My husband and I are noticing a foul smell like hot garbage on the first floor of our townhouse. In fact, a number of guests have commented on the odor. I had a plumber out, but he said it wasn't sewer gas. I turned on the central fan, but cannot locate a vent from which the smell is coming from directly. It seems worse later in the day and evening and it just lingers on our first floor. I almost want to say that it is coming from the wall under the first floor stairs, but there is a utility closet there and it doesn't smell in the closet? We just had our carpeting cleaned too. What really stinks (pun intended) is that the vent is carrying the first floor smell all the way up to our bedroom... sick. I called a heating and air guy-he didn't seem familiar with this description. The air duct guy wasn't familiar with this description either. So, I'm hoping someone out there might be able to shed some light on this frustrating mystery smell.

Thanks!

The "hot garbage" description may be what's throwing them off. Terms they're used to hearing would be "sharp," "acrid," "musty," "rotten," etc. Which of those apply?

I happened across a question about a "fishy" odor on the Home Improvement forum some time back and it turned out that a new resin light fixture was overloaded (100 watt bulb in a 60 watt socket) and the hot resin was smelling.

The possibility of a carcass inside the wall exists, but putrefaction smells tend to go away after about twenty days. How long has it been going on?

I'd say this has been going on for about two months. The smell is thick and rotten. I, too, thought it might be a dead animal in the wall, but the smell hasn't subsided.

Moved from Pest Control

If you've called a plumber then I'm at a loss. I'm going to move this question to Interior Home Improvement to see if our Construction Experts may have an idea.

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Originally Posted by kmc62808

I'd say this has been going on for about two months. The smell is thick and rotten. I, too, thought it might be a dead animal in the wall, but the smell hasn't subsided.

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You know that sweet putrid smell that is a rotting animal,it can linger for some time.I had a camp and this dead raccoon smell lasted for months,it's a big animal.
I would try to find the source and take a saw and get it out.
Good luck.

I work in construction and have smelled this it sounds like sewer gas to me I would try to find a roterrooter guy with a camera snake and check your sewer lines

We have another plumber coming out today so I will ask him about the roterrooter. I has considered the possibility of sewer gas so we'll see what he has to say. We also have a heating and air guy coming out despite his being unfamiliar with the description of our problem.

Thanks!

I had a similar smell in our home a few years back and had several experts, including a plumber and a sewer company rep, try to find the problem. No one could. I finally found it on my own. Turns out that the indoor condenser was drained into a line that was tapped into a drain line of the house. It had a trap on it but, in the winter when the air conditioner was not being used(thus no draining condensation) the trap would dry up. When the heat would kick on it would suck the sewer gas into the vents and distribute it into the house. I solved the problem by installing a longer trap. No more smell as the amount of water in the trap now does not evaporate over the winter. Also if you have a sink or shower that is rarely used, the trap may be drying up. Since you have had a plumber in, I am sure they checked this out. But they all totally missed the trap on my indoor condenser(most are drained to the outside I think). Hope you find your problem.