c) I would recomend a duct cleaning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokey Posted July 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2008 would it be best for me to wait until the next "smell attack" to schedule the cleaning, or should it help whenever it's done? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wnaplay1647545503 Posted July 21, 2008 Report Share Posted July 21, 2008 Something could have died in there as well. I had a guy tell me he had the same situation and when moisture got on the old dead skin cells and dirt and what not, it smelled rank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokey Posted July 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2008 I had considered the same, but I figured if that was the case that the smell wouldn't go away and come back. I would think wreaking death would be continual Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTQ B4U Posted July 22, 2008 Report Share Posted July 22, 2008 Go in the basement and check the drain where the AC condensation line drips. It will often times go low in level, more so in the winter, then escaping gases will creep up the PVC line into the trunk of your furnace. Believe me, it happened to me and I spent the money for duct cleaning, and all kinds of time looking it up. Ours happened in the winter and was coming mainly on one side of our house as that's the side of the main trunk where the PVC pipe fitted to the evaporator tray on our furnace....then led upwards to the ducks going to that side of our home. Just the small amount of heat from the Pilot was enough to cause an air current....hot air rises...and boom...nasty smell in our house. I found a link on an obscure site on the internet and viola that was it. In all my life I either never noticed this before. It comes as goes as during normal events the pressure in that pipe will vary and cause the level to drop. In the winter it happens too because there isn't always enough condensation flow to fill it back up. Check the pipe. Flush the drain with bleach and cold water.....a bucket full. I do so every couple weeks. Just last night after Derrek and Co. fixed my AC. Since I've been checking this we've had zero issues....and I no longer blame my son for tossing something down the register vent Here are some pics that may help show what I'm talking about. Drain on Floor http://www.pbase.com/pdqgp/image/100535599.jpg Connection into Furnace http://www.pbase.com/pdqgp/image/100535600.jpg Ducks on Same Side as Connection http://www.pbase.com/pdqgp/image/100535601.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokey Posted July 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2008 Thanks a lot Tim, I'll definitely check that out. It would make sense seeing as the intake duct that I feel is the culprit is essentially 2 stories stright up from the unit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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