Apartment Ventilation Code Filter
March 31, 2019 7:10 PM Subscribe
Can someone help me understand the ventilation codes for an apartment building in Michigan?
We and all ten of the neighbors we've asked are having problems with very strong skunk smell and smoke through our vents, likely from growing as well as smoking. It's really as if an actual skunk had sprayed a few feet away and it lingers for hours, makes us stuffy and generally ruins our peaceful enjoyment of our place. Some with sensitive respiration are bothered even more. We're not trying to identify the grower(s) as we now believe the larger issue is with the ventilation system. One of our neighbors is a retired engineer who believes the air is being mixed in the attic via antiquated or neglected ventilation. He's not positive but he thinks we're all meant to have independent ventilation to guard against this and the communication of diseases. He asked me to research the code requirements but I can't understand the legalese enough to be sure I'm even on the right page! We plan to approach management en masse as our own letter to the manager didn't even get a response. First we need to know the requirements. There are two buildings at this site with 99 units in each. The engineer was told by our super of a pipe on the roof that freezes every winter and must be thawed out again each spring. We don't know whether this is related but it might stand out for our Mefites.
We and all ten of the neighbors we've asked are having problems with very strong skunk smell and smoke through our vents, likely from growing as well as smoking. It's really as if an actual skunk had sprayed a few feet away and it lingers for hours, makes us stuffy and generally ruins our peaceful enjoyment of our place. Some with sensitive respiration are bothered even more. We're not trying to identify the grower(s) as we now believe the larger issue is with the ventilation system. One of our neighbors is a retired engineer who believes the air is being mixed in the attic via antiquated or neglected ventilation. He's not positive but he thinks we're all meant to have independent ventilation to guard against this and the communication of diseases. He asked me to research the code requirements but I can't understand the legalese enough to be sure I'm even on the right page! We plan to approach management en masse as our own letter to the manager didn't even get a response. First we need to know the requirements. There are two buildings at this site with 99 units in each. The engineer was told by our super of a pipe on the roof that freezes every winter and must be thawed out again each spring. We don't know whether this is related but it might stand out for our Mefites.
Response by poster: I'll get a photos later today, thank you! There's a furnace room at the end of the hall, just outside our door, with two furnaces: one on each side of the room. We're told each furnace serves each side of the hall on this floor. Is it possible to be BOTH supply and return? I'm not positive, but it definitely does creep in when our own furnace is not on but we hear a rumble coming from outside our unit. Also for some reason the smell is much more concentrated in one of our two bathrooms, the master, and at discreet times of the day, more often on weekends. We catch whiffs of it when we pass a particular unit on our floor and neighbors report a unit like this on every floor.
Is there a way to be sure whether it's coming in on fresh air or return?
posted by R2WeTwo at 5:37 AM on April 1, 2019
Is there a way to be sure whether it's coming in on fresh air or return?
posted by R2WeTwo at 5:37 AM on April 1, 2019
Best answer: Strongest in one bathroom at certain times and on weekends suggests someone smoking in their bathroom right below you, if that helps. This would mean it’s a local communication of airways between rooms.
posted by SaltySalticid at 6:18 AM on April 1, 2019
posted by SaltySalticid at 6:18 AM on April 1, 2019
Response by poster: This helps a lot, Salty, and makes perfect sense. We know the elderly lady below and she doesn't tolerate any smoking in her unit but this entire issue started when the neighbor right below her moved in. Also our friend below smells smoke coming from below. Any idea why it would be stronger for us than for directly below?
posted by R2WeTwo at 7:20 AM on April 1, 2019
posted by R2WeTwo at 7:20 AM on April 1, 2019
Response by poster: Here's a link to three photos of the pipes atop our building, one from Google Maps taken last year. We appreciate your willingness to take a look and give us your opinion!
