# what is causing a slight propane smell in house?



## jeanw (May 8, 2020)

In the last few weeks when the furnace comes on  I can smell slightly propane smell seems to be coming thru the floor registers. This "package unit" is outside the house. It was here when we moved in several yrs ago. Hubby no longer spends enough time here to use the Hardy and he said when he is here occ he didn't smell anything..
 Couple yrs ago had the furnace fan replaced, It was full of mud DOBBER mud. THE unit was used much since we used the Hardy. and didn't use he AC part of unit n much either The AH was supposedly to leave it here so we could look at the older fan ourselves. After they installed the new over $600 unit and service call.    then last y Hubby sent for  new Heat changer  but after taking itnout and looking throughly at it and a different professional HVAC guy.. They reinstalled the old heat exchanger and returned the NEW Heat exchanger to parts distributor. The HVac guy also checked it out what Hubby did himself. At that time Hubby was hoping to sell this house here.. This house is in a semi rural area. smaller town in KY...
   well since Im back at this house more started using furnace more( I decided I like this location better)
So hubby last week got hold of the nice HVAC guy and he came out and checked all of it including the AC part. He only worked on the outside didn't come in the house,
 well since we have had so much nice temperatures lately have turned down thermostat to say 60... since Im outside so much lately gardening stuff.
 SO y'all think the HEAT EXCHANGER may be cracked now? or what else? 
   will buying a small portable propane "snifter" help? any certain brand y'all recommend for me to buy and keep myself?. The HVAC guy didnt have one.
 Help with suggestions y'all. ??? Hubby has a freon leak dector but the HVAC guy said it wouldn't work for detecting propane... Is that correct?
 THANKS ALL


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## mcdougy (May 8, 2020)

Call the fire department immediately?


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## Prof (May 8, 2020)

mcdougy said:


> Call the fire department immediately?


I agree, get a professional in there to check it out--especially of you have any appliance that uses gas. If you don't the urgency may diminish as the mystery evolves, but either way better to figure it out. Gas leaks are a serious deal and can cause a big boom the next light that you turn on. Incidentally, this is why my new house has no gas in it, a house in my town turned to splinters after a gas leak!  I recognize that my fear may be irrational, but I don't think so....


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## heat seeker (May 8, 2020)

I, too, refuse to have gas in my house. A gas tech was in a nearby house's basement, along with the two owners. Something went wrong, and the house was reduced to matchsticks. One person killed, two hospitalized. Some buildings in Springfield, MA were destroyed a few years ago, when gas somehow got into their basements during construction across the street (!). The legal haggling was finalized, (I think) last year. I know, there are millions of buildings with gas in them that are perfectly safe, but life has enough hazards for me already.  To each his own.


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## ABMax24 (May 9, 2020)

I agree with the others, have it looked at ASAP. The part that worries me more than the gas smell though is the possibility of carbon monoxide in the cause of a cracked exchanger.

That being said there is nothing wrong safety wise with gas compared to any other fuel, literally every building in this part of the country is heated with it, very rarely do you ever hear of a fire or explosion from gas. I have 7 gas appliances in my house, I feel very comfortable about their safety, the threat of a chimney fire from my wood stove sometimes concerns me though. Carbon monoxide on the other hand kills a few people up here every year from improperly installed and maintained appliances.


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## fbelec (May 9, 2020)

if you don't have one already you should have a carbon monoxide detector. if the heat exchanger is cracked then the burn of the flame won't be right and you will have a high carbon monoxide reading in the house. a good heat guy will have a meter or fire dept should also have one


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## johneh (May 9, 2020)

I just had my son read your post. He is a Canadian lic HVAC teck .
He says turn the heater off right now also turn off your propane supply
If you smell propane YOU HAVE A LEAK. Have the unit checked by 
a lic teck and repaired 
You are setting yourself up for a big boom


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## tlc1976 (May 9, 2020)

I agree, shut it down and have it looked at. The air path for the registers should be completely separate from the fuel burning path. You shouldn’t smell gas in the registers.

Just out of curiosity though how is your propane level? If you’re almost out, the substance they add to create the odor settles at the bottom of the tank and you’ll get more of it when you’re almost out. 

I was afraid of gas in my old house after the dinosaur furnace (horizontal with an ambient long horizontal vent) almost killed me. I shut it down and switched to burning wood which saved me financially anyway. I also replaced the washer and dryer and went electric. I put in a new furnace with modern venting when I sold the house. The semi retired tech who set it up said they those ambient horizontal vented furnaces killed people and were outlawed in like the 70s.

