Maple syrup smell in basement (LP boiler?)

[tlc1976]

I've always spent hours down here every day and it never did this before, just sometimes the dull LP odor, but no leaks or CO. But now some days I get a very strong maple syrup smell. Even though the boiler isn't even powered up, and I see nothing wet around or at any pipes, just reddish stains in the conrcrete from leaks before I was here. This has been going on since last year sometime. Is that by chance what boiler antifreeze smells like? The previous owner said he put antifreeze in it. It doesn't smell like car antifreeze.

All unfinished. It's quite clean. No critters or mold down here. I run a dehumidifer. Never freezes.

 

[maple1]

The only thing I have smelled that smelled like maple syrup was maple syrup. The odd time I burn hard maple, I can pick up a sweet smell, but it's pretty faint.

I don't think I've ever smelled boiler glycol before though, so not sure what it smells like. Plumbers antifreeze has a strong smell, kinda sweetish, but it's nothing like syrup. And not the same stuff as boiler glycol. But if you see no signs of leaks, not sure how that smell would get out. Well, I guess it would if air vents burped a bit of air out .

 

[tlc1976]

Could be air vents I suppose. I thought maybe there was a hard to find leak. Like this episode with Bob Vila, they had a small hole in the top of the boiler tank and when it leaked it just went up the chimney. The boiler is over 30 years old and I only keep it around for emergencies so who knows. I just didn't want to fire it up and have a surprise leak make a mess down here. But if that's not the right smell anyway, I'll have to see if I can narrow it down. It does smell exactly like maple syrup, and it's intermittent.

 

[Bob Rohr]

Yes, antifreeze has a sweet smell to it. Any discharge under the relief valve? pressure staying steady.

 

[tlc1976]

I haven't seen any wetness around the boiler anywhere. Just old reddish stains in the concrete from the previous owners in the last 30 years.

I haven't been running it this winter, still am not. Just keep it around in case the pellet stove burned up a part I didn't have. It doesn't freeze in the basement, not that I've seen anyway as long as the main floor is at a reasonable temp.