Hey everyone! I recently moved into a 1970s rental home in Vancouver, and I'm having some trouble with a musty smell coming from the vents. The basement is vacant and quite old, while the upstairs is fairly nice. I can't seem to find a furnace anywhere; I only see baseboards in each room. I'm guessing the house was converted from forced air heating to baseboard heating at some point, but I'm curious why anyone would do that.
Since there's no AC and the house might be torn down soon, I was wondering if I can safely seal off the vents to keep that musty smell at bay. If that's possible, what would be the best and most affordable way to block them?
3 Answers
Honestly, I wouldn’t cover the vents. A better option would be to get a dehumidifier for the basement. That can really help with the mustiness without messing with the ventilation system.
It's best not to cover the vents at all. They were installed for a reason, and you could be held responsible for any damage if airflow is restricted, especially since you don’t own the place. The mustiness might also indicate mold issues, so using a dehumidifier is definitely a safer route.
If you’re 100% sure it’s hot water baseboard heating, blocking the vents should be fine. However, if there’s a furnace hiding somewhere, that could lead to problems. You don’t want to stress the system by restricting airflow, especially if you have heating or AC that relies on those vents.
Thanks for the advice! I’ll look into getting a dehumidifier.