My new house is mostly gas and I’ve learned how to be safe with it. But I only use gas for the small appliances and burn pellets for the heat. Gas costs a lot more for me when it comes to heat.


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## brenndatomu (May 9, 2020)

ABMax24 said:


> very rarely do you ever hear of a fire or explosion from gas.


Hmm...seems to be on the local and national news fairly often here...way too much IMO. Heck, half the town blew up a year or so ago when the gas company over pressurized the system in one NE state.
I agree, shut off the gas and get someone in there to check it out...my BIL/SIL have a large home with 2 HVAC systems...they had been having headaches with increasing frequency...finally they called the HVAC guy (not sure why exactly) he came in and said BOTH furnaces had cracked heat exchangers! I sure hope they have CO alarms now!
We rented an AIRBNB for vaca last year...got there and thought, hmm, this old house has a strange smell...wasn't strong enough to be obvious what the smell was. Seemed to be stronger through the night and I finally thought that it kinda has a gas smell to it. Went to the basement to have a look see the next morning and it was stronger down there...looked like a brand new furnace too.
Called the owner and he had the gas company come check it out...he said they didn't notice the smell, and their gas sniffer didn't even pick it up, but they sprayed a leak detector solution on all the pipe fittings and found one with a small leak...smell went away then. I personally felt I should have been given _at least_ a partial refund...but nope, nothing...houses in this neighborhood are stacked  a few feet apart too...a gas explosion would take out the whole block, not to mention just the fact that my family and I had all been breathing gas fumes for a day or so!

Anyways, get it checked out OP!


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## zrock (May 10, 2020)

Call your local fire dept they will make a trip out for free and check things out and they are going to have the best equipment.. On a side note i have never seen a heating and cooling person not have a leak detector..  Ones i have used over the years always give things a sniff when they are done..


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## Medic21 (May 10, 2020)

If you have propane the two must haves are a CO detector on every living level and a gas detector for propane the basement or lowest level.  

As a firefighter I’ve seen more explosions from propane than natural gas because it sits low and you don’t smell it till it’s too late. Plus it’s explosive range is much sooner than Natural gas. Propane is explosive as low as 2% concentration where methane is 5%. 2% of a gas heavier than air is how your launched outta bed long before you smell anything. Propane ignites at a few hundred degrees lower than Natural gas also so it’s easier to have something as simple as an electrical arc ignite it compared to natural gas.  

This was posted the other day.  Have you had anything checked out to find out what it was?


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## woodey (May 10, 2020)

Medic21 said:


> a gas detector for propane the basement


Medic, any suggestions as to a good propane detector?  Should I have one for the furnace and another for the water heater as they are about 25 feet apart?


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## Medic21 (May 10, 2020)

woodey said:


> Medic, any suggestions as to a good propane detector?  Should I have one for the furnace and another for the water heater as they are about 25 feet apart?


I have a 1st Alert that plugs in with battery back up.  It’s a combination with but but, co detections is not needed in the basement.  

One should be adequate.  They alarm befor an explosive level is reached.


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## ABMax24 (May 11, 2020)

brenndatomu said:


> Hmm...seems to be on the local and national news fairly often here...way too much IMO. Heck, half the town blew up a year or so ago when the gas company over pressurized the system in one NE state.



I guess American codes and standards are sub-par to Canadian ones. Gas fires or explosions just aren't common here, and in there rare case of one they are usually caused by someone hitting a buried line, or some homeowner trying to fix their own equipment without the knowledge to do so.

There are a few reasons in your Merrimack Valley example as to why that would be unlikely to happen here. Pressure safety valves are installed on equipment to prevent line over-pressure and vent the excess pressure. Regulators are also installed at every house to deliver consistent pressure regardless of line pressure. Emergency shutdown valves are also installed to shut in the supply should an over-pressure situation be detected.


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## fbelec (May 11, 2020)

when i put in carbon monoxide detectors the code up here in mass is one within twenty feet of a fuel burning appliance and one on every habitable floor and there should be one within ten feet of every bedroom but not in it. i asked my plumber about the gas explosions in the merrimack valley he said only the low pressure lines are effected. meaning if you are on high pressure gas you will have a regulator before the meter and most but not all are outside. if inside the vent for that regulator is piped to outside to vent the excess gas


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## Medic21 (May 11, 2020)

ABMax24 said:


> I guess American codes and standards are sub-par to Canadian ones. Gas fires or explosions just aren't common here, and in there rare case of one they are usually caused by someone hitting a buried line, or some homeowner trying to fix their own equipment without the knowledge to do so.
> 
> There are a few reasons in your Merrimack Valley example as to why that would be unlikely to happen here. Pressure safety valves are installed on equipment to prevent line over-pressure and vent the excess pressure. Regulators are also installed at every house to deliver consistent pressure regardless of line pressure. Emergency shutdown valves are also installed to shut in the supply should an over-pressure situation be detected.


