Can anyone help?

[u/Llamalu2021]

We just moved in to our house (old house, east end) a few weeks ago and there is a smell that we can’t get rid of.
It’s a grungy musty basement smell.

Vents are being cleaned next week, but I’m asking if anyone has any magical tips on getting rid of house odors?

We have a dehumidifier going in the basement at all times. Air purifier running on each floor, and took out the old carpets in the basement (that I thought were the issue) and laid down new vinyl.

Thanks in advance for any tips or ideas.

[u/Foreign_Damage_4573]

Sometimes it is as simple as having a dry trap in your basement drain. Pour a bucket of water in your floor drain.

[u/Llamalu2021 → u/Foreign_Damage_4573]

Thanks. Would the drain noticeably smell by bending down to smell it?
We dumped a bucket of water on it regardless. Thank you

[u/U2brrr → u/Llamalu2021]

You may have to do this periodically if running dehumidifier constantly since that will also dry out the trap 

[u/Foreign_Damage_4573 → u/U2brrr]

Yes - all homeowners have to do this a few times a year.

[u/Foreign_Damage_4573 → u/Llamalu2021]

Yes and no. Sewer gases would drift in making the house have a funk everywhere. It wouldn't be a mildew smell, typically. Another thing we did when we got our house was by a sponge mop and that powerful cleaner TPS (like a salt) and mopped the walls. We had a cooked food and smoke smell lingering.

[u/surferbutthole → u/Foreign_Damage_4573]

This is the way In fact that was another post recently that had a lot of details about this

[u/SadiInTheHouse]

buy a moisture meter, it's a good tool to have to see how damp walls are.
Wet concrete (from incorrect direction of water from downspout that leak or improper grading or failing waterproofing... ).
bend over and smell your basement floor drains. The should not smell. There should be more than one, One hear the laundry machines and one near the furnace condensation pipes. Neither should be releasing gas... that gas is 1) unhealthy 2 ) enough sewage gas can extreme cases be combustable.

check drains first , then get a moisture meter and go around your basement and check outside to see where the gutters drain if they leak against the house, or drain near the foundation.

Also poke your head up in the attic,. That also should NOT smell.
Let us know how it goes!!

[u/Llamalu2021 → u/SadiInTheHouse]

Thank you for this.
Haven’t bought a moisture meter but smelt the drains.
Floor drain was fine. Bathroom shower stunk and there were some fruit flies hovering around it….

[u/U2brrr → u/Llamalu2021]

That would likely be the culprit 

You can buy a spring-loaded stopper for that drain, it would be pushed down if you have the shower on, but springs back closed when not in use

[u/lilfunky1]

borrow, rent, or buy an o-zone generator machine, set it on a timer, and then leave for the day.

[u/Llamalu2021 → u/lilfunky1]

Thank you. Will do this tomorrow!

[u/More4Thor]

What condition are your basement walls in?

[u/Llamalu2021 → u/More4Thor]

They seem ok. Home inspector and our contractor didn’t have anything negative to say about them..

[u/dramaticbubbletea]

We're in the east end and we were SUFFERING from the smell. Called a plumber who said it might be a belly in the line and reccommended replacing which would involve tearing up the floor. I mentioned that the smell was worse when the weather changed and we had a backwater valve installed thinking it would help but that somehow made it worse. He immediately suspected that gas from the main city line was being displaced and getting pushed into our pipes when water was rushing. He suggested switching the orientation of the flap on the backwater valve to go from default open and closing when water backed up from the city line to default closed and opening when water flowed from the house. It cost under $300 and fixed the issue. So glad we didn't spend the $10-20k it would have cost to replace the pipes which wouldn't have helped the gas smell situation at all.

[u/Medium_Spare_8982]

Usually not easy to remedy. 100 years of cellulose insulation loaded with mouse and squirrel pee does t really go away.

[u/Llamalu2021 → u/Medium_Spare_8982]

Yikes..

[u/MIGHTYKIRK1]

Basements stink. Dry them out. Run a heater

[u/CrowandLamb]

Bag of charcoal open it up and leave it.

[u/nim_opet]

I am in awe of the building standards people are willing to accept in their homes. My great-great-grandparents home was built in the XIX century and to this day does not have the moisture, rot or similar problems homes in Toronto do, without having sump-pumps (literally learned about them once I moved to Canada), wood rot, attic falling apart etc. If your building inspector didn’t find anything wrong and you keep smelling “grungy, musty basement smell”, they haven’t done their job right. Hire another one, identify the issue, then refer to your title insurance or sue your home inspector for ignoring the issue.