Gasoline smell in house?

[ManBearPig]

Ok, ive been smelling gasoline in our house for the last like...5 days. I cant for the life of me figure out what it is. We have natural gas feeding into our stove, but its not a natural gas smell, its a gasoline (like car gasoline) smell.

Any ideas what the source might be? Odd thing is that not everyone can smell it. Im going nuts here! Thanks ATOT, you can potentially save me and my family's life! :awe:

 

[BoomerD]

BoomerD wanders around Kazaam's house striking wooden matches.

We'll find it for ya.

 

[LTC8K6]

You can make a non-emergency call to the fire dept I believe. They will have an electronic sniffer.

 

[Red Squirrel]

You can make a non-emergency call to the fire dept I believe. They will have an electronic sniffer.

That's what I'd do.

Also it's possible that somewhere near your house gasoline has been dumped in the sewer or storm drain, and you may have a dried P trap or the gas actually made it's way to yours. Many years ago there was a train that spilled tons of gasoline in my town, lot of houses exploded because it made it to the sewer system and started getting into houses. It floats on top of water and evaporates and can even go through cement, so it's pretty nasty if some leaks in a manhole or something.

Sniff around drains to see if it may be something like this. Try to vent the house as much as you can too. As much as it's the most awesome smell ever, it's really bad for you.

 

[IronWing]

Odd thing is that not everyone can smell it.

Check your shoes.

 

[Fritzo]

That's what I'd do.

Also it's possible that somewhere near your house gasoline has been dumped in the sewer or storm drain, and you may have a dried P trap or the gas actually made it's way to yours. Many years ago there was a train that spilled tons of gasoline in my town, lot of houses exploded because it made it to the sewer system and started getting into houses. It floats on top of water and evaporates and can even go through cement, so it's pretty nasty if some leaks in a manhole or something.

Sniff around drains to see if it may be something like this. Try to vent the house as much as you can too. As much as it's the most awesome smell ever, it's really bad for you.

That's a pretty good idea. Morons dump stuff into drains all the time.

 

[ManBearPig]

Unusual. That's pretty freaky. Maybe I'll give em a call and see what they say. It's weird because I keep smelling it in different parts of the house. Who wants my stuff if I OD on gasoline (comes with school loans)?

 

[Bubbaleone]

On April 22nd 1992, Analco Guadalajara was rocked by numerous gasoline explosions in the sewer system that lasted four hours, killed 252, injured over 500, and left over 15,000 people homeless. The cause was a refinery fuel transfer pipe, nearby the sewer system, that had sprung a leak and filled the sewer system with gasoline fumes.

 

[Azraele]

Does anyone other than you smell it? Could be a sinus infection. Weird smells have been associated with those. If others are smelling it too, then get someone to check it out.

 

[olds]

Attached garage?

 

[mattpegher]

Another thing that can sort of smell faintly like gasoline is a dead animal trapped behind the drywall. Had that happen to me in an appartment that was 100% electric. and traced it to a closet. When I got up in the attic I found a bird had died and fallen down into the wall.

 

[ManBearPig]

Thanks for all the suggestions guys. I highly doubt it's actual gas, but I'll still check it out. I'm gonna ask my neighbors too. We're pretty far from any refineries or anything like that but who knows. Could be this annoying drought is making me go crazy. I've been having terrible allergies.

 

[D1gger]

Check your shoes.

QFT

I was once on an airplane in flight from Calgary to Vancouver when the pilot walked back through the cabin, then back to the cockpit. They then announced we were landing in a small town airport because of a "fuel smell" in the airplane. After landing they found out it was a pair of boots worn by an oil rig worker. He was a little red faced about that.

 

[Squisher]

Sounds like a trap has dried out. Do you have some seldom used sinks or do you have floor drains that are typical in houses with basements or built on a slab? A trap requires water to sit in it to keep sewer gases from stinking up your house. If these are the source, just pour in some water.

 

[ManBearPig]

We do have aeldome used sinks, both in and out of the basement. Most interestingly, around the time this smell started, an upstairs sink got messed up.

 

[Baked]

Don't let this happen to your neighborhood. Get it check out now.

 

[Lapis974]

I know this an old discussion but I think I have the answer for anyone frantically searching for a solution to this problem. This happened to me two nights ago and it turns out it was my lawnmower. I mentioned the issue to a coworker and his lawnmowers throttle valve was stuck open allowing gasoline fumes out into the garage and those were pulled into the house through the air conditioner system. So last night I turned down my AC when I got home before removing the mower from the garage and instantly smelled gasoline fumes coming through the vents. Put the mower on the back porch and no gas smell the rest of the night or this morning. The first night the smell was so horrible and in every room of my house and I couldn't figure out what the source was so it really was making me feel crazy. My garage did smell like gasoline but not alarmingly so and I always smell it around the gas can and mower anyways. When I told friends about it the first night, no one had ever heard of it and had no idea what it could be from. Most of them prolly thought I was going crazy. So hopefully this will help someone who is feeling a little insane about this happening to them.

 

[T9D]

You have a brain tumor

*edit*

Oops this is old. He's probably already dead

 

[Slacker]

It is a problem that air from your garage is getting into your house, call someone and have your garage properly sealed from your living space.