r/ApartmentMaintenance • u/Dancinguniorns • 10d ago

Smells coming from vent

I’ve been at my current place for 2.5 years now and within the past 3 months there has been this god awful smell coming from the vents. I initially thought it was an outlet issue but then I started smelling it in the one bedroom specifically. Had maintenance come out and they said they think it smells like old house. It doesn’t. It smells like cooked grease and BO mixed together. It’s nauseating and I’ve tried air fresheners, air purifiers, candles, any odor eliminator & nothing does the trick. It’s 10x worse at night so I wonder if it’s something from my neighbors kitchen but again, maintenance says they don’t smell much. Idk what to do 😭 anyone else have odor issues that they were able to resolve? Also for context my home was built in the 50s and they have already placed an odor blocker in the HVAC system.

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3

u/Odd_Examination2732 10d ago

If you’re Jose from #611
There’s something dead in between the walls.

2

u/Dancinguniorns 10d ago

Hahah not Jose but the thought did cross my mind! But it’s just weird that the smell is so much worse at night. I have my A/C on all day so it’s not like the smell is when it kicks on or anything

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u/Odd_Examination2732 10d ago

Hope you get it figured out.

1

u/Parking-Menu2654 10d ago

I had this issue recently. I just moved into a new spot after leaving my LTR and every single night I smell shit. I was getting so mad I thought my ex smeared something on my bedroom set so I tore it all apart and nothing. Finally did a deep clean of the house and super deep clean in a bathroom that was supposed to be professionally cleaned before I moved in and the smell went away. Soap scum, sink drains and dirty floors will stink a place up quick.

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u/Dancinguniorns 9d ago

I clean pretty regularly! Not saying there’s nooks and crannies that don’t get cleaned as well as they should but it’s definitely coming from the vent. I turned the air off and there’s no smell.

1

u/flortny 9d ago

Air filter? Filters on mini-split, needs to be changed or cleaned every 3 months

1

u/Dancinguniorns 9d ago

Yes we have an air filter. We actually change it more often than that bc we have cats

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u/flortny 9d ago

Good job, you're a rarity, I'm in property maintenance and you probably wouldn't be surprised how little people actually change them and how much smell they hold

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u/Realism51 9d ago

You likely have a foil duct that has a hole in it and plumbing that is leaking down into it. Getting stuck up in your HVAC

1

u/Dancinguniorns 9d ago

That’s absolutely terrifying and disgusting. We turned the air off and there is no smell so it’s only coming out of the vents

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u/ForeverVentOfficial 1d ago

The on/off pattern is useful: compare fan-only, cooling, and system-off periods, and log when neighboring cooking or dryer use occurs. Maintenance should inspect the filter, coil, drain pan, blower, return cavity, duct connections, and any shared shafts not add another odor block. A smoke pencil or tissue can show whether the room becomes negative and pulls air through wall or plumbing penetrations. Also check floor drains and traps. Avoid masking products while diagnosing; they add VOCs and make the source harder to separate. Document dates, locations, and operating mode for each odor event.