Sewage smell

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Angel.Hilton81

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Hello! So I have a pretty strong sewage/rotten egg smell that comes through the heating/air vents in my home (700 ish sq ft one story) when I run the water in my kitchen sink. I have tried the baking soda/vinegar down that drain and down the bathtub. I have also poured water down for the p-trap. It is till persisting. Any ideas? Thanks in advance!
 

Reach4

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Angel.Hilton81

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WorthFlorida

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The odor is probably not coming from your air vents or heating plant, it's just circulating the odor. When the blower turns on for heat, a slight vacuum is created around the home depending on how it is all laid out. If a trap is dry it will suck air out from the sewage drainage plumbing since the roof vent will able to provide air. As Reach suggest check for all drains. Is there a floor drain near the water heater which is usually next to the furnace?
 

Angel.Hilton81

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The odor is probably not coming from your air vents or heating plant, it's just circulating the odor. When the blower turns on for heat, a slight vacuum is created around the home depending on how it is all laid out. If a trap is dry it will suck air out from the sewage drainage plumbing since the roof vent will able to provide air. As Reach suggest check for all drains. Is there a floor drain near the water heater which is usually next to the furnace?
Yes. I poured some water down there the other day.
 

WorthFlorida

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I reread the first post and it is only when you run water at the kitchen sink and the heat is on? Anything when the heat is on and not using any water? The heat is off and you're running water at the kitchen sink, anything? If it happens only when both heat is blowing and the water is running, place a stopper in the kitchen sink drain to let the sink fill so as the drain is not in use, see if you still smell odors?
 

Angel.Hilton81

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I reread the first post and it is only when you run water at the kitchen sink and the heat is on? Anything when the heat is on and not using any water? The heat is off and you're running water at the kitchen sink, anything? If it happens only when both heat is blowing and the water is running, place a stopper in the kitchen sink drain to let the sink fill so as the drain is not in use, see if you still smell odors?
I don’t really notice it unless I have just ran the water in the kitchen sink. Then i notice the smell almost immediately coming from the air vents. It doesn’t matter if the heat/air is on or not. In the summer I noticed this same smell but it wasn’t this potent and only happened when the air conditioning was blowing through the vents. I have spoke to my landlord about this and he is not doing anything to correct the issue so I’m trying to see if I can figure it out myself.
 

Weekend Handyman

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I am not a plumber. The following is a guess. Do you have a storage closet with a floor drain that might have dried up? The water travelling from the sink could be pushing some sewer gas up the drain and it may be getting sucked into an air return and distributed through your apartment.
 

WorthFlorida

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It could be one of two things, a sewer vent pipe made have come apart in the attic if it's above you or because of air conditioning, the drip pan inside the air handler can get awful nasty with mold, mildew and plain crud that can smell. The ac coils usually can get mold on them but since it's now only heat mode, the drip pan and coils should have dried out. Cleaning the coils with coil cleaner and disinfectant poured into the drip pan and washed down with water, the condensate line cleaned in the process maybe what's needed. This is standard maintenance for air conditioning. Those that live in the snow belt usually cannot comprehend that AC units needed maintenance.

Where is the furnace located And air handler located. Is there attic space above you?
 

WorthFlorida

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Check the condensate drain. It should have its own small trap and drain into an air gap or small condensate pump. If it's tied directly to a drain for the house plumbing that could be the source. Usually it drains directly outdoors.
 
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Clarice8419

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Sink water may be forcing some sewer gas up the drain, where it may be pulled into an air return and circulated throughout your flat.
 

TonyaGilmore

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The rinse water pushes up a large amount of waste water up the exhaust pipe where it is sucked into the return line and circulated throughout the machine.
 
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