Attic Smell

[peaches08]

I'm having problems with attic odor. Since part of the AC and the air ducts are in the attic, this has become a real problem. It started with the drain line getting stopped up, which has been blown out and is draining. I pour bleach in the drain line AND drain pan. There is a residual smell from the whole ordeal and it's driving me crazy. What have you used? I found some eco friendly and reusable sachets online called Smelleze...I'm on my phone and don't know how to post the link. Thoughts? Suggestions?

ETA: I put a couple of DampRid containers up there. It can't hurt.

 

[dejolane]

Maybe you ought to hang alot of air fresheners up in your attic.:lol3:

 

[matts mom]

For a home-made dehumidifyer, place a bucket full of cat litter, mixed with a box of baking soda up there. It's supposed to draw the moisture out of the air.

I'm afraid I can't vouch for it, because if I used that method for my basement, Matt would use the litter....but it might work for you attic?

I can't remember where I read about it or I'd give you the link

 

[kimkats000]

Baking Soda in several low containers like pie pans. 

You can buy bulk Baking Soda in Walmart in the pool area or Sams club.   You can even put the Baking Soda down on the floor or what every is up there and leave it if you want to BUT you may want to vacuum it up so.....the low pans would work better so you can change them out.

 

[Winchester]

When my co-worker bought his house, it had "old people" smell from the elderly couple who had lived there for decades. Remember I had said that the house was terribly filthy and they obviously hadn't cleaned the place in a long, long, time? It was nasty. And it smelled of old people. (Google it....there really is a smell called "old people smell". We didn't know that til he bought the house.)

He tried opening the windows throughout the house, we cleaned everything we could possibly clean, including the walls and ceilings in every room. I cleaned the entire kitchen, the laundry room, and the bathrooms from top to bottom.....and still that stench lingered. We couldn't get rid of it. I can't tell you how many lemon-scented candles we went through while we were cleaning that place out. 

Well, he ended up buying a machine (I think he got it from Amazon) that guaranteed to get rid of the smell. He got it and plugged it in the center of the house. He left the machine running day and night for almost a week (he did it before he ever moved in). It got rid of the smell and it took the better part of a week....that's how bad the stench was. It finally dissipated.

I don't remember how much it cost, but I think it was a little on the expensive side. He debated for a while before he bought it, but he says now that he's glad he did.

 

[peaches08]

I'd be interested in what the machine is called. My recliner is beneath an air vent and when the air homes on, whew, sometimes it takes my breath away. I'm going to check the DampRid containers for drainage in a few days.

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

Have you checked the attic for mold. That can have a smell.

 

[peaches08]

I'm terrified that it IS mold/mildew. I'm thinking that may be part of the smell, if not all of it.

 

[ukapalmen]

Oh god, that sounds bad! I had a mold/fungus spot on my wall in the first flat I lived in, when I lived in London and it just smells horrible - and looks so gross...and quite depressing.

I hope you can find a solution to get rid of it, whatever it is!

 

[Winchester]

I'd be interested in what the machine is called. My recliner is beneath an air vent and when the air homes on, whew, sometimes it takes my breath away. I'm going to check the DampRid containers for drainage in a few days.

I told him to go home and look at his machine.....he'll let me know tomorrow more information about it.

 

[peaches08]

Thank you!

 

[ldg]

It's probably a hydroxyl generator. You know that smell right after the rain, when the sun comes out? Like the scent of fresh laundry drying in the sun? That's what these machines generate.

http://www.odorox.com/

There's a link to How It Works in the website - it won't post a link directly to it.

These are industrial generators, and their smallest unit costs several thousand dollars. But I believe there are manufacturers of residential machines that wold be a couple of hundred dollars?

Gary and I worked with this company and were able to test one of the smaller machines. When it's humid, it makes the RV smell SO fresh and clean! Helps in winter to run humidifiers.

You might be able to rent one. They work best when there is no to little air movement and a humid environment.

There are also ozone generators that do essentially the same thing, but they create ozone, not hydroxyls. :lol3:

 

[Winchester]

I think you're right, Laurie. In Bob's case, though, it's ozone. I think. He'll let me know when he comes in this morning. I just sent him a "Gentle Reminder" text. 

 

[Winchester]

Bob got his machine from here: http://www.odorfreemachines.com/  and he swears by it. He says that a lot of hardware stores also carry them....you can go into your favorite hardware store and ask for an ozone-producing machine to get rid of odor. Best money he ever spent!

 

[peaches08]

Thank you both! I called the landlord, he's coming out today or tomorrow to check it out himself (he works in construction) to try to identify the problem and then call whoever to fix it.

 

[peaches08]

Update: landlord came and also had a hard time identifying the source of the smell. It's a musty smell, so it's not a dead animal or feces. He also agreed that it is definitely from the attic. There was standing sludge in the drain pain which he cleaned out and I'm to check it in about a week. I told him that I complained about the water to the HVAC guy, who claimed it was normal. Landlord agrees that it is NOT normal. So, we will see in a week what happens.

 

[ldg]

Oh I hope that resolves the problem! :cross:

 

[peaches08]

Me too! I actually worry more about my cats than myself.

 

[peaches08]

The smell isn't completely gone, but it is so much better! Turns out the sludge in the drain pan was the smell. Well, that and a cheap HVAC system that wasn't installed correctly.

 

[Winchester]

Wonderful news! I'm so glad that it will be better. I hope he agrees to have disconnect the HVAC and reinstall it properly.