# Don't you smell that?



## Plumbersteve (Jan 25, 2011)

In ten years, I've been called to countless mystery odor jobs. Of all of them, maybe 5 have been traced to a broken fitting, unglued vent, or dead mouse in the fart fan exhaust. What are these other people smelling? How do you talk yourself out of a service call like that when you just don't see any reason for a stink or you don't even smell the stink?


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## crown36 (May 21, 2013)

Plumbersteve said:


> In ten years, I've been called to countless mystery odor jobs. Of all of them, maybe 5 have been traced to a broken fitting, unglued vent, or dead mouse in the fart fan exhaust. What are these other people smelling? How do you talk yourself out of a service call like that when you just don't see any reason for a stink or you don't even smell the stink?


 Maybe it's not a plumbing problem. I get these calls as well. I will thoroughly examine everything, and if I cannot find anything that is causing the smell - I tell the customer just that.


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## Letterrip (Jul 28, 2013)

I offer to pull and reset the toilet in case the wax seal is bad. I let them know that there is no guarantee that this is the cause of the smell, but its fairly inexpensive to try. If the smell is in their head, it often cures it. If pulling and resetting a toilet cures their problem, then I have provided a valuable service.


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## SHAUN C (Feb 16, 2011)

I've had a lot of those calls and always reset the closest toilet. Never got a callback but I have wondered if it solved the problem. Another call I get is the bad/sewer smell inside washing machine. Not sure what that's about, of course it doesn't stink when I'm there, ever.


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## Plumbersteve (Jan 25, 2011)

Some odors can come from the water heater anode. The call that set me off today wasn't that. I didn't have an explanation. I suggested they have the stack cabled and scoped to ameliorate any clogged vent or fissured cast iron problems that may exist.


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## redbeardplumber (Dec 4, 2012)

The last one I had, I couldn't find anything, and I had very recently installed new toilets. So we left it....he called 3 days later and said it was unbearable. 

I suggested putting some septic enzyme down all the upstairs drains( this is city home). Called a day later said everything was perfect.!???


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## crown36 (May 21, 2013)

When they complain about an odor, Just tell them it's their upper lip, and hand them a bill for $100 bucks. :laughing:


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## tnplumber (Aug 10, 2013)

Just ask them if they took a sh*t lately?


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