cavity wall smell?

[Deleted User]

HI all and thanks in advance.

I've been trying to locate a musty smell in a small kitchen that I have had since I bought it 6 months ago.I had been painting etc which masked the smell.

I have been told it could be the drains.

So I blocked the entry from outside with some success.

My question this time is that there is a hole(obviously bigger than the pipe that exits) in the internal cavity wall(it is not insulated) that directs out to the drains.

Would a hole in a cavity wall possibly cause this musty smell?

Also is it normal for outside drains to be 3/4 full?

societys_child

So I blocked the entry from outside with some success.

Do you mean the gap around the pipe?

There shouldn't be gap around the waste pipe, fill both sides (internal and external) with mortar or mastic or similar, this should stop the smells entering your kitchen.
There should be water in the drain to prevent even worse smells coming up from the drains.
If the water in outside drain is from the kitchen sink etc it can smell a bit, put a bit of disinfectant, either down the plug hole or directly into the outside drain, or both.

[Deleted User]

societys_child wrote: »

Do you mean the gap around the pipe?

There shouldn't be gap around the waste pipe, fill both sides (internal and external) with mortar or mastic or similar.
There should be water in the drain to prevent even worse smells coming up from the drains.
The water in drain is from the kitchen sink etc? If so it can smell a bit, put a bit of disinfectant, either down the plug hole or directly into the outside drain, or both.

Yes there is a gap around the pipe that goes outside.

The exit area outside is sealed but the pipe leaving the sink enters the cavity wall(no insulation)and has a 2inch gap around the pipe.

I should seal this yes?

societys_child

I would, it's possible there could be a smell from the cavity

[Deleted User]

societys_child wrote: »

I would, it's possible there could be a smell from the cavity

OK thanks.Will do.

[Deleted User]

Would polyfilla do the trick as this is really not my thing and I have a tube here at home?

-taff

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RSnFJgTiDI

expanding foam seems to be the way to go....

jacko74

I had a musty/drains type smell in my kitchen which I couldn't track down until I finally found it was coming from the washing machine outlet pipe, it was because I'd been using the liquid washing tabs and overtime they can leave a slimey smelly residue.

[Deleted User]

I just found a dangling red hot water hose that's not in use and still had a bit of water in for no doubt years. Not really the smell I was looking for though but quite possible. I'm pretty sure its located underneath the sink somewhere.

The new washing machines just need a cold feed now don't they?

Katgrit

Deleted_User wrote: »

The new washing machines just need a cold feed now don't they?

Yes, if you buy a washer thesedays it'll only have a cold fill. Apparantly this
is because so many people have combi boilers and don't have a hot water storage tank. As combi boilers don't always run hot immediately, the washer would take in an amount of water from the hot inlet and its not actually hot. So new washers just take cold inlet only and heat it up themselves.

scaredlady

Two things
I never ever shut my washing machine door(except when its working obviously). It encourages mould in the machine. Just leave the door slightly open. Mine used to smell doesn't now.
We also have a drain outside the kitchen window, from the sink..
I just check every few months that there is nothing blocking it, and put bleach down the plughole in the sink while I am at it.
Usually deals with any smells, especially in the summer months.