You know that strange smell in the basement? It's two notches weirder than the smell of yesterday's gym socks. That faint, sulfur-like smell that most people think is "just an old house thing"? Nope, that may be sewer gas detector, and it's not a normal thing for your house to do. It's not funny that sewer gas has hydrogen sulfide, methane, and ammonia in it. If you don't do anything about those gases, they can be dangerous, catch fire, or just make life less pleasant in general.
It looks like a sewage gas detector sprang straight from a plumber's toolbox, but really, more people should have one. The gadgets can find risks that aren't visible. If something's wrong, they'll let you know, so you don't have to do gymnastics around every drain with a candle.
Have you ever played that crazy game where you have to figure out which drain smells bad? Picture this: Susan in Topeka kept getting headaches when she watched a lot of true crime shows in her renovated basement. She believed that her house was haunted. A loose wax ring on the toilet was letting sewer gas leak up, and a fast remedy made her headaches go away overnight.
Today's high-tech detectors are easy to use; some simply plug right into an outlet and start watching. Advanced models can send notifications to your smartphone, so you can know what's going on even when you're not there. You don't need a degree to utilize one. Just put it in a place where you think the person who did it could be: floor drains, laundry rooms, or that crawlspace you swear was colder last year. Believe me, the peace of mind is worth every price.
This is some inside information. Sewer gas detectors can save you money. They typically find little leaks early, which saves you a lot of money on repairs later. That's not trying to scare you; it's just the small insurance policy that life has behind your washing machine.
Kids, pets, and people with sensitive noses get the most out of it. If you have to take care of older family members, the last thing you want is a hidden gas leak while you're trying to figure out where the dog buried the remote. The detector makes things fairer for everyone and makes them a little safer.
Some people try to fix things themselves by putting a glass jar over the drain, putting peppermint oil on it, or merely taping over the cracks. But in the long run, those are just band-aids on a faucet that leaks. A good detector does all the hard work and takes away all the guesswork.
Sewer gas is stealthy. It can even happen in homes with clean plumbing and no "trouble drains." A depression can develop because of earthquakes, changing temperatures, or even something as simple as a dried-out trap. Let a sensor take care of it if you want a direct answer. Sensors never get nose-blind. They don't think badly of how you clean. They just keep you up to date.
So, the next time someone says, "Do you smell that?" and squints their nose, You can say with confidence, "I've got it covered." And then you may binge-watch in peace.