Bad smell in house that comes and goes is nothing unusual. Our Rapid Restoration Recovery Inc team knows it happens to the best of us. That does not mean you should ignore it.
But, that being said, many homeowners have their HVAC system serviced and maintained regularly, but how often do we have air vents cleaned? That is something we often forget about.
Dust and grime build up in your HVAC system and the ducting. It may not be dangerous, but having a bad smell coming from one vent in the house is never pleasant.
Air Vent and Duct Cleaning
Yes, it is important to have your HVAC system serviced. But, it is just as important to have an HVAC system cleaned. Ducting and venting are two of the biggest dirt and dust collectors in our homes.
Not only does dust build up in ducts. But, if you notice a bad smell in house that comes and goes, it is likely that your ducting and venting are at fault. As dust lingers, it starts to smell. When you turn on the HVAC system, all of that dust is injected into the air of your home. Eventually, it starts to smell bad.
What About a Bad Smell Coming From One Vent in the House?
What do I do when I notice a bad smell from one vent?
This depends a little bit on what vent it is. If it is a bedroom vent, you may want to remove the grill and see if you can see anything. If you can, it could be the problem originates somewhere else in the HVAC system.
Rapid Restoration Recovery Inc offers an inspection service. But, we have to be honest, we often start by finding out the last time you had your system cleaned. You be surprised how many homeowners have never had their HVAC systems cleaned.
Poorly maintained HVAC systems can lead to respiratory disease and other health problems. Allergens such as pollen and seeds can enter via the heat exchanger and get sucked in. Often they remain there until they are removed by professional cleaning or a Negative Air Machine.
Can A Bad Smell In House That Comes and Goes Be Dangerous?
You may not think so, but it certainly can.
Commercial kitchen and restaurant owners are always on the “look out” for bad smells. Grease and grime build up in vents and ducts. In a worst-case scenario, it can lead to fires.
The same thing can happen in your home. Grease and grime in kitchen vents can catch fires. If that happens, you can end up with fire damage in the heart of the home.
Something Stuck in Your Carpets
It is not only vents and ducts that omit bad smells. If you have got a bad smell in house that comes and goes, you should check your carpets.
Debris often gets stuck in carpets. We may not walk over the same area every day which means we don’t always notice the smell. But, on occasion, we notice a certain unpleasant smell or odor.
You probably think that your carpets are perfectly clean. Once again, carpet cleaning is something we often put on the back burner. We look at our carpets and think they look okay.
That is probably true, but you never know what lurks in the fibers of a carpet. If it is an organic or biological material, it can eventually begin to smell bad.
Regular carpet cleaning helps to eliminate a bad smell in house that comes and goes.
Does Mold Smell?
Mold can smell, but may not smell all of the time. We are learning an increasing amount about mold.
Mildew and mold are two compounds that behave a bit oddly. On damp days, or when the humidity level in your home is high, mold can omit a bad smell.
What does it mean? It means the mold spores are multiplying and spreading. This is perhaps more noticeable when you have a bad smell coming from one vent in the house.
Mold and mildew can grow unnoticed for a long time on a grille.
Often when we remove grilles from HVAC systems and venting, we noticed the back of them are covered in mold. This can also explain a bad smell in house that comes and goes.
Regular Cleaning and Deep Cleaning
We often clean our homes very quickly. Deep cleaning or spring cleaning is now very much a thing of the past.
But, it has to be said that deep cleaning benefits are underestimated. Not only can deep cleaning help to deodorize our homes, it can also make them healthier.
If your home makes you sneeze, it could mean it needs professional cleaning. Maybe you are noticing a bad smell in house that comes and goes.
Soot and Ash in the House
Have you had a small fire in the house? Even a small fire in the kitchen or in a skillet can cause a bad smell in house that comes and goes. This could mean ash and soot have settled somewhere.
When you notice that burned smell lingering throughout the home or a bad smell coming from one vent in the house, it is best to get it checked out. You may just need to have one particular area of your home cleaned.
The kitchen and bathroom areas probably need more cleaning than other areas in the home. These are the areas you are more like to find mold and mildew spores.
In Conclusion
Don’t ignore a bad smell in house that comes and goes. It could be a damp area or even a leaking pipe.
When you are concerned about a bad smell in house that comes and goes, all you have to do is to give Rapid Restoration Recovery Inc a call. We have fully licensed General Contractors and can help with anything from carpet cleaning to mold remediation projects in homes and commercial properties. We are only a phone call away