# Mildew Odor From Under Bathroom Sink???



## GoldDot40 (Mar 18, 2009)

Anyone familiar with plumbing....whether DYIers or professional....I need some advice. One of our bathroom sink has mildew smell that's pretty strong if you open the cabinet underneath and take a whiff. There's nothing leaking that I can see.....from the trap or the freshwater lines. We've recently noticed a 'bubbling sound' when the bathtub is drained. I added some 'Drano' and the bubbling hasn't been heard since. But now we've got this mildew odor. What do I need to check out???? Thanks!!!


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## Milkman (Mar 18, 2009)

I assume the bottom of the cabinet is raised above floor level.  Could be moisture under the cabinet flooring if that is the case.

Could be a vent issue too if you were hearing the gurgle noise. Sometimes those little short vents placed under sinks or behind washing machines get some odor going.


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## Mission (Mar 18, 2009)

go ahead and pull the trap, even though its flowing...they can be nasty, caked, and smell like a sewer treatment plant


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## dawg2 (Mar 18, 2009)

All of the above.  If you smell mildew, then there is some water leaking somewhere and you need to find it.


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## Confederate_Jay (Mar 19, 2009)

Climb up on your roof or into your attic.  Check the seal where the vent comes thru your roof.  Most of them are rubber and slide down over the pvc. They can dryrot and allow the water to run down the vent pipe into the wall space behind your cabinet, leading to mold.


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## Diogenes (Mar 22, 2009)

Hard to say.  You don't say how old the house is, but mildew has a certain love for dark and wet . . . if you can't find a leak that looks active, it could have come from anything starting with what Jay said just above -- a leaking vent boot -- to something as easy as years of seasonal condensation building up on the cold water pipe and dripping off when it gets really humid.  Start by asking around for Environmental Remediation guys in the area -- they have a sure-fire mold and mildew killer called 'Shockwave' that they can get at the contractor supply, which will kill what you have already going on in there right away.  You'll only need about a cupful of it.  Then once it is all killed and dried out, clear out the vanity and put down some paper towels, and look in once every few days to see if anything is dripping slowly.  You should be able to find it pretty fast.


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