ᐅ Ventilation / Air Exhaust in Passive Houses – Duct Odors / Musty Laundry Smell
Created on: 18 Mar 2018 12:27
T
tiramizu
Hello everyone,
we are really at our wit’s end and looking for expert advice regarding our wastewater problem:
We live in a passive house. Our washing machine (new) is located in the attic. It is therefore connected at the highest point of the house – the pros and cons can be debated, but please just assume that there was no other option to install the machine in this room.
For some time now, we have had the issue that the laundry sometimes smells musty, especially when washing at temperatures above 40°C (104°F). I installed a trap before the wastewater connection and raised the final attachment of the drain hose to the top edge of the washing machine. This should provide enough water seal to prevent the trap from being siphoned dry.
Since there was no ventilation on the wastewater pipe, a sanitary professional installed an air admittance valve on the same connection. This helped improve the situation, but we still have sewer odor in the bathroom, and the laundry continues to smell musty. Therefore, we cannot use washing temperatures above 40°C (104°F). We find this not only unhygienic – in our opinion, it shouldn’t be this way.
Background: The lower part of the house is divided as an independent apartment, separate from the ground and first floors where we live. The ground floor layout does not include a washing machine connection. We are therefore dependent on the space and this connection in the upper floor.
Good advice is now expensive. Does anyone have any suggestions?
we are really at our wit’s end and looking for expert advice regarding our wastewater problem:
We live in a passive house. Our washing machine (new) is located in the attic. It is therefore connected at the highest point of the house – the pros and cons can be debated, but please just assume that there was no other option to install the machine in this room.
For some time now, we have had the issue that the laundry sometimes smells musty, especially when washing at temperatures above 40°C (104°F). I installed a trap before the wastewater connection and raised the final attachment of the drain hose to the top edge of the washing machine. This should provide enough water seal to prevent the trap from being siphoned dry.
Since there was no ventilation on the wastewater pipe, a sanitary professional installed an air admittance valve on the same connection. This helped improve the situation, but we still have sewer odor in the bathroom, and the laundry continues to smell musty. Therefore, we cannot use washing temperatures above 40°C (104°F). We find this not only unhygienic – in our opinion, it shouldn’t be this way.
Background: The lower part of the house is divided as an independent apartment, separate from the ground and first floors where we live. The ground floor layout does not include a washing machine connection. We are therefore dependent on the space and this connection in the upper floor.
Good advice is now expensive. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Caspar2020 schrieb:
The laundry in the machine or laundry in the room?
(..)
Is there a bathtub in the bathroom?When opening the washing machine, a musty smell comes out immediately, and when the weather changes, the affected bathroom also smells like sewage, even when the washing machine is not running. There is no bathtub in this bathroom, only a toilet, shower, and sink. We already refill the traps regularly with a splash of water as a preventative measure.
My question is more about whether the absence of mechanical ventilation is normal in a passive house and if the small ventilation within the room is sufficient at all. In all the "normal" houses around us, significantly larger pipes protrude from the roof.
And in our case, is a small vent in one bathroom supposed to serve the entire house? That’s hard for me to believe.
C
Caspar202019 Mar 2018 09:48In my opinion, at least one ventilation duct for supply and exhaust air must be routed through the roof (preferably at the main soil stack).
And the one you have in your bathroom is just a vent (which may be used additionally on secondary soil stacks).
But this is independent of Passive House standards.
And the one you have in your bathroom is just a vent (which may be used additionally on secondary soil stacks).
But this is independent of Passive House standards.
T
Trasher1919 Mar 2018 12:15Caspar2020 is absolutely right. A pipe must definitely be routed above the roof according to DIN standards in order to vent the pipes. If this is no longer possible because it cannot be done technically afterward, I would try using a so-called "Durgo." It is not compliant with DIN in practice, but it has been installed many times and it works.
I see at least two separate issues here.
1. The missing or insufficient ventilation of the wastewater system.
2. The problem with the washing machine.
Wastewater never flows back into the washing machine; the musty smell of the laundry is unrelated to the faulty ventilation.
1. The missing or insufficient ventilation of the wastewater system.
2. The problem with the washing machine.
Wastewater never flows back into the washing machine; the musty smell of the laundry is unrelated to the faulty ventilation.
A
andreashm23 Apr 2018 18:37I suspect there are two separate issues here that just happen to coincide:
1. Poorly installed ventilation of the wastewater system
2. You are probably using only liquid detergent or color detergent in general. At least occasionally use a powder detergent with full washing power – for example, for whites and towels. Towels, in particular, are usually suitable for 60°C (140°F), which should be used. But not with the eco program of the washing machine, as it doesn’t reach 60°C (140°F). At least occasionally use the regular 60-degree program (with powder detergent).
1. Poorly installed ventilation of the wastewater system
2. You are probably using only liquid detergent or color detergent in general. At least occasionally use a powder detergent with full washing power – for example, for whites and towels. Towels, in particular, are usually suitable for 60°C (140°F), which should be used. But not with the eco program of the washing machine, as it doesn’t reach 60°C (140°F). At least occasionally use the regular 60-degree program (with powder detergent).
Similar topics