posted by R2WeTwo at 4:21 PM on April 1, 2019
posted by R2WeTwo at 4:21 PM on April 1, 2019
Response by poster: Salty again, you helped us discover the most likely reason why the skunk smell is stronger every day. It's not just the smoke...that's about a level 4 in annoyance. We believe they're using that bathroom for growing and the heat lamps or something is what's creating the terrible skunk smell...literally as if a skunk has spraying in our bathroom every day. As the plants mature the smell will naturally be stronger, and the smoke itself didn't start until 2-3 weeks after skunky-ness. This helps us understand what's likely happening but how can we learn our options for relief?
posted by R2WeTwo at 5:11 AM on April 2, 2019
posted by R2WeTwo at 5:11 AM on April 2, 2019
Best answer: Well, I'm definitely not the professional you want!
I doubt that growing causes the strong smell like you describe. They are probably smoking and blowing it toward the bathroom vent. Carries the smell right away!
I see vents from the bathroom, they are the flat box shaped things. It looks like those are shared vertically as there aren't one per unit on the roof. Now, technically, bathroom vents shouldn't be combined, because the fan at one end will blow out all the other ends. There's ways to make them go one-way, but nobody does it. So, them running their fan likely blows their smoke right into your apartment.
But, uh, you can fight fire with, uh, your own vent. Vent fans are extremely cheap to operate, I would plug in a febreeze-wall-socket thing in the bathroom, and leave your vent on for the next few days and see if that helps. At the very least the pressure should cancel out and you shouldn't get any more smells! If it's a light too, you could unscrew the light and see if that helps.
Another potential solution would be to block off the vent in your bathroom. I've had bathrooms without vents before, it's not the end of the world. It's a bit steamier, but it's workable.
Last, you could explain the situation to your super, and see if they would be willing to vent your bathroom separate from the others. As annoying as it is (again, no idea about the code on this, not a professional) vents like this are actually relatively cheap, depending on where they connected them to each other.
posted by bbqturtle at 12:36 PM on April 3, 2019 [1 favorite]
I doubt that growing causes the strong smell like you describe. They are probably smoking and blowing it toward the bathroom vent. Carries the smell right away!
I see vents from the bathroom, they are the flat box shaped things. It looks like those are shared vertically as there aren't one per unit on the roof. Now, technically, bathroom vents shouldn't be combined, because the fan at one end will blow out all the other ends. There's ways to make them go one-way, but nobody does it. So, them running their fan likely blows their smoke right into your apartment.
But, uh, you can fight fire with, uh, your own vent. Vent fans are extremely cheap to operate, I would plug in a febreeze-wall-socket thing in the bathroom, and leave your vent on for the next few days and see if that helps. At the very least the pressure should cancel out and you shouldn't get any more smells! If it's a light too, you could unscrew the light and see if that helps.
Another potential solution would be to block off the vent in your bathroom. I've had bathrooms without vents before, it's not the end of the world. It's a bit steamier, but it's workable.
Last, you could explain the situation to your super, and see if they would be willing to vent your bathroom separate from the others. As annoying as it is (again, no idea about the code on this, not a professional) vents like this are actually relatively cheap, depending on where they connected them to each other.
posted by bbqturtle at 12:36 PM on April 3, 2019 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks so much, bbqturtl! This is exactly what we're seeking and it matches what we're picking-up from the super and neighbors. Who knew so much can be gleaned from a photo!
posted by R2WeTwo at 1:24 PM on April 3, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by R2WeTwo at 1:24 PM on April 3, 2019 [1 favorite]
I'm eager for an update. Hopefully you can find a way to be happy with your living space despite these issues!
posted by bbqturtle at 6:38 PM on April 3, 2019
posted by bbqturtle at 6:38 PM on April 3, 2019
Response by poster: We used our vent during last evening's e-vent and it does indeed work well. You're a genius! Before we needed to try it we left the grower a thoughtful note explaining the unfortunate physics and asking if they can find a way around using theirs while the plants are smelly. There was a period of strong smell this morning, which is a new time period so we didn't have the vent going and there's a new rumble that suggests they might be using it more or perhaps they have some sort of fan going. The real test will be this evening as the note was taken inside when we checked. I'll update then. Fingers—and nostrils—crossed!