Almost every explosion I’ve ever seen that leveled the house was a direct result of someone’s error.  The codes here are not subpar.  The regulators have all the features you’re talking about.  

The problem is people attempt to fix things like furnaces themselves.  That’s where these tragedies begins.


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## PaulOinMA (May 11, 2020)

I had a very faint gas odor right at the bottom of the stairs in the basement several years ago.  It was the winter with 120" snow here west of Boston.  There was a story on the news to clear snow off the gas meter outside your house.  Mine was covered in snow.  It is right outside the house where I had the very faint odor of gas.


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## yooperdave (May 11, 2020)

Check the gas pipe fittings...specifically the union.  They will get loose from vibrations that occur, such as passing traffic,  if they aren't tight enough.  Make sure to shut off the gas cock (valve) before any attempts to tighten, please!

Let us know what you find/found!





	

		
			
		

		
	
  union





	

		
			
		

		
	
  gas cock (valve)  or....


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## ABMax24 (May 11, 2020)

Medic21 said:


> Almost every explosion I’ve ever seen that leveled the house was a direct result of someone’s error.  The codes here are not subpar.  The regulators have all the features you’re talking about.
> 
> The problem is people attempt to fix things like furnaces themselves.  That’s where these tragedies begins.



If that were the case that gas explosion wouldn't have happened. The PSV on that section of piping would have opened releasing the pressure and avoiding the over-pressure situation that caused the explosion. Either there was no PSV, or the workers changing that regulator had in shut in so it wasn't operable. 

I'm not sure how the legal side of this turned out, but if this would have happened here the workers on that line would have been facing charges of gross negligence causing death, and jail time if convicted.


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## jeanw (May 11, 2020)

well I haven't smelled any more propane in last couple of days. Hubby said the 3rd burner was taking longer to ignite. Yes I have a carbon monoxide detector only less than a year old
Plus"Tom from Utah" said they register CO2 too late. He calls on.   RBN.org  ( republicbroadcasting.org) various  call in talk shows quite a bit,  He is a pathologist etc and very involved, telling truth with CO2 problems in mobile homes venting         one of his sites is        https://www.gassingamerica.com
thanks all


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## bholler (May 11, 2020)

jeanw said:


> well I haven't smelled any more propane in last couple of days. Hubby said the 3rd burner was taking longer to ignite. Yes I have a carbon monoxide detector only less than a year old
> Plus"Tom from Utah" said they register CO2 too late. He calls on.   RBN.org  ( republicbroadcasting.org) various  call in talk shows quite a bit,  He is a pathologist etc and very involved, telling truth.... with this fake pandemic Ah I  mean PLANDEMIC. .... also with CO2 problems in mobile homes venting         one of his sites is        https://www.gassingamerica.com
> thanks all


Yes some co detectors do not go off soon enough in my opinion as well.  But there are plenty of good ones on the market


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## Medic21 (May 11, 2020)

ABMax24 said:


> If that were the case that gas explosion wouldn't have happened. The PSV on that section of piping would have opened releasing the pressure and avoiding the over-pressure situation that caused the explosion. Either there was no PSV, or the workers changing that regulator had in shut in so it wasn't operable.
> 
> I'm not sure how the legal side of this turned out, but if this would have happened here the workers on that line would have been facing charges of gross negligence causing death, and jail time if convicted.


When a homeowner decides to work on an appliance inside their house and something goes wrong you’re saying the homeowner, who’s usually dead in my experience, should face charges?

We must be talking about completely different situations Here. Every one of the dozen or so I’ve responded to in 25 years have been from a small leak that was caused by a homeowner doing work. One was a contractor who put in a ground rod next to the house and pierced the line before the regulator and it filled the basement through the perimeter drain. Another was actually a trencher went through an abandoned propane line that was still hooked to an “empty” tank. The residual propane found its way in the house and filled the basement.

Outside of a few pipeline emergencies here, I’ve never been on one outside of a contractor hitting one, most of these incidents are from inside work. Criminal charges for this type of stuff are almost impossible to make stick.


