Rotten odor under kitchen sink


  #1  
Old 08-31-12, 12:21 PM
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Unhappy Rotten odor under kitchen sink

PLEASE HELP! I recently moved into an apartment and immediately noticed a horrific odor from under the kitchen sink. The maintanence man came out and ran ice down the garbage diposal, ran cleanser down it, painted ALL under sink areas with Kilz and then sealed the area too, changed the pipes and inspected them, changed the garbage disposal unit, and changed the dishwasher hoses, there was a small hole in the back wall where hoses go and they sealed it with caulk. They also inspected to see if a rodent could have died under the cabinetry. The smell seems to get worse after the dishwasher has been run. There is no odor coming out of the dishwasher or the disposal, just underneath the sink. I cannot open the cabinet doors without the entire place stinking up and 3 cabinets are not useable because of the odor. ANY HELP OR IDEAS WOULD BE GREAT!

 
  #2  
Old 08-31-12, 12:26 PM
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Welcome to the forums

No troubleshooting thoughts beyond what was already done, just the suggestion to stay on building management, as this is their responsibility to resolve.
 
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Old 08-31-12, 01:03 PM
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I would ask building maintenance to slide the dishwasher out completely, I have seen a similar issue where rodents had nested in the insulation surrounding the dishwasher.
 
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Old 08-31-12, 01:29 PM
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I will ask him to check the insulation. It is a fairly nice apartment complex so I find it hard to believe a rodent would be in there. You would think even that would eventually start to smell better after it is done decomposing. Who knows what the people before me lived like?
It doesn't seem to be coming from the dishwasher sides (i sniffed all around it), it seems to be coming from the underside of the sink area and gets worse after the washer is run. I know he cringes when he sees me walking to the office.
 
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Old 08-31-12, 01:55 PM
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Are the pipes vented or is there a Studor vent (Air Admittance Valve) under the sink?? If so, it could have a problem sealing and needs replacment.
 
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Old 08-31-12, 02:41 PM
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RE:
Are the pipes vented or is there a Studor vent (Air Admittance Valve) under the sink?? If so, it could have a problem sealing and needs replacment.

How do I tell? I live on the top floor if that helps.
 
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Old 08-31-12, 02:48 PM
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I dont think you would have one in a apartment complex but you never know.

Look for something like this on the drain piping.


 
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Old 08-31-12, 03:33 PM
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If it is located on the drain pipe, then no I do not have a Studor vent. If it on the roof, then I am not gettin' up there to find out.
 
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Old 08-31-12, 04:06 PM
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You know we're fishing, right?? Is there a window directly in front of the sink? Questions may seem out there, but there's a reason. Not goin on the roof???? Good move. I don't either.
 
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Old 09-08-12, 05:51 PM
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LOL. No windows near the sink. So I spoke with the the repair guy and he says he checked the dishwasher when he changed the hoses out and it was fine. I am starting to think a dead critter is behind the wall and the smell is wafting out into the under sink area. There is no way they are going to let me punch holes in the walls to find out. They are talking about moving me to another place, but I just moved in less than a month ago. I don't know how a critter would get in the wall.
EVERYTHING under the sink area is new or has been sealed with paint.

How long does a critter take to decompose and get past the "stank" stage? Will the smell ever go away if it is a critter that nobody can get to? Sorry I don't know much about dead bodies.
 
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Old 09-09-12, 04:04 AM
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The reason for the window question is the vent would have to make bends around the window and bends=problems sometimes.
It depends on the size of the critter as to how long the stink will remain. Small mice probably a couple of weeks. A large rat, much longer. If they replaced the drain lines on the dishwasher and things seem to be fine, it could have been crappy crud in the lines that was smelling.
 
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Old 09-10-12, 12:10 PM
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Well, everything under the sink has now been replaced or sealed. The smell is getting worse. I am calling the repair guy today and begging him to do whatever it takes. I don't care what it takes, just as long as it is gone. He was pretty sure it wasn't a dead body, but I am not convinced.

I will update once it is gone and they figure it out.
 
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Old 09-10-12, 01:42 PM
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Dead bodies have an acrid smell. You smell it in your sinus' first. Different from anything else. You'll know. What else is left for them to take apart??
 
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Old 09-14-13, 11:06 AM
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Figured it out - finally

Well after months of this stink I got the apartment to get rid of my old dishwasher and put a new one in. It helped immediately. There is an occasional smell but only if I don't run the washer for a few days. So I make sure I run it every few days whether I need to or not.
This was after the cabinets were replaced, the garbage disposal, all pipes, and various other things. So basically it was the dishwasher and if they had listened to me months earlier then they could have saved countless hours and money.

Thanks
Stink Free in Reno
 
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Old 09-14-13, 01:21 PM
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Glad you got it fixed. One question....does the drain line go up and over the dishwasher creating an air loop before it goes to the drain? Did they install a vent on top of the countertop next to the sink? Is the dishwasher drain before or after the ptrap in the sink?
 
 

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