posted by R2WeTwo at 1:12 PM on April 4, 2019
posted by R2WeTwo at 1:12 PM on April 4, 2019
Response by poster: Forgot to add bbqturtle the reason we think it's growing and not just smoking is because it was just the skunk smell for 2-3 weeks before the smoke smell was added to it, a totally separate profile. We speculate that grow lights or some other care for the plants might be causing the smell that gets worse every day, suggesting maturing plants. My husband has lost much of his sense of smell yet this knocks him over and even he gets the increase from night-to-night. Does this sound plausible to you?
posted by R2WeTwo at 1:19 PM on April 4, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by R2WeTwo at 1:19 PM on April 4, 2019 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: We're reluctant to sound the all clear too soon but tonight is definitely all clear and we couldn't be more relieved! The answers here were critical in getting a sense of the mechanics and to confirm the source. From there it was just a matter of joining up humble hope with a thoughtful grower/neighbor. I'll be sure to post any updates.
posted by R2WeTwo at 10:52 PM on April 4, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by R2WeTwo at 10:52 PM on April 4, 2019 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: For the second night we had zero smell or smoke! What an improvement in our lives. Hooray Mefi!
posted by R2WeTwo at 8:15 PM on April 5, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by R2WeTwo at 8:15 PM on April 5, 2019 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: After two days of olfactory bliss the skunk smell with smoke are back as strong as ever. Weekends always have been worse so it's like zero to 100 in minutes. And I was just composing a thank you card. Heart crushing. Next steps anyone?
posted by R2WeTwo at 3:55 PM on April 6, 2019
posted by R2WeTwo at 3:55 PM on April 6, 2019
Response by poster: BBQTURTLE did it again. He suggested covering the vent and it's shocking how well it's working. Or maybe they decided to be merciful again. Somehow I doubt it, in which case bbq is our hero...again.
Anyone anticipating the vagaries of handling strong tape and fragile plastic while balanced on a step stool might choose to fashion a cover from a Zip-loc bag and tape on a table first. Makes it easier to get a good seal the first time. This is an answer to most desperate prayer.
posted by R2WeTwo at 7:51 PM on April 7, 2019
Anyone anticipating the vagaries of handling strong tape and fragile plastic while balanced on a step stool might choose to fashion a cover from a Zip-loc bag and tape on a table first. Makes it easier to get a good seal the first time. This is an answer to most desperate prayer.
posted by R2WeTwo at 7:51 PM on April 7, 2019
Response by poster: After two days with the ingenious seal we were surprised to open the bathroom door this morning to the ugly smells. We think that as the plants continue to grow it just overcame the seal somehow. BBQ was kind enough to share his number and we plan to call him this afternoon before writing complex management and copying all our neighbors.
posted by R2WeTwo at 4:57 AM on April 9, 2019
posted by R2WeTwo at 4:57 AM on April 9, 2019
Best answer: With a kindness so grand we are still stunned bbqturtle actually came to our home and fixed our problem for good. For anyone in the future seeking remedy for this very specific problem bbq showed me how a drop ceiling allowed him to temporarily seal off our vent (and the little holes around it through which the smell may have been leaking). He forbid me to thank him 'til it's clear for four days but the idea is perfect regardless.
posted by R2WeTwo at 8:49 PM on April 9, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by R2WeTwo at 8:49 PM on April 9, 2019 [4 favorites]
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What kind of heat do you have? Are there individual furnaces in each apartment or are they shared somehow?
Does the fresh air from the heater smell bad? Or is the bad smell in the return heat?
posted by bbqturtle at 9:27 PM on March 31, 2019