ᐅ Sealing of Conduit from Utility Room to Garage

Good morning everyone,

My sister has a problem in her house. There is a sweet, sharp smell in the utility room. At first, we suspected the sewage pipe. A renovation company came and first inspected everything with a camera and then carried out a pipe cleaning. But that didn’t help, everything was fine. Afterwards, they suspected the connection between the HT and KG pipes and lifted the screed in this area, but the seal was professionally installed there as well.

The smell is coming from the empty conduit between the utility room and the garage (230V, 380V cables). Since the conduit ends under the garage and is probably not sealed there, an animal (possibly a mouse or rat) entered and died inside the pipe. The other end (opening in the utility room) was only temporarily sealed with a blob of expanding foam, so the smell spread through the expansion joint between the screed and the wall in the utility room. Well, it is what it is.

What do you think? How should I seal it properly? The basic idea was to block about 30cm (12 inches) inside the pipe with expanding foam. Then, fill the entire pipe and the area where the screed was lifted with a smell-proof sealing compound. Maybe epoxy resin? I hope you can help me.

Regards

Not construction foam, but well foam, followed by standard screed. That should be sufficient.

Stefan G. schrieb:

sweetish pungent smell.

Hello Stefan G.,

Yes, the smell of decomposition is unforgettable. Quite unpleasant.
There are weather-resistant materials used in construction for situations like this. Get some of that. Visit a construction site and ask around. Just stuff it inside and press it down with a stick. Then, as Vicky suggested, use expanding foam. Finally, seal it with resin or some kind of hardening modeling compound. That should be enough.
The animal is likely decomposed by now. Eventually, the smell will fade.

Steven

Thank you both. Yes, the smell is definitely unforgettable. It’s also the case that when I temporarily seal the pipe, the smell disappears. Well, it’s not the end of the world. If it’s properly sealed, then the problem will be solved. Thanks again.

@Steven
By "weather-resistant fabric," do you really mean fabric?

Do you know how long it takes for an animal like that to decompose? Even if the other end under the garage is open, it doesn’t make much difference.

Stefan G. schrieb:

@Steven
By "weather-resistant fabric," do you really mean fabric?

Hello Stefan G.

Yes. It’s a kind of separation fabric. I placed it between the drainage and the soil. I had to remove it after 10 years. It was like new. Just toss it in the washing machine, and you could even sew yourself a pair of pants from it.
You can also use mineral wool or similar materials. Just make sure the critters don’t move in with their whole family.

Steven