I woke up at 4am to a strong gas-like smell in my third-floor apartment in a tri-family home. There were no signs of a gas leak when I called 911, and the smell isn't present in the other units. My landlord said he can't do anything since there isn't a leak. After the firefighters left, I tried airing out the place with Ozium, opened every window, and turned on all the fans. The smell is weaker now, but I'm really worried about what it could be and how it suddenly appeared. Any advice on this?
3 Answers
Make sure you check all your drains, especially floor drains or the standpipe for your washing machine. Also, if you're noticing the smell coming from the bottom of your fridge, it could be related! If the fridge seal is broken, that might explain why the appliance is working harder and causing odd smells. Just a thought!
When I had a sudden gas smell, it turned out to be gasoline from overfilling my car. It pooled near the gas filler and the fumes made their way into my house. If there's any chance that's relevant, definitely check your garage or nearby areas for any gas spills!
Have you checked your plumbing drains? Sometimes a dry p-trap in sinks, tubs, or toilets can let sewer smells in, which can be mistaken for gas. Just run some water in all your sinks and tubs to refill the traps and see if that helps with the smell.
That's a great idea! So, should I just run water in every sink for a bit to fill them up?
Thanks for the tip! I just got home and noticed the smell seems strongest from the fridge vent—the seal is broken and I have a replacement on the way. Could that really be causing the gas-like odor?