Rotting egg smell from radiant floor heating system

Sharone

Brand new home with radiant heat. 

Horrible rotten egg smell in garage and now permeating rest of house.
Any advise would be appreciated

Jamie Hall

"Rotten egg" smell is usually hydrogen sulphide. There can be any number of causes of the smell, and it can be difficult to pin down. You seem to indicate that you believe that the smell is, in some way, connected with the radiant floor heating. What tests have you performed so far to demonstrate that it appears only when the floor heating is turned on?

kcopp

Is there a trap in the garage that may have dried out?

Sharone

We were instructed to turn up heat. That made the smell worse. 

There is not a drain or not aware of a trap.

Jamie Hall

Ah. Well, it's most likely NOT the heat -- but something possibly in the garage being warmed up by the heat. Don't overlook anything -- and don't get focused on just one possibility.

HVACNUT

Is there radiant heat in the garage, or is the boiler or manifolds in the garage? Neither? Both?
What type of boiler? Was a combustion test done at startup?
You are getting odors with the heat off but it gets worse when the heat is on? 
What's the supply water temperature setting?
Antifreeze leak?
Air handler or any exhaust or venting running from the garage to the house or attic?

GroundUp

Can you share a photo of the heating system in question?

Sharone

Sharone

Here are a few photos, the hot water tank is in between these two

I'm afraid I'm in over my head here.

kcopp

There is a trap in the Pict to the left.
Black thingy, has a clear hose going into it.
The condensate pump dumps into it... although it looks pretty dry.
Pour a pint of water into it.

Sharone

Hmmm, I was just going to post this picture stating I found the trap. I'll try adding water right away

Thank you Kcopp

hot_rod

looks like you are on a well? Could it be the water you smell?

HVACNUT

The condensate pump isn't even needed. Just pipe the drain on the boiler directly to the trap. Check the manual as that drain might need to get trapped. That will eliminate stagnant water sitting in the basin of the pump. 

When the boiler was commissioned, there should have been a combustion test done. Do you have the results?

KC_Jones

Is this natural gas or propane? If natural gas the additive (mercaptan, or methanethiol) makes it smell like rotten eggs. Have you eliminated a gas leak as a possibility?

JUGHNE

Car battery over charging can produce some smells similar to this.

Sharone

It wasn't the p trap. Thought it was. I put water in it. Smell went away but it's back in less than 24 hours.

GroundUp

Did you try putting more water in? Or dipping something in there to verify it's not the trap? I've seen buildings with improper pitch and/or venting, where it would suck traps dry elsewhere in the system when toilets were flushed.

Jamie Hall

If that cute little P trap is inadequately vented, it will get pulled dry every time someone flushes a toilet. So it may still be the P trap. Wouldn't be surprised.

hot_rod

The P trap doesn’t look new? If the smell is, something else may be going on

A small gas leak, or backfire on ignition. Eat enough to soap the gas line fittings 

Water leaking from the boiler anywhere? It can have a smell like that. 

Iron bacteria in a heating fluid smells like rotten eggs 

Anode rod building gas in the domestic hot water?

Sulfur water from the well?