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## fbelec (May 12, 2020)

the carbon monoxide detectors that they say have to be hooked up and running for the gas inspection are slow on low trace amounts and if you go thru the paper work that is given with the detector it says it could take 2 to 4 hours to alarm. there is a chart for alarm. i think that is done to stop false alarms. really stupid in my opinion. it doesn't false alarm like a smoke detector.  smoke detectors can be set off from a spider. carbon monoxide is there or it isn't


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## ABMax24 (May 12, 2020)

Medic21 said:


> When a homeowner decides to work on an appliance inside their house and something goes wrong you’re saying the homeowner, who’s usually dead in my experience, should face charges?
> 
> We must be talking about completely different situations Here. Every one of the dozen or so I’ve responded to in 25 years have been from a small leak that was caused by a homeowner doing work. One was a contractor who put in a ground rod next to the house and pierced the line before the regulator and it filled the basement through the perimeter drain. Another was actually a trencher went through an abandoned propane line that was still hooked to an “empty” tank. The residual propane found its way in the house and filled the basement.
> 
> Outside of a few pipeline emergencies here, I’ve never been on one outside of a contractor hitting one, most of these incidents are from inside work. Criminal charges for this type of stuff are almost impossible to make stick.



I was referring to the Merrimack Valley and the explosion there. This was caused by the gas company, and what should have been qualified personnel, and yes those workers that caused the explosion would have likely faced criminal charges here, if it was because of poor practices and procedures management would have been on trial too.

Homeowners are totally different, you blow yourself up that's your own problem. That being said most people leave gas lines to the professionals, it's even taught in elementary school what gas lines are, what gas smells like, to get out of the house if you smell it, and to not touch or play with the lines. All our gas supply here is 7" WC, it takes a special kind of person to get leaks on that.


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## Medic21 (May 12, 2020)

ABMax24 said:


> I was referring to the Merrimack Valley and the explosion there. This was caused by the gas company, and what should have been qualified personnel, and yes those workers that caused the explosion would have likely faced criminal charges here, if it was because of poor practices and procedures management would have been on trial too.
> 
> Homeowners are totally different, you blow yourself up that's your own problem. That being said most people leave gas lines to the professionals, it's even taught in elementary school what gas lines are, what gas smells like, to get out of the house if you smell it, and to not touch or play with the lines. All our gas supply here is 7" WC, it takes a special kind of person to get leaks on that.


That’s a standard pressure.  Propane is 11.3-14 WC.  Part of the problem is if you run a screw into a line in the wall you won’t hear the leak.


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## ABMax24 (May 12, 2020)

Medic21 said:


> That’s a standard pressure.  Propane is 11.3-14 WC.  Part of the problem is if you run a screw into a line in the wall you won’t hear the leak.



6.16.4 Tubing run inside hollow walls or partitions within 1.75 in (43 mm) of the surface shall be protected against physical damage and puncture at the joists, studs, and plates by the use of No. 16 GSG (1.59 mm) plates or sleeves. 

This is why that isn't an issue here. You can't actually get a screw through the shield plates, you need a framing nailer to do that, no one I know hangs pictures on the wall with a framing nailer.

But I'm done with this conversation, it's way off topic anyway, and really serves no use, gas leaks simply aren't a big problem here where I live.


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## Medic21 (May 12, 2020)

ABMax24 said:


> 6.16.4 Tubing run inside hollow walls or partitions within 1.75 in (43 mm) of the surface shall be protected against physical damage and puncture at the joists, studs, and plates by the use of No. 16 GSG (1.59 mm) plates or sleeves.
> 
> This is why that isn't an issue here. You can't actually get a screw through the shield plates, you need a framing nailer to do that, no one I know hangs pictures on the wall with a framing nailer.
> 
> But I'm done with this conversation, it's way off topic anyway, and really serves no use, gas leaks simply aren't a big problem here where I live.


And, you have no structures in your country built before these codes were placed?  And, if they were they have all been retrofitted to code?

I’ve seen dimbasses drill a pilot hole in the line because they could get their screw in place.  People are stupid and all the building codes in the world won’t protect them from themselves.


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## begreen (May 12, 2020)

Sounds like DH is playing a dangerous game. Even if a burner was slow to ignite, there should be no leakage of gas in the house. *None, nada.* Turn off the propane to this furnace. It is possible the heat exchanger is cracked or rusted out in an area.

Propane is not like CO. It is measured differently and at floor level usually because it is a heavier than air gas. To detect it one needs a propane detector which is mounted low, about a foot off the floor.
Amazon product


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## firefighterjake (May 13, 2020)

As usual . . . late to the discussion . . . but this entire thread is pretty much in my wheelhouse with my job.

1. As some folks mentioned … if you smell gas (or rather the mercaptan odorant added to the gas) we encourage folks to call 911 as most fire departments these days have a combination gas meter to detect CO, methane and other explosive or dangerous gases.

2. If you are smelling propane there could be a variety of reasons -- puncture, loose connection, gas failed to ignite right away with an older appliance, low gas supply, etc. . . . again . . . getting someone on hand to find the problem is important.

In my own home I have a combination CO detector and explosive gas detector from Kidde which also gives a digital readout. It is important to note that not all CO detectors are explosive gas detectors and vice versa. I am a firm believer in having it be battery powered or battery back up as the vast majority of CO poisonings I have seen typically occur when there is no power to the home and someone is using a generator or other device inappropriately. 


Commercial occupancy from Farmington, Maine last year . . . sadly a Fire Captain died and several others were injured. 









						Propane line leak caused explosion in Maine that killed firefighter, investigators say
					

A leak in a propane line caused a deadly explosion in Farmington, Maine, that killed a firefighter and injured several others.



					www.usatoday.com
				












						Video shows moments after Farmington explosion that killed firefighter
					

Terrifying video shows the moments after this morning's building explosion in Farmington. The smoke and debris nearly blocking out the sun.




					www.wmtw.com


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## coaly (May 15, 2020)

Medic21 said:


> That’s a standard pressure.  Propane is 11.3-14 WC.  Part of the problem is if you run a screw into a line in the wall you won’t hear the leak.


Black iron only is allowed inside walls. If you run a screw or drill a hole through it , you did something really wrong.


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## Medic21 (May 15, 2020)

coaly said:


> Black iron only is allowed inside walls. If you run a screw or drill a hole through it , you did something really wrong.


I’ve seen it done lol.  Actually drilled it because the screw wouldn’t go in.


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## Sodbuster (May 18, 2020)

This goes back a few years now, but there was a house in Royal Oak, MI that blew completely up, totally leveling it, and damaging nearby homes. Thankfully no one was home or injured.  Only people to touch the gas line was DTE Energy the day prior, so it's not just home owners that can FU. When we lived there, they started a program to move all the meters outside, as most were in the basement. They swapped us out and a few hours later I could smell gas (mercaptan) in the basement. I called their number, and they were there within 15 minutes. Grabbed the sniffer, and sure enough, one of the fittings wasn't tightened properly.


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## Highbeam (May 19, 2020)

The “smell” of unburned propane fuel is obvious to most. But even the smell of the exhaust from an unvented propane burner like a stove top is noticeable to many. They stink.


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## maple1 (May 20, 2020)

Just seeing this thread.

First off, and already mentioned several times. get the fire department in to do a check-over even if you can't smell anything anymore. Or maybe more like you think you don't smell anything anymore? It won't cost you anything, and that is one thing you need to be very sure of. Gas leaks don't magically fix themselves, that I know of.

Second off - if they don't find anything. Well, sometimes sewer gasses can smell kinda like propane. Any drains that haven't been used in a long time? Basement sink that never gets used? Even if they have traps, water can evaporate out of them after a long time of no use.


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## Sodbuster (May 20, 2020)

One thing I haven't seen mentioned, but if you have a mouse "expire" in the wall of your home it can mimic the smell of Propane during the early stages.


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## brenndatomu (May 20, 2020)

maple1 said:


> Just seeing this thread.
> 
> First off, and already mentioned several times. get the fire department in to do a check-over even if you can't smell anything anymore. Or maybe more like you think you don't smell anything anymore? It won't cost you anything, and that is one thing you need to be very sure of. Gas leaks don't magically fix themselves, that I know of.
> 
> Second off - if they don't find anything. Well, sometimes sewer gasses can smell kinda like propane. Any drains that haven't been used in a long time? Basement sink that never gets used? Even if they have traps, water can evaporate out of them after a long time of no use.





Sodbuster said:


> One thing I haven't seen mentioned, but if you have a mouse "expire" in the wall of your home it can mimic the smell of Propane during the early stages.


Both excellent suggestions! I can't believe I didn't think of this before, I work for the city water water utilities and get the "gas smell" call all the time, and it usually ends up being a dried out drain trap (sometimes buried in a wall/etc. on a remodel project) or a dead mouse.


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## fbelec (May 21, 2020)

with all this said how did you make out jean


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## Sodbuster (May 21, 2020)

I do appreciate it when an OP, when he/she has time, to come back and tell what worked and what didn't. Helps us all learn.


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